ASA2
Sec A03
Week 6: Pathologizing of Asian Americans and the
Americanization of Mental Illness and Other Harms to Humans
The article, "On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health", discusses the emergence of a focus on Asian American students' psychology on university grounds, due to the awareness of a pattern of pervasive suicides within the community. In relation with the model minority myth, Asian American college students often feel the pressure of stereotypes that paint them as smart and academically high-achieving, which can lead to stress, depression, and other related mental illnesses. Also, family expectations contribute to the burden of Asian American students. Generally, the narrative of parents sacrificing their lives in order for their children to have a chance at the American Dream influences students to choose certain career paths that they are not passionate about or even proficient at. Not only are Asian American students more prone to "elevated levels of depression", they also shy away from seeking help. This is due to the cultural reproach of mental illnesses and seeking professional help.
I resonated with this article because I feel like it examines phenomena that I continually struggle with in my daily life as well. In Asian cultures, there is such a stigma against wanting therapy and counseling, so if a person actually needs professional advice, it's often viewed as a negative thing. We are taught to deal with our feelings on our own, or to simply internalize them and act like nothing's wrong. This traditional way of thinking about mental illnesses can hurt Asian American students and push them to drastic actions such as self-harm or even suicide. I believe that this is an aspect of Asian American culture that we, as a young generation, should strive to change. We need to have an open dialogue about mental illness and set the tone that it is acceptable to talk about negative emotions and feelings.
Question: What is it about Asian cultures that makes them stigmatize mental illness, therapy, and all topics relating to that?
References:
Media, N. A. (2013, September 13). On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from https://youthradio.org/journalism/education/on-some-college-campuses-a-focus-on-asian-american-mental-health/
Susan Seligson. Videos by Bill Politis. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2017, from https://www.bu.edu/today/2015/model-minority-pressures-take-mental-health-toll/
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