Week 6

Kimi Villaroman

A01

Week 6

This week’s readings based on the pathologizing of Asian Americans has spoken volumes to me. In particular, the article by Katherine Kam titled “On Some College Campuses, A Focus on Asian American Health” hit close to home. The piece talks about how cultural factors, such as family expectations and the model minority expectations, play a role in the increasing number of Asian Americans being diagnosed with depression. It is also interesting to note that studies have found Asian Americans finding it difficult to seek out professional help because of stigmatization and unfamiliarity.

In my personal experience, I have always been pushed since I was a tiny girl to become a dentist like my parents. It was never just my parents who nudged me in this direction but my entire community of Filipinos in my hometown. Not knowing my passions and strengths coming into college, I could not find a job that seemed the most appealing to me so I accepted these family expectations. After taking a few ethnic studies classes, I have come to realize that my passions lie elsewhere; yet, I feel this intrinsic feeling that I will never be able to step up to my parents and tell them what I really enjoy learning about. Not getting the grades necessary for dental school put me into a spiraling depression where I found it so difficult to get up in the morning, and only when it got extreme did I seek professional help. To this day, I don’t talk about the counseling to just anyone, but it definitely got me thinking about other career paths and how to approach my family expectations.

Question: If you were raised into a family that fostered creativity and supported all career paths, would you live a happier life?

Reference:
Kam, K. (2013, September 13). On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health. New America Media. Retrieved from http://newamericamedia.org/2013/09/on-some-college-campuses-a-focus-on-asian-american-mental-health.php

Seligson, Susan. (2015 February 9). Model Minority Pressures Take Mental Health Toll. Boston University. Retrieved from https://www.bu.edu/today/2015/model-minority-pressures-take-mental-health-toll/.