Week 6

Week 6

A02

Priscilla Lee

            The article, "On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health", by New American Media discusses Asian Americans’ mental well-being once they’ve reached college. There are many stereotypes associated with Asian Americans academically such as nothing less than an A, or the tiger mom, or even just born being smart. The truth behind this is that not only are Asian American pushed by their parents for a better future, but the students themselves also strive to live up to that standard. There are many factors affecting their mindset such as the model minority pressures and stereotypes, family expectations, racism, and discrimination. Due to these factors, it takes a toll on the students’ well-being mentally and physically. On top of all that, the students also don’t’ seek help because of the negative stigma in their culture and it would just bottle up, keeping all their concerns and pressures to themselves. This can increase feelings of depression, isolation and thoughts of suicide.

            Reading this article, I understand the pressures a student can face. I remember when I was in high school, a family tragedy happened during the week and the next day, I still went to school and acted like nothing happened. It’s not as if my parents forced me to go to school, but I felt as if I had to. It was also my way of not dealing with what had happened. I was pushing off the matter and not facing the sad reality. This is not just an Asian American issue, but also lots of other students don’t reach out for help or counseling when they need it because it may be looked down upon. As the next generation, we should try to change the perspective that asking for help is not a weakness and is important for one’s own health.

Question: Why is going to counseling seen as weak and a negative thing?

Reference:

1. 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/

2. Mental Health [digital image]. Retrieved from https://umc-gbcs.org/issues/mental-health