Week 6 - Clarice Wong

Clarice Wong
ASA002 A02
October 29, 2017
Week 6

The stereotype of Asian Americans as smart high-achievers is often looked upon as a positive stigma. In “On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health”, Katherine Kam analyzes the repercussions of this stereotype. Most notably, she argues, high ranking colleges such as Cornell and Stanford have disproportionately high rates of suicide among Asian Americans. Model minority pressures, family expectations, family history of depression, and being a student of international status are all factors which were brought up by Kam’s interviewees. Interestingly, another effect that the model minority stereotype has on the Asian American community is that it causes those students to feel that they do not need support services or programs, according to one Cornell report. Kam’s article depicts an accurate representation of the mentality towards mental health issues that many Asian American families propagate. Having grown up in a suburb populated by many Chinese-Americans, I have found that our families avoid addressing emotional and other mental problems. Instead, the emphasis is placed upon tangible and long-term items in life: GPA, salary, reputation of a school. As a result, up until college I have been emotionally immature, not being able to recognize and categorize what makes me happy, or how to deal with stress: I just focused on the goal and took whatever emotions came with it. This all changed upon coming to college and being exposed to resources meant to handle mental health. Even then it took a few years to not simply scoff at self-help literature, therapy, and the idea of going to a doctor to treat depression. As Kam’s article suggests, Asian American families must be able to recognize that promoting mental health awareness from a young age can teach young Asian Americans the importance of keeping a strong mental stability, and how to deal with the inevitable stress, anxiety, and other emotions that come with things in life.

References/Works Cited:

1. Kam, K. (2013, September 11). On Some College Campuses, a Focus on Asian American Mental Health. Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://newamericamedia.org/2013/09/on-some-college-campuses-a-focus-on-asian-american-mental-health.php

2. KFAM Newsletter. (n.d.). KFAMLA. Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://kfamla.org/en/news-resources/kfam-newsletter/