Week 8 - Miguel Flores A02

Mental health is a topic that not all Asian Americans are comfortable to talk about. It is stigmatized and mostly considered as taboo in some Asian cultures, justifying it through ideals only mystifies the community’s take on mental health instead of demystifying it. Stemming from the readings, Asian cultures sticks to what they know best. Resolving mental related issues often involve pursuing ideologies that contradicts and challenges people’s perception about mental instability. Even homosexuality is being treated as a mental health illness, a problem that needs treatment and spiritual healing. In contrast, Stephanie Marohn outlines a positive disposition in viewing mental illness as the "birth of a healer." Lee’s article discussed how religious context plays into politicizing the body and how it is shaping a standard among women. The image of pureness was an ideology derived from the Confucius and Christian context. However, this limited purview on the issue of sexuality and body-politics focuses the conversation on the human body instead of justifying the social injustices of the different notions and politics on human sexuality.

In Asian American culture, mental health is considered taboo. It's stigmatized and only a few people seek help from mental health professionals.

The lack of awareness among Asian American communities and as well as the barriers in understanding sexes complicates the overall perception of the community’s view on sexuality. The null curricula and the cultures disposition on sexuality reinforces ideologies that widens Asian American research and theology. Shana Haydock brings up an argument that she would rather be broken and fucked up than live up to the normal scheme of things. Shana has a point, identity is lost when you follow a trend or live up to a certain guideline – that is not identity, that is obeying to the standards that the society wants. It boggles my mind that many are perceiving this issue as something provocative and a sensitive topic, but isn’t about time to talk about these issues with no BS or whatsoever? I think people need to step out of their comfort zone and break the barriers once and for all. 

References

Haydock, S. Fucked Up | I Would Always Rather Be Abnormal Than Holistic: Nine Micro-Essays.

Lee, B (2006). "Teaching Justice and Living Peace: Body, Sexuality, and Religious Education in Asian-American Communities". Religious Education.

The Mind Unleashed. (2014). What a Shaman Sees in a Mental Hospital.

Richard, A. (2014). Stigma and Mental Illness. https://www.slideshare.net/asareor/stigma-and-mental-illness-38276409