Ending the Stigma of Mental Health

Recent tragedies should motivate Asian Americans to end the cultural and social stigma regarding mental health

Photo by Austin Kehmeier on Unsplash

The Chinese New Year is supposed to be an occasion for celebrations. But from new year's eve to the second day of the Lunar new year, in merely three days, two mass shootings took place in California, with the two shooters and the majority of the 18 victims being Asian Americans. Since Asian American community has already been anxious about rising violent crimes against Asians in the last three years, these two incidents committed by Asians against fellow Asians put a nervous community on edge. Almost Asian American I know asks, "Should I be concerned about my safety even when I am in my own community with other Asians?"

Statistically, Asian Americans committed far fewer violent crimes than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States.

Source: National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

But statistics don't offer much comfort when violent crimes hit so close to home for Asian Americans. 

After each tragic incident, our first instinct is to search for motives- why did they do it? The shooter who murdered 11 people in a dance studio on New Year's Eve in Monterey Park, CA, was reportedly driven by jealousy and domestic disputes with his wife. The shooter who murdered seven people at two farms in Half Moon Bay was reportedly driven by work-related conflicts. Last May, an immigrant from Taiwan and a naturalized U.S. citizen opened fire at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California, killing one and injuring five. He was reportedly driven by geopolitical tension between Taiwan and Mainland China. These explanations may suffice at the superficial level, but if we accept them and move on, we will ignore some more profound challenges Asian American community faces. 

One of the challenges Asian Americans face is the cultural stigma of mental health. Despite the diverse subcultures and countries of origin in Asian American community, there is a shared attitude that mental health is not a real health problem. People who have mental health problems or seek therapies are mentally weak. Admitting oneself or one's family member has a mental health problem may shame the whole family.