For many people in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities who have immigrated to the United States, mental health is an unfamiliar topic. But for AAPIs growing up in America, mental health can be an important part of their overall well-being. “There’s a huge difference between the older and younger generations,” says Kavitha Goldowitz, a mental health professional in Portland who has seen patients from across the diaspora with a specific focus on South Asians. “Mental health is so much less stigmatized with the younger generation.”
There are many cultural and systemic reasons for this intergenerational gap. Crossing miles of land and ocean, immigrants are faced with the task of leaving one set of cultural values for another. Many AAPIs come from societies emphasizing collectivism, where the well-being of the group is prioritized over the individual. People may avoid conflict or special attention in order to harmonize with others. A collectivist community, valuing interpersonal relationships, can be a strong source of support. There are “strengths of collectivism that should not be overlooked,” says Goldowitz.
However, these values are at odds in an American culture where the focus is on the individual to speak up and take up space with their needs. Between these two cultures is where AAPIs can struggle with voicing their emotional and psychological needs. “There is a sense of ‘I want to belong first, and then figure out my needs,’” says Goldowitz, “This causes a disconnect from one’s own feelings and thoughts. If you’re not connected with what’s going on for you, that’s a big barrier to even knowing you need mental health support.”
Project Lotus brings these conversations to the forefront. Through their community blog, they highlight a diversity of voices and open up the “pressure cooker” that AAPI youth may feel trapped in. Stories uplift queer self-love, unpack beauty standards and colorism, and make space for grief over anti-Asian racism.
Read more at OregonHumanities.org.
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