In the wake of the Monterey Park shooting and another, two days later, on a mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay — both of which were committed by gunmen of Asian descent, against mostly victims of Asian descent — many Asian Americans are now working to increase access to mental health care in their own communities.
Asian Americans have long faced barriers to care, including language access and cultural stigmas against therapy and other treatments. Overall annual average estimates for the 2008 to 2012 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health found that of all racial groups surveyed, Asian adults were the least likely to use any mental health service.
Kaila S Tang, a psychotherapist and founding team member of the non-profit Asian Mental Health Collective, says that much of that stigma is rooted in trauma. Like Barbara’s parents, many Asian immigrants and refugees survived genocide, war and other hardships before coming to the US.
“Many first-generation Asian immigrants have been so focused on survival that there’s no room for anything else, like emotions,” Tang said. “This survival tactic has protected them, but as a result, they don’t have the tools to cope with the overwhelming emotions. And if you’ve been through something as emotionally challenging as what they’ve experienced, why would you want to revisit that trauma or open that box?”
According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, Asian American elders receive significantly less emotional support than peers of other races — one reason being the lack of accommodation for their language needs. Only 15% of Asian Americans aged 65 years and older speak English at home, and 60% have limited English proficiency.
Because of these barriers, Asian American organizations have taken a more culturally sensitive approach to the way they provide resources to the community in the wake of the shootings.
Read more at TheGuardian.com.
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