For Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who find themselves the targets of racist incidents or hate crimes, peace remains elusive. For victims of such acts — as well as those who advocate for their communities through activism or nonprofit work, and those who fear for their own safety and that of their loved ones — the latest wave of hate crimes targeting Asian American Pacific Islander community members has taken a severe mental toll.
Long before Asian American residents found themselves blamed for the coronavirus pandemic or the March 16 Atlanta spa shootings that killed eight people, including six Asian women, many in the Asian American Pacific Islander community were living in constant stress and fear, according to activists and community members. Perceived as the “model minority,” they are hyper-sexualized and viewed as perpetual foreigners, and taught to stay silent. Stigma, traditional values and cultural pressures, meanwhile, prevent many in the Asian American Pacific Islander community from making their mental health a priority.
Serious mental illness rose from 2.9% to 5.6% in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders ages 18-25 between 2008 and 2018, according to a 2018 national survey on drug use and health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Repetitive historical events — paired with the stress of immigration and assimilation, language barriers, cultural isolation, economic struggles, and lack of access to health care — all are “psycho-social stressors” experienced in Asian communities, Dr. Sheila Wu said. These events can exacerbate both physical and mental problems prompted by racist behaviors and hate attacks and lead to “more serious depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders” across generations, she added.
Read more at PE.com.
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