By Grace A. Chen, B. Andy Lee, Helen A. Neville, Della W. Mosley, Hector Y. Adames, Nayeli Y. Chavez-Duenas, Bryana H. French, and Jioni A. Lewis
Irene (pseudonym), a middle-aged Taiwanese woman, was walking alone on the trail when a white man repeatedly yelled anti-Asian insults at her from an overpass. She was scared because she didn’t see anyone around and wasn’t sure if the man wanted to follow her or not. She gasped again when she saw other people and realized that he hadn’t followed her.
Different versions of Irene’s story have happened many times over the years. May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, which means it’s a good time to discuss Asian Americans’ treatment of the illness. racism.
The current context of ICE raids and polarizing political ideology in the US is affecting people directly and indirectly. Testimony trauma can also be harmful. The current context in which we live can be particularly influential Mental health of Asian Americanswhether they are aware of it or not. Some Asian Americans tend to minimize negative situations – this may be due to a culture that values stoicism and not expressing emotions, or even as a survival strategy or “not making waves.” If someone feels the effects of racism but finds it difficult to explain what they are feeling and why, it can be difficult to process the experience effectively.
The The Psychology of Radical Healing Basis is a useful framework for developing welfare against racial prejudice. Based on research in this area, we offer five propositions:
1. Learn about your collective history
Learn and think about the social and political realities that affect Asian American communities. As painful as it may be, part of the healing process is understanding how Asian Americans fit into the U.S. racial landscape of anti-black racism. In 1968The term “Asian American” was coined as a collective policy person and reflects the difficulty of living in a racist society that does not discriminate among many Asian ethnicities.
As of 2019, 57% of Asians in the US are foreign-borntherefore, Asian Americans as a group know less about the history of US racial dynamics, especially since Asian American history is not covered in most educational settings. As a result, for some Asian Americans, their pain stems from confusion about why there has been so much anti-Asian hate in recent years. By learning more about the history of Asian Americans in the US, Asian Americans can increase their knowledge in a broader context and begin to act to create change for the better. Unfortunately for Irene, this is not the first time she has experienced racism, and she is well aware of past and present anti-Asian sentiment and the history of racism in the United States, so she is not entirely surprised by the incident.
2. Realize the potential of your social networks
Historically, many Asian ethnic groups socialize and culturally identify with their communities; it is considered acceptable to gather for communal meals and cultural celebrations. We encourage Asian Americans to share more stories at these community gatherings and grow support spacesbecause there is a great need for this – especially for experiences with racism and difficult moments, so you can ask each other for help, knowing that you are not alone.
As for Irene, she immediately called her friends for support and talked about her experience. He also wrote and published about the events in his journal social networks. After her post, a friend reached out and offered to walk with her in the future so she wouldn’t be alone. By voicing their stories, Asian Americans may be able to process their feelings and empower others to share their stories and survival strategies.
3. Identify and accept your identities
Asian Americans can reject their racial, ethnic, and cultural (REC) identities by embracing and reclaiming them. harmful stereotypes and beliefs Like the model minority myth and the eternal foreigner trope. Instead, Asian Americans can engage in self-discovery by asking family members about their stories of strength, celebration, struggle, resistance, and hope. This can look like celebrating AAPI heritage year-round, not just in May or during the holidays; search for affinity groups or niches; and engaging with books, music, and shows that feature AAPI stories. There is value cultural, ancestral, spiritualand historical wisdom It feels authentic and reflects their sense of REC identity. Irene is happy with her cultural identity as a Taiwanese American and says she didn’t take the incident personally, which helped her recover quickly.
4. Challenge old stories and shape your stories
With a critical understanding of Asian American history and the systemic and intersectional nature of oppression, Asian Americans can challenge narratives that say Asians do not experience systemic racism or that they, as a model minority, do not “deserve” racism. In fact, the model minority myth is based on the false beliefs that anti-black racism and that blacks experience racism because they haven’t worked hard enough to rise above their circumstances.
Asian Americans may want to consider joining the long history of AAPI involvement in interracial solidarity and support for civil rights with Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC). In this day and age, making a collective effort to challenge systems that are not structured and are still actively damaging to Asian American communities may be a self-healing processaffirming values, capacity for change, and strengthening a sense of community. In participation inter-racial solidarity movementsthey can channel anger and energy with other BIPOC people to target the roots of oppression. In Irene’s case, she is involved in social justice work and regularly connects with others working against racism and other forms of oppression, which gives her hope.
5. Create hope in the face of struggle
It can be difficult to practice and address hope, especially when witnessing and experiencing systemic and individual challenges and struggles. Radical hope encourages Asian Americans to notice the present moment and envision a future that not only supports survival, but one that brings prosperity and joy. It can be helpful to consider how our forefathers and elders managed to rise after their worst days, and to imagine that the future of Asian American youth can be based on current decisions to act and stand up against oppression. In addition to championing Asian American history and the struggle for justice under oppression, we encourage other BIPOC movements to learn and organize efforts that encourage change for the betterment and liberation of all.
