Once one of many minority laborers, the growth of Asian Americans in the United States has increased dramatically throughout the 19th to 21st centuries. The mass immigration during the industrial era paved the path for countless Asian communities across the country. 

In a census taken by Pew Research, it is shown that Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing groups of minorities in America, growing by 81% from 2000 to 2019. 

Without a doubt, that number has increased exponentially since then.

In battling discrimination and poverty, many Asian American races have been labeled as “model minorities” for their hard work. Education, careers, and employment were for many Asian families the primary focus of their life in America. As the model minority, they became the hardworking, successful, and academically accomplished stereotype we see in many portrayals of Asians of all races. Although that stereotype gives the illusion of benefits, it has been coming out recently that it is harmful to people in many ways. Being labeled as a model minority by others can have many negative effects on a person’s mental and physical well-being for a multitude of reasons which will be discussed later in this article. Although Asian Americans have built a strong and extensive community in America, many mental help resources for them are still limited and sometimes inadequate. The pandemic has exacerbated this fact even further, as many older and younger Asian Americans don’t know where to go during those trying times. The cherry on top is that there are many stigmas against the topic of mental help in many Asian cultures, which will be elaborated on later in this article. 

In essence, Asian Americans, as one of the largest minority groups in America, face a lot of danger physically and mentally. Asian American mental health is in crisis right now and information must be spread about it to be able to accommodate them in communities, offices, and schools.

Due to the pandemic, there have been more efforts made for mental health. In communities of other cultures, there have been growing concerns about addressing mental health issues, open discussions, and less discrimination. Big leaps have been made in terms of mental health within healthcare systems, allowing more and more people to access such services no matter their income. Self-help resources have also become abundant online, with many chat phones and websites specifically for people to help other people. 

However, many of these efforts have not reached Asian communities, especially those who cannot speak English. For them, it’s difficult to talk about their issues and even more difficult to find someone to speak to.

According to an NBC news article on the subject, many Korean seniors in America have extremely limited options because there are not many services that are tailored to their culture, despite the growing amount of immigrants coming to America. If you think about the sheer amount of different languages in Asian communities, the gap between mental health services for English-speaking and Caucasian Americans compared to Asian communities becomes visible.

And the repercussions of this disparity are clearly shown through data. Suicide, a grave result of the lack of mental health services, was ranked as the ninth leading cause of death for all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, though it is the 10th leading cause of all deaths in the US. According to the CDC, the suicide rate of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2016 was about half the general population. These are already high and unimaginable numbers, but this was before the pandemic, and before the world shut down.

During the pandemic, Only 16% of Asian adults reported any mental illness. In contrast, 24% percent of White Americans of other races are diagnosed with mental illness (KFF). If you think about the number of hate crimes and violence committed against Asian Americans during this time, there is a huge discrepancy between the help they needed and the help they got.

Among Asian American and Pacific Islanders from 15 to 19, 31.8% percent of all deaths in 2016 were also caused by suicide. Suicides were the leading cause of death amongst Asian adolescents in 2020 as well, coinciding with the beginning of the pandemic. As said in an NBC article on Asian student mental health, a higher amount of American and Pacific Islander students reported thinking about suicide, while fewer amounts of white students had similar thoughts. Despite this, fewer Asian American and Pacific Islanders sought professional help as compared to their White counterparts. This highlights the prevalent issue of Asian Americans underreporting their symptoms and being reluctant to seek assistance. 

This leaves us with a big question. Just why are many Asian American and Pacific Islanders reluctant to find help?

In the complicated situation of cultural and social relations between Asian American communities and mental health, the influence of the model minority stereotype and stigma within Asian cultures plays a major role in the struggles many face to find help. Dr. Geoffrey Lee, MD, explains this struggle clearly, stating that Asian Americans often internalize Confucian sentiments about the importance of caretaking. To the point that it becomes almost one’s identity, the ability to take care of your children, parents, and others is one of the most important ancient philosophical traditions of Confucianism. Mental illness, in that case, is seen as taking away that ability to care for others, amongst other things. In turn, it takes away someone’s identity or purpose, becoming a point of shame. Asian Americans, arguably more so than other demographics, care about shame and honor within their families to a great extent. This compels many to deal with their mental health challenges in solitude and shame, exacerbating many of the physical and mental symptoms that come with their mental illness. 

Another reason that contributes to this reluctance to open up about symptoms comes from an internalization of the stereotype of Asians being a model minority. McLean Hospital emphasizes that a big portion of the Asian American population identifies with this stereotype and embodies it, as it characterizes them as intelligent, hardworking, and capable of integrating into American culture. This idealized view, while giving the illusion of untreatable resilience, also ends up creating an environment in which admitting to mental illness or mental health struggles can be perceived as becoming an outlier to the narrative that the stereotype has built, of success and assimilation. 

The fight between society’s expectations of the model minority myth and the reality of Asian Americans and their mental health challenges creates a complex situation in which Asian Americans can find it almost impossible to open up about their struggles. There’s pressure to conform to the image of high-achieving and independent individuals which compels many Asian Americans to downplay and mask their struggles, perpetuating the cycle of silence that stagnates as the world continues to change. The cultural stigma of having mental illness adds to this phenomenon, preventing them from going to family or friends for help. 

In addition to stigma and stereotyping, many other underlying reasons cause Asian American mental health to be in such a crisis.  

It is without a doubt that the pandemic has played a huge role in the recent decline of mental health worldwide. The pandemic, which forced many to isolate and stay home, has caused many to become deprived of the very thing that humans live for; real, genuine social connection. Combined with a reluctance to ask for help, this pandemic has taken a great toll on many, especially Asian American students. Once a student herself, Lisa Cheng, a poster on the Asian Mental Health Collective, speaks on her experiences as a college student during the pandemic. She explains how her life, which once used to be filled to the brim with social activities, became reduced to her home and a single laptop screen. Social interaction was no longer a luxury but a necessity, a necessity which became harder and harder to satisfy. And for an Asian American whose self-worth was based on others, it became a deadly environment in which her depression spiraled lower and lower downhill. Because of her inability and reluctance to seek help, she struggled for a long time on her own before realizing that her health was more important than her work.

Another contributor to declining Asian mental health that cropped up during the pandemic is the emergence of anti-Asian hate crimes. To give a little background, in the early days of COVID-19, many believed that the origin of the mystery virus was China for several coincidences. This led to many other races attempting to attack and even kill innocent Asian Americans in the belief that they had instigated a biological war. In an article from Frontiers In, 76% of Asian Americans reported feeling less safe during the pandemic, than before the pandemic. In addition, two-thirds of reporters stated that their depressive symptoms have increased since the pandemic began. This is in line with how Asian Americans have been affected by the grim situation of their race being persecuted in a country they can’t leave. 

But this wasn’t the only time Asian Americans as a whole faced grave issues. Delving into the historical backdrop illuminates another layer of trauma that lingers within the Asian American community. For many older individuals, especially those with roots in countries marked by conflict, the echoes of war and death that come with guilt, loss, and anger persist across generations. This is the reason that many Asian Americans immigrated to America, to run from poverty or war. This is called generational trauma. In many families, it manifests as a stronger pressure to succeed and harsher punishments at younger ages. From the outside, it benefits Asians in becoming the model minority. But from the inside, it can cause Adverse Childhood Experiences that follow many Asian Americans into adulthood and bleed into their everyday lives. It is an issue where many parents treat their children how the world treats them. 

Unpacking the layers of generational trauma is crucial for understanding the landscape of Asian American mental health. However, not many therapists and specialists have backgrounds in history or are of Asian descent, which can be difficult for treatment plans and communication. 

To comprehensively address the mental health needs of the Asian American community, there must be more people who comprehensively understand the mental health needs of Asian American communities. As the fastest-growing immigrant group in the US, this need is increasing rapidly and something must be done. From higher suicide rates and lack of mental health access, all signs point to a need for people in the community to step up for their fellow Asians and contribute to the mental health efforts that have recently blown up instead of the pandemic. Reducing barriers, increasing accessible support, and educating all about the dangers that Asian Americans face are some of the steps I find most necessary to address this issue. By fostering a culture of understanding, inclusivity, and tailored support, strides can be made toward ensuring the mental well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, creating a community where seeking help is not only accepted but embraced as a strength.

Although many issues still stand in the way, efforts are being made. The Asian Pacific Counseling & Treatment Center is a group that offers counseling in many languages and places greater emphasis on the family as opposed to the individual, in line with Asian culture. They have group counseling while eating meals, replicating family dinners to help individuals open up about their traumas. In addition, the Korean American Family Services offers services to AAPI folks as well, combining Eastern spa treatments with counseling for adult and senior clients. These are just a few examples of integrated services that aid specific mental health needs. Another step to ensuring access to mental health services is not only pushing people to speak up about their traumas but also encouraging those who can help and understand the community to consider becoming therapists. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Annotated Bibliography

Constante, Agnes. “Talking about Depression Can Be Hard for Asian Americans, but Services Can Help.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 4 Sept. 2018, www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/talking-about-depression-can-be-hard-asian-americans-services-can-n904816. 

The main idea of this article is that Mental health for AAPI is not as widely available as it should be for a population of its size. The author claims that isolation due to culture and language barriers, social pressure from parents to succeed academically, and generational trauma from war contribute to the high depression among Asians and AAPI.

Diversity, National Center for Institutional. “Addressing Asian American/Pacific Islander College Students’ Mental Health Needs.” Medium, Spark: Elevating Scholarship on Social Issues, 12 July 2022, medium.com/national-center-for-institutional-diversity/addressing-asian-american-pacific-islander-college-students-mental-health-needs-4413a55f49b7. 

The author claims that colleges must increase their support towards minority races, colleges needs to evaluate AAPI students to find out what they may need in terms of support, and colleges need to create a space for AAPI students to feel safe and supported.

Huynh, James, et al. “The Mental Health of Asian American Adolescents and Young Adults amid the Rise of Anti-Asian Racism.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 28 Dec. 2022, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.958517/full. 

This article details the findings of a data research experiment done on young Asian Americans during the pandemic. It showed that during the pandemic, anti-Asian racism and violence increased depression before and after the pandemic for many Asian American students and young adults.

Tadepalli, Sravya. “The Mental Health of Asian American Students.” Hyphen, 21 Dec. 2020, hyphenmagazine.com/student_mental_health. 

The main idea of this article is that Asian Americans need to fight the stigma against Asians and mental health to give youth a stronger sense of belonging. The author claims that Asian Americans often have ACEs, (adverse childhood experiences) that can cause intergenerational trauma and PTSD. In addition, they claim that the model minority myth can often cause teachers to overlook the mental issues some Asian students may be facing. Finally, racism against Asians can also cause Asian youths to have lowered mental health.

“Why Asian Americans Don’t Seek Help for Mental Illness.” Why Asian Americans Don’t Seek Help for Mental Illness | McLean Hospital, 2 May 2023, www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/why-asian-americans-dont-seek-help-mental-illness#:~:text=Facing%20the%20Stigma&text=Asian%20Americans%20fear%20being%20thought,to%20work%20around%20the%20stigma. 

This article details the reasons why Asian Americans have trouble seeking help for mental illness, ranging from stigma to language barriers to general population samples. The findings show that compared to White Americans, Asian Americans have more depressive thoughts but less use of mental health resources. 

Cheng, Lisa. “Burnout, Rest, and the Asian-American Experience.” Asian Mental Health

 Collective, 22 Feb. 2023, www.asianmhc.org/burnout-rest-and-the-asian-american-experience/. 

This article follows the author in looking back on being a college student during the pandemic. She details how the effects of generational trauma and her need to keep doing better caused her to struggle during the pandemic, and ways to prioritize health over work. 

Lam, Charles. “Minority College Students Might Not Get Mental Health Help despite Needs, Study Finds.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 9 Apr. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/minority-college-students-might-not-get-mental-health-help-despite-n992626. 

This article details findings from multiple surveys that prove that minority college students, including those of Asian descent may not be getting enough support. The evidence showed that many asian students had more thoughts of suicide compared to white counterparts, but lower numbers seeker professional support.

Samantha Artiga and Nirmita Panchal, Feb 02, 2023. “Gaps in Mental Health Care for Asian and

 Pacific Islander People and Other People of Color.” KFF, 2023, www.kff.org/policy-watch/gaps-in-mental-health-care-for-asian-and-pacific-islander-people-and-other-people-of-color/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%2016%25%20of%20Asian,between%20NHOPI%20and%20White%20adults. 

This article talks about the differences between mental healthcare for other minorities compared to Asian minorities. Several surveys found evidence that asians had lower rates of reporting mental illness than many other groups, and supported the idea that asians do not have enough resources.