WHAT OUR TEAM HAS TO SAY
“It wasn't until I moved from Japan to California that I started my journey in understanding what 'mental health' was. I remember going to [...] college and feeling shocked when I found out there were psychological counseling services available...fast forward a few years, and I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression after 17 years of denial. Now, there's this new challenge in ways to take care of mental health after acknowledging mental health illness.”
— Name, Title
About Our Project
Foreword
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A message from an Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute Intern:
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Hello! My name is Phoebe Pham, and I spearheaded this project on mental health as an APALI intern for the Youth Leadership Academy program of summer 2020. This project is particularly near and dear to my heart - as a person who has dealt with depression and anxiety, and as an Asian American, it was immensely problematic to recognize, acknowledge, and search for support. The topics covered are both a reflection of my personal journey to seeking treatment, as well as the struggles of individuals who were willing to share their personal stories of growth and recovery, along with extensive research and analyses by my mentees in the YLA 2020 program.
Please feel free to reach out to me at phoebefeliciapham@gmail.com for any questions, comments, or concerns.
Team Introduction Video​
Video transcript:
Hello everyone! This project is brought to you by a group from the APALI (Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute) class of 2020, intended to spread the scope of awareness on the struggles of Asian Americans in barriers to mental health care. Our group of eight created this website as a resource for AAPI communities and our APALI class.
Our project aims to incite discussion about mental health in AAPI communities while increasing understanding about the difficulties AAPIs face in acknowledging and also addressing mental health illnesses. We attempt to dismantle the stigma of mental health illnesses in Asian Americans, specifically targeting the stain of depression and anxiety present in many Asian American families.
This, we tie in with addressing barriers that Asian Americans face in seeking a path to care on cultural, linguistic, and societal levels.
Our goal is to dismantle the stigma, emphasizing that mental health is just as important as physical health, and provide access to resources to those who are limited in breadth and reach. Key questions in our research include the analysis of the Asian American cultural background and its impacts on surrounding perceptions of mental health, along with reasonings for why many in the AAPI community do not seek help, where mental health stigma comes from in the Asian American community and how misconceptions perpetuate and continue to prevent Asian-Americans from acknowledging mental health illnesses, and offer insight into the future of breaking barriers of inner dialogue, intergenerational shame, and normalizing mental health illness.
Who is APALI?
Our Mission
The Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute works to elevate the national standing of our community–through civic training and leadership networking–by developing effective access, proper representation, meaningful presence, and influential participation in American political and civic life. Our mission is to train and build a community of civic leaders in Government, Nonprofit, Education, and Business sectors.
Our Values
The foundation of social equality lies in effective civic participation–APALI is a champion for equal Rights, Representation, and Recognition.