Day 6: Mental Health Equity

| CHALLENGE | DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8 | DAY 9 | DAY 10 |

Anti-Asian racism is on the rise, increasing by over 300% during the pandemic. Journalists, including Connie Chung, remark on the lack of media representation of these crimes. However, the erasure of Asians and Asian Americans go beyond just the lack of reporting in media. The erasure of Asians and Asian Americans is threaded throughout the history of America, including lack of discussion in school curriculum of Chinese Coolies and Filipino and Japanese slaves during the slave trade to the legislated exclusion of the Chinese in the Exclusion Act of 1882. 

Raids throughout towns and cities along the west coast led to thousands of Chinese workers and families being pushed out of their homes and forced onto ships or trains out of their cities in the 1880s. Buildings were razed as mobs composed of hundreds of white residents forced Chinese residents out of these cities. Chinatowns were burned down and forgotten. 

This erasure continued, with more immigration laws enacted in the 1920s, such as the Asian Exclusion Act. Spokane’s own Chinatown/Japanese Alley became a ghost town during the depression and then was destroyed for parking lots and the World’s Fair in 1974. 

These legislative acts, lack of acknowledgement in history, and removal of ethnic enclaves have had a huge impact on how Asians and Asian Americans are viewed and how they experience life in America.

The Model Minority Myth

The Model Minority Myth suggests that those of Asian descent are the perfect immigrant, having come from a foreign place and settled in America without difficulty. The myth proposes that Asians are achieving economic stability and success and do so without complaint. This myth benefits white supremacy by creating racial triangulation; Black communities are compared to Asian communities, kept in competition with each other with Asian successes used against Black communities to dismiss their protests against racism. The myth is then used to keep Asians quiet, with any expressions of concern considered complaining and stepping out of line from their role as a “Model Minority.”

The Model Minority Myth can lead to many Asian Americans feeling extraordinary pressure to succeed which can lead to negative self-talk and self-doubt. In even more extreme cases, the intense pressure some Asian Americans feel can lead to depression. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Asian-American women age 15-24. Asian American college students have higher rates of attempting suicide than those in other groups.

The challenges brought up by the Model Minority Myth continue as students head into their careers. “Research has found that Asians face a double bind at work: If they act more dominant, they will be less liked, but if they do not assert dominance, they will not be seen as leaders.” Consequently, the stereotypes of being quiet and submissive are harmful when looking to be leaders in their field of work. “A 2016 analysis found that Asian workers make up 5.8% of the federal workforce, but only 3.5% of senior roles. The following year, a review found that Asian Americans were the least likely racial group of all to be promoted into management or executive roles.” The stereotypes surrounding the personality of Asian people are preventing Asian Americans from reaching the highest leadership roles in their places of work. 

This systemic erasure means there is also a lack of representation of Asians, especially of Central and West Asian communities, in media, in elected offices and leadership, in mental health industries, and in law enforcement. This affects the pathways Asians imagine for themselves and how they are treated, or ignored, in those and many other industries. This erasure creates great harm on their mental health which can then lead to other health problems. 

The Model Minority Myth groups all people who live on a continent together ignoring the fact that there is so much diversity in Asia. This also adds complications to recruitment and hiring data for workplaces. According to Joyce Chiao, the founder and CEO of a company guiding conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion, the grouping of all Asian people into one can make it “really hard to see who is represented and who is not.” This can result in the skewed representation of Asian Americans in the workforce. The true diversity of the Asian American population in the United States is ignored when all of the unique ethnic and cultural groups are represented with one label.

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IF YOU HAVE…

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5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	1 hour
	and		and
CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE that explores the erasure of Asian establishments in Spokane.	and	CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO  on the act that made it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for Chinese nationals to become US citizens.	and	CHECK OUT THIS PODCAST about the erasure and exclusion of Asians in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Bonus! Listen to this curated mental health playlist from a couple YW staff members while taking any part of the challenge (contains explicit lyrics):

Additional resources:

YWCA USA Mental Health Report

Glossary

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REFLECT

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Take a moment to reflect today’s challenge and any insights you experienced.

• Download and complete the full Racial Justice Challenge Reflection template here.
  • Questions to consider:
    • What feelings or emotions did I notice while completing today’s challenge?
    • What did I learn? (This could be a new concept, idea, or word.)
    • Why is this topic/subject important?
    • What behaviors and beliefs do I want to let go of?
• Consider sharing any parts of this challenge with a friend or group to help deepen your understanding of the information.
• Join us Friday, 9/29 at noon via Zoom for a Week 2 debrief session.

  Meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84927226372?pwd=MFV6dDgrOTVGSFhGYm9UWWZ5UWFHZz09

  Meeting ID: 849 2722 6372

  Passcode: letmein

• Continue the conversation online and connect with others by joining our Racial & Social Justice Facebook group.

Just joining the Racial Justice Challenge? Register and find the previous days here. Please take the pre-challenge survey – it will help prepare your mind and body to dive into these racial and social topics and provide us valuable feedback for future challenges.

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Sources:

Cmaadmin, N. D. H. (2013, April 30). The model minority myth: What 50 years of research does and does not tell us. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. https://www.diverseeducation.com/opinion/article/15093076/the-model-minority-myth-what-50-years-of-research-does-and-does-not-tell-us

What is the model minority myth? (2019, March 21). Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth

_{Torres, M. (2022, May 21). 5 Ways The Model Minority Myth Is Used Against Asian Americans At Work. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/model-minority-myth-work_l_60772adbe4b01654bb798ee8}

Day 6 is authored in collaboration with Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane. Graphic design by Lara Estaris.

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Racial Equity work is consistently underfunded. Make a powerful statement in the fight for racial and social justice. Your contribution directly supports initiatives that promote equality, combat discrimination, and empower individuals and communities. Together, we can create a more inclusive and just world for all. Join us in making a difference today!

SUPPORT THIS WORK

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Special thanks to our mission partners

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If you would like to learn more about partnering with YWCA Spokane in support of this Racial Justice Challenge, please contact Erica Schreiber, Director of Community Engagement via email ericas@ywcaspokane.org or via phone at 509-789-8275.

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