“Mental health issues should no longer be placed on the backburner. All struggles are valid, no matter what generational differences there are. Having conversations and normalizing mental health care within families can help reduce the stigma. Increasing funding and access to mental health resources is a necessary next step, with a focus on hiring better trained staff in a culturally contemptuous background,” says Megan Go, a graduate student studying Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of Connecticut.

Due to culture, generational trauma, and expectations in relation to mental health, it is difficult for Asian Americans to reach out for help even when needed. Mental health tends to be a taboo topic within the community. Past generations have experienced traumatic historical events such as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, The EDSA Revolution, The Vietnam War, surviving poverty, and on top of that, migrating to a new country.