As someone who is part of the Asian diaspora, events like this hit close to home because they’re part of a larger and unacknowledged crisis that exists in our communities. As children, many of us are taught thatand service to others are more important than our well-being and that being depressed just means you’re not trying hard enough to get better.
For these artists, I can only speculate about the connection between depression and their apparent suicides. We may never actually know what led to their deaths — nor do we have the right to pry — but the conversations they have sparked are enough for us to take action. I t feels evident enough that when we, as people of Asian descent, refuse to talk about mental health issues, those problems don’t go away. We’re just forced to confront them alone.perpetual foreigner stereotypeIn the U.S., the mental health crisis among AAPI individuals is on the rise. In fact, nearly 15% of Asian Americans 18 or older