[ Read ] “How I Learned To Talk To My Filipino Mom About My Mental Health”

Art by Leonardo Santamaria for NPR

Link to full article here

For any first-generation Asian-American of immigrant parents, we can all attest to the evident generational gap between us and our parents. We’ve all experienced the hilarious struggles that ensue when trying to assimilate our stubborn Asian parents to the American culture and get them to understand the kind of world we live in now. We’ve also experienced the not-so-hilarious frustrations when we try to communicate to them that we are learning to identify our own non-white character without insulting our inherently ethnic one—a delicate balance that never seems to work in our favor. And while most awkward and confrontational conversations are a matter of just ripping the bandaid off and reap the inevitable consequence we’ve known since our wee-little days, the one topic that has yet to be fully navigated is mental health. No matter how many times you rehearse it, the uncertainty of the outcome, especially from Asian parents who are known for raging outbursts, will haunt you into silence.

This article really articulated my own thoughts on how I can ever open up about my mental health struggles to my strict Asian parents who have made comments about how mental illnesses are a sign of weakness and flaw, and makes me less independently strong. The author speaks from a Filipino perspective but I believe she speaks on behalf of all Asian ethnicities who find themselves in this exact personal predicament.

(Link to full article here)