NAAPIMHA and 120+ organizations to celebrate the 6th Annual National AANHPI Mental Health Day

Media Contact:

policy@naapimha.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2026

NAAPIMHA and 120+ organizations celebrate the 6th Annual National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Mental Health Day on May 10th to Raise Awareness of Mental Health in AANHPI Communities.

On May 10, 2026, NAAPIMHA, cities, elected officials, community organizations, and businesses are commemorating the sixth annual National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day, a national day to raise awareness around mental health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) communities.

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day takes place at the intersection of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. This provides an opportunity to raise awareness about our diverse heritages and mental health, as well as talk about how the two are intertwined. 

The national resolution stands on the shoulders of mental health advocates at RAMS, Inc. in San Francisco, who spearheaded the first statewide proclamation declaring May 10th Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day in California in 2010. This year, the bicameral resolution will be introduced yet again in Congress. At the state and local level, AA & NHPI mental health advocates and organizations from 20+ states, counties, and cities have submitted proclamation requests. NAAPIMHA will be joined by over 120 community partner organizations to center and support AA and NHPI mental health in communities nationwide.

When we know that AA & NHPIs have the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial/ethnic group, with only 65.3% of the 2.9 million AANHPI adults with a mental illness receiving treatment (SAMHSA NSDUH, 2023), the sobering reality that suicide is the leading cause of death for AA & NHPI youth ages 15-24 (CDC WISQARS, 2023), we recognize the ongoing mental health disparities impacting our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these problems, as increased racial violence and hate against the AANHPI community increased the need for mental health services.

NAAPIMHA continues to advance conversations around mental health in AA & NHPI communities to improve the quality of care and accessibility of services. Addressing stigma, systemic discrimination, the lack of data equity, language access, workforce development, culturally competent services, and suicide prevention, to supporting existing AA & NHPI community-driven resources and culturally-rooted forms of healing, we call upon Federal, State, and local health agencies to adopt strong policies to improve help-seeking rates for mental health services and overall community wellness and care for AANHPIs and other communities of color.

For NAAPIMHA, this year’s National AANHPI Mental Health Day is a strong reminder to center the reality that our communities are facing, where fundamental barriers exist to accessing mental health and wellbeing supports. From violent attacks on our immigrant communities, to rising costs making necessities like health care, housing, and food unaffordable, to widespread racial discrimination as a source of minority stress and underlying social determinant of health, we are reminded now more than ever that we cannot be well until we fully reckon with systemic issues of economic insecurity and attacks on human dignity. This AANHPI Mental Health Day, we aim to promote dialogue, mobilize resource distribution, and uplift diverse, decolonized forms of healing. 

“National AANHPI Mental Health Day this year sits with us particularly heavily, as we feel our communities’ dual celebratory joy during AANHPI Heritage Month alongside the mental health burden of a deeply unaffordable economic reality, lack of widespread access to culturally-responsive mental health supports, and ongoing attacks on our immigrant and Indigenous communities. Despite these challenges, the resilience and solidarity of our communities across the country remain, and there exists an enormous wealth of community knowledge, mobilization, and sustained activism to protect and foster our collective wellbeing.”

-Elizabeth Sweet, Community Engagement & Communications Director of NAAPIMHA

We acknowledge that National AANHPI Mental Health Day will look different for everyone. For our community partners across the country, centering AANHPI mental health is taking the form of free mental health service offerings, mental health days,  advocacy efforts, educational events, cultural celebrations, and more. We encourage everyone to take the time and space to honor their mental health and well-being this May 10th and beyond. 

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day would not be possible without the countless AA & NHPI mental health advocates and community partners listed below:

National Congressional Resolution

• The Offices of Representatives Chu, Matsui, Tokuda, Strickland, and Senator Hirono

Issued 2026 State and City Proclamations (list in progress)

• Arizona - Gratitude to Lan Hoang from Arizona AANHPI For Equity

• California - Gratitude to Richmond Area Multi Services, (RAMS) Inc. 

  • + San Francisco, CA

  • + Los Angeles County, Gratitude to Emily Wu Truong of The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR), CA 

• Denver, CO - Gratitude to Alana Pettaway from the Denver AAPI Commission

• Illinois - Gratitude to Abbey Eusebio from the Chinese American Service League 

• Maryland - Gratitude to Aryelle Montecer

• Montana - Gratitude to April Werle

• New York - Gratitude to Samira Khan from the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA) & Michelle Garcia from Thriving Asians

• Nevada - Gratitude to Weiss Solano from Asian Community Development Council (ACDC)

• Oregon - Gratitude to Emily Wang from SEIU 503 Asian Desi Pacific Islander (ADPI) Caucus

  • + Beaverton, OR

• Virginia Beach, VA - Gratitude to Dr. Melody Agbisit

• Washington - Gratitude to Elizabeth Sweet

• Washington, D.C. - Gratitude to Jo Ann Paanio from The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

2026 Community Partner AANHPI Mental Health Month Minigrantees

• Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. 

• PASIFIKA ROOTED THERAPY

• Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc)

• Nuanua Collective 

• National Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association

• SPEAK (A Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin)

• SEWA-AIFW

• Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether)

• Asian Counseling and Referral Service

• Austin Asian Impact

• Asian Mental Health Project / Proud Asian Men

Community Champions

• AACI

• AAPI Data

• AAPI Democratic Caucus of Nevada

• AAPI Equity Alliance

• AAPI Montclair

• AAPI Youth Rising

• ACE NextGen

• Act To Change

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 

• American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP)

• Amplify

• Anise Health

• API Initiative 

• API Tennessee

• APIDA Student Involvement at the Office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (MICA) at the University of Maryland, College Park

• Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity

• Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

• Asian American Professional Association (AAPA)

• Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (AADI)

• Asian Counseling and Referral Service

• Asian Girls Ignite

• Asian Mental Health Collective

• Asian Mental Health Project

• Asian Minds Matter

• Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) 

• Asian Pacific Clinic of Aurora Mental Health and Recovery

• Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV)

• Asian Psychedelic Collective 

• Asian Youth Act

• Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)

• Association of Infant Mental Health in Hawaii

• Austin Asian Impact

• Ave Astra

• Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio 

• Brokada Filipino Men’s Healing Circle

• BUKAS

• Can't Stop! Won't Stop! Consulting

• Can't Stop! Won't Stop! Education Fund

• Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

• Change Matrix

• Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA)

• CHI Psychological Services

• CO+HOOTS Coworking

• Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether)

• Cuaresma Counseling, PLLC

• Dealing With Dad

• Denver AAPI Commission

• Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)

• FilExcellence

• Filipino mental health initiative of hawaii

• Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) & Tayo

• GoodRx, Inc.

• Healing Nature Collective 

• Hula Halau 'Ohana Holo'oko'a

• Indigo Cultural Center

• JessSayIt

• L.E.S. Live Every Second

• LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)

• Mango Tree Counseling and Consulting

• Mental Health America  - National

• Mind the Movement 

• Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity

• NAMI 

• NAPAFASA

• National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR)

• National Federation of Filipino American Associations

• National Organization of API Ending Sexual Violence (NAPISEV)

• Nectar

• New Pathways Clinic

• Nuanua Collective 

• OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

• Office of Wellness and Resilience, Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i

• OT Bay Area

• Pacific Asian Counseling Services 

• PASIFIKA ROOTED THERAPY

• RAMS, Inc.

• Sadhana Hindus

• Sakura Foundation

• SALDEF

• Samoan Club at the University of Utah

• Samoan Community Development Center

• Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

• SEIU 503 Asian Desi Pacific Islander Caucus

• SEIU Virginia 512

• SEWA-AIFW

• Shimmer

• South Asian Legal Defense Fund

• South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA)

• SPAN Parent Advocacy Network

• SPEAK, a Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin

• Sunshine Silver Lining

• Sweet Mango Therapy Group, Inc.

• Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL)

• Tarang Mental Health

• Taulama for Tongans

• The AAKOMA Project

• The Cambodian Family Community Center

• The Asian American Foundation

• The Filipino Press

• This Is My Brave, Inc

• Thriving Asians

• Thriving Twentysomethings

• United Minds

• VietLead

• We Rise Therapy and Wellness

• Wellness with Andrea Jakucs & Associates 

• Yellow Chair Collective

• YourPlace Therapy

2026 Community Partners

• AAPI New Jersey

• Asian American / Asian Research Institute - CUNY

• Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) 

• Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)

• Asian Roundtable of Colorado

• Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

• Collective for Health Equity

• Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU)

• Denver Public Library

• LEAD Filipino

• Mabuhay, Inc.

• NAPAWF

• National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) 

AANHPI Mental Health Day Team

• Avy Osalvo 

• Aryelle Montecer

• Krystle Canare 

• Elizabeth Sweet

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About NAAPIMHA

NAAPIMHA, the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, is a national 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote and redefine the mental health and wellbeing of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, through mental health trainings, community mental health programs, national policy and advocacy, and rapid community crisis response, while centering those with lived experience. 

Since 2001, NAAPIMHA has worked with AANHPI-serving community-based organizations across the country to identify and respond to the mental health needs of AANHPI communities nationwide. Over the past 25 years, NAAPIMHA has provided training and consultation to over 150 AANHPI-serving community-based organizations and 3,500 AANHPIs around the country, resulting in behavior change and improved skills to promote positive health outcomes for individuals and the communities they serve. 

Learn more at: www.naapimha.org

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