Media Contact:
Krystle Canare
krystle@naapimha.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2023
NAAPIMHA and 80+ organizations celebrate 3rd Annual Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Mental Health Day to Raise Awareness of
Mental Health of AANHPI Communities
On May 10, 2023, NAAPIMHA, cities, elected officials, community organizations and businesses are commemorating the third 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 a unique opportunity to not only raise awareness around our diverse heritages and mental health, it gives us a chance to talk about how the two are directly related. It is important to continue addressing the many mental health challenges facing AA & NHPIs, but NAAPIMHA invites you to also join us in celebrating who we are as this TOO is mental health.
The national resolution stands on the shoulders of mental health advocates at RAMS, Inc. in San Francisco who spearheaded the first statewide proclamation making May 10th Asian and Pacific American Mental Health Day in California in 2010. This year, the resolution will be introduced yet again in the House of Representative and a Senate companion will be introduced for the first time this year. At the state and local level, AA & NHPI mental health advocates and organizations from 31 states and cities have submitted proclamation requests. NAAPIMHA will be joined by over 80+ community partner organizations to center and support AA and NHPI mental health in communities nationwide.
According to data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), AA & NHPIs have the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial/ethnic group, with only 25.4% of AANHPI adults with a mental illness receiving treatment in 2021 (NSDUH, 2021). And, even though suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, it is the leading cause of death for AA & NHPI youth ages 10-24 (CDC, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these problems as increased racial violence and discrimination against the Asian American community has increased the need for mental health services.
We believe it’s crucial that we continue to advance conversations around mental health in the AA & NHPI community to improve the quality of care for AA & NHPI communities. From mental health stigma reduction, historical discrimination, current racial violence, data disaggregation, language access, workforce development, culturally competent services, to supporting existing AA & NHPI community-driven resources and non-dominant ways of healing, we call upon Federal, State, and local health agencies to adopt laws, policies, and guidance to improve help-seeking rates for mental health services for AANHPIs and other communities of color.
Join us in celebrating AANHPI Mental Health Day. Take the pledge to celebrate, sign-up as a community partner, and invite your friends at: https://www.naapimha.org/aanhpimentalhealthday
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day and local proclamation and programming efforts would not be possible without the countless AA & NHPI mental health advocates and community partners listed below:
National Resolution
Michelle Tabajonda & Nisha Ramachandran, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
State Proclamation Requests
Arizona - Lan Hoang, Arizona AANHPI for Health Equity
Arkansas - Joshua Ang Price, Arkansas United
California - Kavoos Bassiri, RAMS, Inc (est. 2011)
Colorado - Rachele Espiritu, Change Matrix (est. 2021)
Florida - Sheenly Moreno, National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth (NANAY) & Agnes Lopez, Filipino Young Leaders Program
Georgia - Kaila Tang, Asian Mental Health Collective
Hawaii - Chachie Abara, Filipino Mental Health Initiative of Hawaii
Illinois - Joie Cabrera, AAPI Amplified & Abbey Eusebio, Chinese American Service League
Indiana - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks Bloomington
Louisiana - Jessica Melendez Bayuga, Philippine American Woman Association of Louisiana & Roni Dacula, Gata PH
Maryland - Lashley Austria & Krystle Canare, NAAPIMHA
Massachusetts - Heidi Lee, Certified Peer Specialist, NAAPIEN
Michigan - Emily Paras, Filipino American Student Association at University of Michigan
Minnesota - Alyx Ang, NAMI Youth Advisory Board
Missouri - Janna Anonuevo Langhoz, Philippine Village Walking Tour
Montana - April Werle, Filipino American Artist & Muralist
New Jersey - Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos, Filipino Young Leaders Program
New York - Michelle Garcia, Thriving Asians
Ohio - Stacey Diane Litam, SDAL Consultation and Educational Services, LLC
Oregon - Emily Wang, Oregon Health Authority
South Dakota - Ayesha Meer, Asian Mental Health Collective
Tennessee - joseph gutierrez, API Middle Tennessee
Texas - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks/Bloomington
Utah - Ta’anu Ahhing, Samoan Club at University of Utah
Virginia - Melody Agbisit, Virginia Advisory Board
Washington - Avis Heansberger, Hub International & Victor Loo, iStyle4Life
City/County Proclamation Requests
Boston, Massachusetts - Heidi Lee, Certified Peer Specialist, NAAPIEN
Denver, Colorado - Rachele Espiritu, Change Matrix (est. 2021)
Dallas, Texas - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks/Bloomington
District of Columbia - Gregory Cendana, Can’t Stop! Won’t Stop! Consulting
Houston, Texas - Rogene Calvert, Asian American Health Coalition (AAHC)/HOPE Clinic
Little Rock, Arkansas - Joshua Ang Price, Arkansas United
Monroe County, Indiana - Sweta Murthy, Miss City Parks/Bloomington
Pulaski County, Arkansas - Joshua Ang Price, Arkansas United
Fontana, California - Carrie Zhang, Asian Mental Health Project
San Francisco, California - Kavoos Bassiri, RAMS, Inc (est. 2011)
Santa Clara County, California - Nira Singh, AACI
Community Champions
AAPI Amplified
AAPI Equity Alliance
AAPI Democratic Caucus Nevada
AAPI Montclair
AAPI Youth Rising
ACE NextGen
API Middle Tennessee
Arizona AANHPI for Health Equity
Arkansas United
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC
Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)
Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)
Asian Counseling Referral Services (ACRS)
Asian Girls Ignite
Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio
Borrowed Hope Apparel Co
Can't Stop! Won't Stop! Consulting
Can't Stop! Won't Stop! Education Fund
Change Matrix
CO+Hoots Coworking
College of San Mateo
Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL)
Healing Nature Collective
Indigo Cultural Center
LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
LES, Live Every Second
Mabuhay, Inc
Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islander in Solidarity
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse
National Organization of API Ending Sexual Violence
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
OT Bay Area, DisruptOT
Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS)
Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
Sakura Foundation
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
Samoan Club at University of Utah
Samoan Community Development Center
SEIU Virginia 512
South Asian Public Health Association
Taiwanese American Citizenship League
The Asian American Foundation
The Cambodian Family Community Center
Thriving Asians
VietLead
Community Partners
Act To Change
American Art Therapy Association
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Amplify, Inc
Anise Health
Asian American Health Coalition (AAHC) & HOPE Clinic
Asian Health Coalition
Asian Mental Health Collective
Asian Mental Health Project
Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholars
Asian Pacific Islander Initiative
Asian Youth Act
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Center for Innovation in Mental Health, City University of New York's Graduate School of Public Health
Crisis Text Line
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)
Filipino Mental Health Initiative Hawaii
Japanese American Citizens League
Miss Dallas / Park Cities Scholarship Organization
Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
NANAY
Nectar
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy
Philippine Nurses Association of Metropolitan DC
SEWA-AIFW
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Teach For America
THE AAKOMA PROJECT
The Fresno Center
The Steve Fund
Unburden Me
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