Thanks so much for this, Julia. “If better mental health was part the definition of success, then people would be better educated on mental illness” — you nailed it here.

Something I noted living in China for five years (and being friends with people from all over Asia, including Vietnam) was that in basically all East Asian, Confucian-influenced cultures, there’s often an attitude that hardship and pain are something that you just deal with. You grin, bear it, and move on. That’s a good survival tactic in times of emergency, but NOT great for processing complex emotions in the long run…and especially not great for processing trauma.

That might be particularly true for Vietnamese refugees, as you’ve noted — people who escaped war, repression and violence, and may deal with a lot of unresolved trauma and emotional scars. Add that to, as you’ve said, the multiple cultural expectations and barriers, pressures of being a “model minority”, and efforts to push their kids to make sure they have a better life in a new country…it’s a LOT for both parents and kids, especially if they’ve always been taught to just “deal with it.”

Thanks for the link about Hyeouk “Chris” Hahm’s work, too. I just discovered her the other day — really interesting, important work. Have you seen the Strength In Unity project? It’s another I stumbled on recently: a project aimed at reducing stigma about mental illness among men in Asian communities in Canada. Interesting work.