SEARCH RESULTS

@cassandramlee ​ OUR MISSION As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of hate-crimes against AAPIs have increased rapidly with only limited coverage by mainstream media outlets. Furthermore, access to therapy and mental health- related assistance has become increasingly limited for minority groups. Here at AAPImpact, we believe your voices need to be heard, and your stories need to be shared. Spreading awareness through written testimonials helps to educate and motivate others to create change and to call our leaders into action. OUR PURPOSE AAPImpact is a place to shift perspectives and create meaningful change. We are a platform that displays statistically backed information with a desire to uncover the narrative behind the numbers. We strive to present the stories that fail to reach the mainstream media and highlight the real-life struggles and experiences of the AAPI community. We aim to encourage those who might remain silent or complacent about these issues to take a stand against prejudice and hate.

cassandralee.com SUBMISSIONS GENERAL GUIDELINES : This is an inclusive space where you can freely express your thoughts, explore your creativity, and navigate your emotions. We encourage works that shed light on mental health issues and the experiences of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Whether you use writing as a form of catharsis, self-reflection, or to address societal concerns, we invite you to share your unique perspectives. Feel free to submit your work to multiple platforms concurrently, but kindly note that we do not accept previously published pieces. Regardless of your age or location, we encourage you to share your authentic voice. ​ ​ SUBMISSION FORMAT: Submissions are exclusively accepted online. Literary pieces should be f ormatted double-spaced in standard 12 pt Times New Roma n font and submitted in pdf format. Art pieces should be uploaded as PDF/JPEG. ​ When submitting your work: - Please include a brief author's bio. - Do not submit more than 5 submissions per edition. If you are submitting multiple works, please send them as separate emails. - If t he material you submit includes sensitive content (such as self-harm, abuse, eating disorders, violence, etc.), please provide a trigger warning for our editors. - Email your submission(s) to aapimpacts@gmail.com . ​

STATISTICS Stereotypes and Structural Barriers "Asi an American communities are burdened with the “model minority” stereotype, a prevalent and misleading assumption that depicts AAPIs as uniformly well-adjusted, attaining more socioeconomic success than other minority groups through strong work ethic, conforming to social norms and excelling academically. The social and familial pressure created by this deceptive stereotype can prevent community members from seeking mental health care." - Nathan Stewart, timely.md Statistics Suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans from ages 15 to 24 73.1% of AAPIs adults with a mental illness did not recieve treatment Mental Services AAPIs are least likely to seek mental health services than any other racial/ethnic group. AAPIs are three times less likely to access mental health services than their white counterparts. 35% of Asian Americans report that their mental health has worsened during the pandemic 58% of Asian Americans said that reports of discrimination and violence against Asian people affected their mental health 2.7 Million AAPIs have a mental and/or substance abuse disorder (SUD) 17.3% overall lifetime rate of AAPIs developing a mental illness or psychiatric disorder 13% of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders do not have health insurance

Welcome Through research, resources, and your stories AAPImpact creates a space for educating the public about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on racism and mental health ABOUT US AAPI Learn More resources, statistics, and their relevance today MENTAL HEALTH Resources and statistics regarding mental health in minority groups LEARN MORE MINDFULNESS TIPS On managing stress and being fully present HERE MENTAL HEALTH Resources and statistics regarding mental health in minority groups LEARN MORE SUBMIT YOUR WORK HERE © 2023 by AAPImpact

Contact Us OUR TEAM Kendall Rhee Deborah Pierre Bo Xie Neelima Tyagi Co-Founder & Editor Co-Founder & Editor Co-Founder & Editor Co-Founder & Editor Hi! I'm Kendall Rhee (she/her ), a rising junior from Newport Beach, CA. I am passionate about writing and advocating for social issues, specifically as they relate to discrimination against AAPIs and other minority groups. ​ Instagram: @kendallrhee Email: kendallgrhee@gmail.com Hi! My name is Deborah Pierre (she/her). I'm a rising senior living in Orlando, Fl. I am passionate about political advocacy, raising awareness about societal issues that plague our society, and volunteering in my local community. ​ Instagram: @deborahpierre581 Email: deborahgpierre@icloud.com Hi, my name is Bo (he/his), and I am a rising senior from Tianjin, China. I am a student-golfer, and I love sociology, philosophy, and doing charity. I enjoy learning about different cultures and different people through traveling. ​ Instagram: @zbo_2004 Email: 22yxieb351r@gmail.com Hi! I’m Neelima (she/her), a rising senior from Ocala, FL. I am passionate about writing, neuroscience, and advocating for social and public issues, such as discrimination against minorities and ending the mental health stigma. ​ Instagram: @neelityagi Email: NeeliTyagi@gmail.com Email: aapimpacts@gmail.com First Name Last Name Email Message I want to subscribe to the newsletter. Send Thanks for submitting!

Mindfulness Tips “Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” - mindful.org @cassandramlee What is mindfulness? Simply put, mindfulness is being aware, but also being calm and composed. The following tips and practices can help you practice mindfulness and achieve a sense of clarity and peace from within. The most popular of these practices is mindfulness meditation. In general, mindfulness meditation involves deep breathing and the awareness of body and mind. To get started, find a comfortable place to sit, three to five minutes of free time, and a engage in a judgment-free mindset. ​ For a step-by-step instruction, click here . For a short guided meditation from YouTube, click here . Other ways to cope with stress Take breaks from social media. Consider limiting the amount of time that you spend on your phones. ​ ​ 2. Take care of your physical health. Eat fruits and vegetables lean protein, whole grains, and fat–free or low–fat milk and milk products. Have a consistent sleep schedule, go to bed and wake up at similar times each day Take part in exercise (find out more ) Limit alcohol intake (find out more ) Limit smoking (find out more ) Consider health appointments and screening ​ ​ 3. Connect with others Communicate with friends and family! Give them a call or drop them a text and enjoy your conversations. Talk with people you trust, and refer to the resources page for more links cassandralee.com

W E B S I T E S & O R G A N I Z A T I O N S HHS ASPR TRACIE COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources Food and Food System Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic MyVision: Vision Issues & Mental Health SMVLC: The damaging effects of Social Media Treating Alcoholism: Alcohol Rehab Guide ​ PARTNERSHIPS / INQUIRIES We appreciate your interest in exploring a potential partnership as a resource for AAPImpact. At AAPImpact, we are committed to driving meaningful change and making a positive impact in society today. We believe that collaborations and partnerships with like-minded organizations are essential in achieving this goal. ​ If your organization aligns with our mission and shares our passion for creating societal change with a mental health or AAPI centered focus, we invite you to connect with us. Please feel free to send us an email at aapimpacts@gmail.com , detailing your interest in partnering with us as a resource. ​ Upon receiving your email, our dedicated team will carefully evaluate your request and assess its compatibility with our mission and objectives. We value every potential partnership and will consider each request diligently. We believe in forging partnerships that are mutually beneficial, result-oriented, and built on shared values. We look forward to receiving your email and learning more about how we can collaborate to drive positive change through AAP Impact's mission. Thank you for considering this opportunity, and we appreciate your commitment to making a lasting impact in our communities.

AAPI Statistics, Testimonials, & Their Relevance Today Statistics 76% Hate crimes against people of Asian descent rose 76% in 2020 1 in 7 1 in 7 Asian-Americans reported discrimination and unfair treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. 64% 64% of Asian-Americans believe that the recent rise in anti-Asian discrimination is due to COVID-19 first being reported in China 9,000 In little over a year after the pandemic began, more than 9000 anti-Asian incidents were reported 1/3 1/3 of Asian-Americans fear that they or their family members will be victims of a racially motivated assault 82% 82% of Asian-Americans report they have faced increasing discrimination as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Classroom Bullying The U.S. Department of Education reports that AAPI students suffer from classroom bullying at higher rates than any other race or ethnicity. Testimonials: The Scapegoat “When I walk anywhere, I look left and right to see if anyone might be attacking me. I have been living in fear.” "I have not seen my grandson who is afraid to come over to our home because of my neighbor’s verbal threats. Things have gotten so bad, I refuse to go out unless it is absolutely necessary. I am retired, former (military), and feel like I am back in school with racist bullies to defend myself once again." "Since the pandemic started, my neighbor’s attitude toward me has escalated to the point [where] I had to file a protection order to make him stop with his constant violent rage and use of racial slurs." “I was shopping and [a] child grabbed my arm. Child said I should, “go back to my country!”and that I was the “reason his father died.” Mother came up and put her hand on my arm, but she didn’t try to help me. This is [the] scariest and saddest experience I’ve had in [the] U.S. since about 1977.” Relevance Today Incidents of anti-Asian discrimination and hate have increased substantially in 2022. Not only has the pandemic reinforced harmful stereotypes about our AAPI communities and businesses, they have also come to influence the beliefs of our youth. In 2022 anti-Asian hate incidents have risen between seventy to over a hundred percent from the preceding year. Through willful ignorance, many still regard Asian-Americans as a scapegoat for the global pandemic. This engenders hate and division and can only be combatted with education, awareness, and continued advocacy.

RESOURCES @cassandralee For Emergency Help 1. Call 911 ​ 2. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish. Lifeline Chat: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ ​ 3. Disaster distress hotline: https://www.samhsa.gov/disaster-preparedness AAPI How to report AAPI hate and knowing your rights: https://stopaapihate.org/resources/ ​ Anti-racism resources for AAPI: https://asianamericanstudies.cornell.edu/anti-racism-resources-aapi-community ​ https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Libraries/AAPI_Resources.aspx MENTAL HEALTH For Everyone How Right Now — Finding What Helps Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event General Public: Care for Yourself Young Adults: Care for Yourself HHS ASPR TRACIE COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources Food and Food System Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic MyVision: Vision Issues & Mental Health SMVLC: The damaging effects of Social Media Treating Alcoholism: Alcohol Rehab Guide ​ For Families and Children Helping Children Cope during the Pandemic Helping Children Cope with Emergencies COVID-19 Parental Resources Kit Support For Teens and Young Adults ​ ​

Mental Health Mental Health This article about mindfulness sheds important light on how to cope with stress and eliminate unhealthy habits as we embrace the post-pandemic world. Resources and links are also provided for those seeking professional help. Here For many of us in the AAPI community, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profoundly negative impact on our mental health. From attending school online to working jobs from the confines of our own rooms, our versions of normalcy were completely and in some cases irrevocably changed. This long period of isolation inflicted a damaging blow to our mental health while also limiting our ability to seek much needed help. This decline in normal social interaction also bred unhealthy habits such as addiction to social media and the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Even as life slowly returns to normal, mental health problems and harmful addictions persist into the post-COVID era and disproportionately affect the BIPOC community. Mental Health Disparities Among AAPIs Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, members of the AAPI community are far less likely to seek professional help for mental health issues than their non-BIPOC counterparts. This is partly due to disparities in healthcare quality and access. The cultural stigma associated with seeking emotional and psychological counseling plays an important role as well. By understanding, educating, and publishing compelling narratives of hope, we have an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the AAPI community and also destigmatize the treatment that so many need to achieve mental well-being.