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South Asians in Canada have reported some of the highest mental health issues this year. Listen to our podcast where we discuss the challenges associated with the pressure of being a ‘model minority.’ (Shutterstock)

How mental health issues get stigmatized in South Asian communities: Culturally diverse therapy needed

Recently, Statistics Canada revealed that South Asians have reported lower levels of mental health than any other Canadians during the pandemic: a neuropsychology student explains some of the reasons.
On Don’t Call Me Resilient, we speak with Satwinder Bains, associate professor and director of the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley and Maneet Chahal, co-founder of Soch Mental Health. (Claudia Wolff)

Model minority blues — The mental health consequences of being a model citizen: Don’t Call Me Resilient EP 9 transcript

Recently, Statistics Canada revealed that South Asians reported lower levels of mental health than any other Canadians during the pandemic.
In this episode, we discuss some of the reasons South Asians are reporting higher rates of mental health issues than any other group. Here a group of young South Asians at Besharam, a Toronto nightclub hosted by DJ Amita (pre-pandemic). courtesy Besharam

Model minority blues: The mental health consequences of being a model citizen — Don’t Call Me Resilient EP 9

The pressure of needing to be a model minority — successful, quiet, hardworking — can force people to internalize their mental anguish and ends up leaving gaps in our mental health services.
A rally against violence toward Asian Americans, after the March 16 attack in Atlanta, Georgia, that killed eight people, including six Chinese and Korean women. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Two stereotypes that diminish the humanity of the Atlanta shooting victims – and all Asian Americans

The media tends to render Asian Americans as either a ‘perpetual foreigner’ or ‘model minority’ – both stereotypes that have been levied in tandem against immigrants from Asia since the 1830s.
South Asian immigration to Canada increased in the 70s and 80s. A picture circa 1975, taken in the Toronto neighbourhood of South Riverdale (‘Little India’). (City of Toronto Archives/Series 1465; Urban Design photographs)

Searching for anti-racism agendas in South Asian Canadian communities

The authors argue South Asian immigrants to Canada have become complicit in the state’s racial and capitalist agendas.
The myth of Asians being good at math both encourages a “blame-the-victim” approach to math failure and imposes significant psycho-social pressure on high-achieving students. (Chuttersnap/Unsplash)

Racist stereotyping of Asians as good at math masks inequities and harms students

A Vancouver study found Mandarin-speaking girls were more likely to be eligible for university than Cantonese-speaking boys. High-achieving students were from wealthier families who had tutors.
Despite criticism from segments of the community, affirmative action helps many disadvantaged Asian-Americans. Torwai Studio/Shutterstock.com

Asian America needs affirmative action in higher education

Not all Asian-Americans are high-achieving model minorities. What happens when the myth of Asian disadvantage hurts some of the most marginalized students in the US?

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