kellynakamatsu

[kellynakamatsu]

Mental Health is Wealth

Episode 4:

Welcome, to the most meaningful episode that will be starred in this blog. In this episode, mental health will be the star of the show. If you are Asian American and have parents and/or family that have immigrated from a country in Asia, it is most likely not common to talk about feelings and hardships. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) families who are considered foreign have been raised to always be grateful for every opportunity they have been offered and to always obey the rules. If you are reading this and you are a first or second-generation child, then your parents probably immigrated to America to reap the benefits this country has to offer. Just like my mother did. To be clear, I am not blaming our immigrated family members for having the mentality to work hard and be grateful, but unfortunately, times are evolving.  People are evolving. Most Asian Americans have coherently adapted to the evolvement. Mental health issues such as high stress, depression, anxiety, etc. are at an all-time high due to several circumstances in an individual’s life.

Mental health awareness has not been deemed important or seen as “real” in an Asian society when in actuality it is. This is because it is seen more like a “disruption” rather than a dangerous matter (Park, 434). The lack of communication upon the issue can create several stressors for a human because not mentioning “disruptions” that may occur is normalized. Going against the grain, AAPI parents, is not easy to do let alone achieve. This is because of the way they were raised. Being unable to talk about the trials and tribulations that first and second-generation AAPI’s are going through is extremely difficult. Lisa Park, an Asian American woman, had written a letter to her passed sister that had me question the model minority stigma. Park’s sister had committed suicide due to the pressures from her parents to become a well-developed Asian, also known as the Model Minority. Park’s father and mother were “perpetual foreigners” that wanted their children to assimilate to Western culture, but also still be the model citizen they were “meant to be”. The Park family assumed that “The American Dream promises that each generation will be more successful than the preceding ones, but we are proof that assimilation is making us worse” (Park, 441). The process of assimilation was her sister having to deal with racism, bullying, and the biggest contender of all; depression (Park, 436). One quote from the letter to her sister that resonated with me the most was, “Your suicide was finally something that belonged to you” (Park, 439). Being part of the “model minority” stigma means that your future does not belong to you but in most cases, it is your family’s.

As a first-generation Filipina myself, I am expected to manage straight A’s in every class. As a model minority, it is expected that I live a prosperous life. It is expected of me to focus on my education and not my social life unless it has to do with academics. Most importantly, Filipinx parents expect their children to move into a profession that they can brag to their friends about, based on personal experience. Being a model minority rises the question of when does our life actually become our own and not our family’s life? Millennial and Gen Z Asian Americans have grown up around social media which means that more likely than not, they have been victims of peer pressure. That makes us very different from our immigrated parents. There are so many opportunities that we are able to achieve instead of the ones listed as normalized according to the “model minority” myth. The problem in most Asian households is that our parents or extended families are stuck in their generation due to normalizing mental health issues and trauma. As I have said before, AAPI young adults are evolving. I think it is time that we are able to talk about anything and everything in the Asian community. There is no need for us to keep our expressions and emotions bottled up and pushed to the side anymore because with the way things that have been going, mental health disparities are not disappearing anytime soon.

[kellynakamatsu]

Her Reality vs. My Reality

Episode 3:

Let us talk about stereotypical Asian or Asian American occupations. Every Asian minority community has a career that they gravitate towards. It is a trend that Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI’s) work in a field within their commonality. The following trend is called an ethnic niche, meaning the overrepresentation of a race in the form of employment (Eckstein & Nguyen, 257). For example, Filipinas usually work as nurses or caretakers because of the neoclassical economic theory. This theory showcases Filipinas being the sole migrant economic agent that is able to come from a low-wage society and successfully obtain a high paying salary (Thomas 1973; Borjas 1990). My initial concern with nursing was that it was a trend for Filipinos to go this route because it is the most convenient way to be financially stable without putting in the extra years of school. In actuality, Filipina nurses are the key to upholding a transnational household (Massey et al. 1993; Taylor 1999).

My mother’s dream was for me to become either a doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. It is typical for a Filipina American to become a health care professional. Nursing was introduced in the Philippines, by the US, in the early twentieth century in an attempt to “civilize” and “sanitize” Filipinos (Choy, 2003). From then on, Filipinas became the dominant race amongst Americans in the nursing field. I was one of those first-generation children that went against the “Model Minority” stereotype. I am the type of person who likes to go against the grain. I wanted to be my own person and not just another Filipina nurse who executes “tenderness” and caregiving qualities (Espiritu, 244). Based on my social upbringing, I do not have any of the stated qualities. My friends and family that are nurses expressed to me that the long hours, lack of social life, and caring for others is difficult to uphold. I actually wanted to be interested in my career. During my second year at California State University, Fullerton I decided I wanted to become an Environmental Health Specialist. This a career that genuinely stood out to me. I knew that I wanted to help people, but definitely not directly. I have always been passionate about creating and maintaining a positive ambiance within my social life, family dynamic, and place of work. This is a job that takes action behind the scenes to create a safe and healthy work environment for employees in any occupation. I am able to take my skills and apply them to my future career.

With having a mother that is seen to the world as a “perpetual foreigner”, she expected me to follow her dreams of pursuing the medical field. At first, my mom did not take the news well. For a while, it changed our loving mother-daughter dynamic because we were always playing on the opposing side. It took her some time to get used to the idea that her only child would not be a part of what a “model minority” entails. The expectations of Asian parents and the opposing dreams that first and second-generation children have often do not coincide. Being the “model minority” is expected of my fellow Asian Americans because it will bring honor to their families. It is often seen as selfish for a first or second-generation Asian to choose their own reality versus following the reality that was planned for them. Financial stability will always be a concern for AAPI’s because it is the only way to survive, but from what I have seen having money is not the key to happiness. As we approach a new decade, new generations should be able to speak freely and do as they please because that will lead to a more fulfilling life. Being so stuck in the stereotypes of being a model Asian can become exhausting.

[kellynakamatsu]

Searching for an Identity

Episode 2:

Being a part of the AAPI community means that we carry around a load of stereotypes that sum up to be seen as the “model minority”. Maxwell Leung, an author who wrote an excerpt on Jeremy Lin’s Model Minority Problem,  stated that “Asian Americans are almost always seen as superior to other minority groups in terms of educational achievement, economic stability, and social acceptance” (Zhou, 493). Essentially the Model Minority must ‘reach for the skies’ in every aspect of their lives. The question is who carries the responsibility for creating an over-achieving mentality? In my opinion, I believe it is the parents of first and second-generation.  Asian Americans. Most AAPI parent figures expect their children to obtain the best grades, go to the best colleges, graduate with a “useful” degree, and step into a career that earns you a stable income no matter the circumstances. This literal four-step plan to becoming successful is all laid out for children of Asian minority, most likely even before birth. Hence, the term Model Minority coming into play. What happens if a first-generation child does not want to follow the four-step plan to becoming the Model Minority? There is such thing as peer pressure and being interested in other plans outside of the ones stated above. Not every AAPI can be what they are expected to be. For example in the movie The Debut there were many different types of Filipino Americans; all with individual personalities. One could tell by the tone of the Filipino’s voice,  physical image, and the peers they chose to surround themselves with. Their personalities and identities are reflected by their peers from all kinds of backgrounds and ethnicities; from white, African American, Japanese, etc. Based on what I have experienced, Filipino Americans are especially likely to conform to their own person other than the typical “model minority”. Another example of Asian Americans conforming to their own identity, according to the documentary My America, is the Seoul Brothers, Mike, and Rafael. The two brothers were known to be rappers who have been influenced by their African American friends. Being a first or second-generation Asian American comes with loads of expectations, but being a citizen of the United States means assimilating with different cultures as well.

The Model Minority enforcers, AAPI parents, are often seen as perpetual foreigners or the Model Minority in the eyes of society; not often seen between the two spectrums. A perpetual foreigner is defined as people who are unable to assimilate to Western culture regardless of their citizenship or the duration of their residence in the United States. Perpetual foreigners who “make it” on their own in the land of opportunity are often seen as victims who require constant and persistent maintenance (Park, 500). The movie My America… Or Honk If  You Love Buddha shows many different perspectives on families who were struggling to make ends meet and those who have made it big in America.  If an Asian is seen as a perpetual foreigner, then there are certain things that they must prove to “fit in”. Renee Tajima-Penas, the narrator of the documentary, and her siblings were required to “blend in” because of her family’s background of being in Japanese internment camps. Racism was defined their life. By blending in, Renee and her siblings were able to assimilate to western culture by following trends. If an Asian parent is a Model Minority, the stakes for their children to become a model citizen is higher. Tom Vu, a successful real estate agent interviewed in My America, immigrated to Vietnam with little to no money. As time went on he realized that the key to success was don’t give up. I believe that either way, first-generation AAPI’s are pressured into circumstances and careers that are mentally and physically demanding because of these stereotypes that are put onto us. In the movie The Debut, the main character, Ben, is pressured by his father to become a doctor but has aspirations to become an artist. Ben’s father is someone who does not have the fanciest job but works hard to support his family. This is a very typical situation in Asian households because as a generational AAPI we are expected to become the model citizen since our parents who immigrated hold the stereotype of being a perpetual foreigner.

Ben and the Seoul/Soul brothers are prime examples of Asian Americans who found their identity in spite of being given the four-step plan to success.

[kellynakamatsu]

Others, Before Us

Episode 1:

This episode is for my fellow Filipinx and Filipinx Americans. I will give a mention to the idea that Filipinos are individuals that put others before themselves. Looking from the outside in, you may wonder if this a good or bad trait; maybe even neither. In my opinion, I believe that it is neither. This is because I have witnessed my own mother, an immigrant from the Philippines, become the most selfless woman I know. My main concern is her endless pities to my extended family that was not fortunate enough to immigrate to the United States of America, also known as a transnational household dynamic. A transnational household is referred to as a family whose most important family members are located in two or more nation-states (Parreñas, 157).  She made the choice to leave the Philippines at a very young age to work in Hong Kong.  In doing that, she met my father who later on petitioned her to come to America. Ever since she received the first paycheck that she made outside of the Philippines, she has given a chunk of her earnings back to her paternal and maternal kin. According to Rhacel Salazar Parreñas, Filipino families have a family dynamic that is “nuclear” (Zhou, 162). In other words, family “…members carry a strong sense of solidarity and obligation…” (Zhou, 162). Ever since I could remember, I would ask her why she chose to do that? The problem was that it was a subject that could not be discussed because it was just something she was obligated to do.

During an interview with my best friend’s mother, who was also born and raised in the Philippines named Dulce, I had asked her, “Do you often send gifts, money, and necessities back home?” Dulce looked at me as if I should already know that answer. She responded with, “Of course I do, it is my duty as a successful Filipino to give back to my family who needs these things more than I do.” Transnational households depend on the core value of pakikisama, meaning “family over everything.” The four mechanisms that strengthen this moral principle is (1) mutual assistance, (2) blood-related family responsibility, (3) “generalized family exchange networks” (Peterson, 1993), and (4) the act of “taking in” your family (Parreñas, 163). Without pakikisama, transnational households would not be able to have that nuclear solidarity (Parreñas, 163). With the hard-earned money that my mom would make from every occupation she obtained while in the U.S, she sent each and every single one of her nieces and nephews to college. We used to make weekly trips to the Philippine National Bank (PNB) to deposit money into each of my cousin’s accounts. This act is a prime example of mechanism number three (generalized family exchange networks).

At the end of the day, do these acts of kindness benefit their own well-being? I have always wondered if these selfless acts give my mom and Tita Dulce the fulfillment they need. Thinking on the other end of the spectrum, do families back in the Philippines expect these necessities? I know that in the Filipino culture being selfish is frowned upon. Filipinos believe in the idea that “sharing is caring” and that is how you show your love. Both Filipino and “westernized” Filipinos do not speak openly about issues that they may be with-holding because it all comes back to being selfish. As a Filipino, if you are selfish you will be frowned upon. A Filipinx individual’s appearance is everything. An individual’s reputation is everything in Filipino culture. Based on personal recollection and seeing the selfless acts of “obligation”, the idea of transnational families not sharing the wealth they are earning is part of the dilemma of being deemed as egocentric.

[kellynakamatsu]

The Real “Tea” Behind the Model Minority Stereotype

About:

Think of this blog as a safe haven for all Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders to read about the trials and tribulations that we all may go through. Although my target audience is people of Asian descent, other people of color are welcome! I will be touching base on many different aspects of the overall theme; The Model Minority Stigma. I believe that the Model Minority Stereotype has been around for as long as I could remember. The first publication behind the “model minority” stereotype happened during January 1966 in the New York Times. William Petersen, the author, went on to explain that Asian immigrants and the generations to come were seen to be successful (Zhou, 17). Ever since then, the stigma of Asian Americans being “the smartest of the bunch” arose. Other people of different backgrounds may not understand the problem behind such a stereotype. Most people strive to be the most persistent and intellectual amongst their peers, but when it comes to Asian Americans it is a different story. As a “model minority,” your line of work consists of being the smartest person in the room, being exceptionally good at math, pursuing the highest of educations, and stepping into a high paying profession that is seen as “difficult” to achieve.  A person who sets an example of going against the grain is Jeremy Lin (Zhou, 18). Jeremy Lin, one of the first Asian American players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). American society could not fathom the thought of an Asian American making it to the big leagues let alone being phenomenal at basketball.

Compared to other people of color in America, Asian Americans are stigmatized to the “model minority” stereotype based on the emphasis of education, core family values, unionized community, and the heritage we came from. I am here to expose the Real “Tea” on the stereotype that we have been accustomed to by not only American society but as well as from our parents too. If you are a first or second-generation Asian American, then it is likely your parents immigrated from some part of Asia. I will mention later on in the blog that our parents and the family dynamic that they instill encourages the “model minority” stigma. As a first-generation daughter of a Filipino immigrant, I am expected to give my undivided attention to my education, focus on the values of being an abiding family member, and most importantly be someone that my parents want me to be. As a succeeding generational male or female, there comes a point where we may question why we are expected to do such things.

I am here to bring light to the negative impacts that the Model Minority Stigma may have on first and second-generation Asian Americans. Speaking up on issues is a difficult task in Asian cultures for some odd reason, but this issue needs to be addressed due to the lack of knowledge other people of color may have.

[kellynakamatsu]

K.A.C.N

Hello to all! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kelly Ann Canonizado Nakamatsu. You are all probably thinking, “why is this Asian girl’s name so long and impossible to pronounce??” Well, I am half Japanese and half Filipina American. In the Philippines, it is common to take on your mother’s maiden name as your middle name, so hence my tongue-twister of a name.

This blog is an outlet for my thoughts, questions, and topics I would like to discuss regarding Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Some topics I will be discussing are the “model minority” stigma, selflessness, ethnic niches, mental health, and my personal experiences regarding these issues. I hope that many of you can relate to one, some, or all of the topics I’ll be touching on. Think of this blog as a safe haven that Asian Americans or other people of color can turn to for guidance.