There are nearly 5.4 million Southeast Asian Americans currently residing in the US.(Citing later) No matter how large the group of Southeast Asian Americans staying in the US is, this community continues to combat discrimination. Southeast Asian Americans show majority diversity in the US with a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds which aid in helping express individuality in each group. Even though they also fight their own fights against discrimination, other people of color aid in the persistence of discriminators. Though significant progressions in the fight against discrimination in the Southeast Asian American groups, they continue to endure forms of racist attitudes and behaviors. Those of which consist of systematic discrimination, …show more content…
Such harmful stereotypes have facilitated Asian Americans' belittling and oppression in a variety of areas of life. The "Model Minority" idea is one that is frequently held about Asian Americans. This stereotype gives the idea that Asian Americans do not experience racism or discrimination because it represents them as highly educated, successful, and being able to attain the American dream. The experiences of many Asian Americans who deal with racism and discrimination are affected by this stereotype. For example, a Pew Research Center study discovered that Asian Americans are the most prone to discrimination despite their high incomes and educational degrees. Maintaining this stereotype only functions to ignore the struggles that many Asian Americans experience. Another toxic stereotype about Asian Americans is the "forever foreigner" stereotype. This stereotype portrays Asian Americans as outsiders who are not truly American, regardless of how long they or their families have lived in the United States. This stereotype contributes to the idea that Asian Americans are not "real" Americans and that they do not belong in the country. This stereotype has dangerous consequences and has been linked to incidents of violence against Asian Americans. According to a report by the Stop AAPI Hate, there were 3,795 reported incidents of hate crimes against Asian …show more content…
Mental health is one of the most important problems that Asian Americans encounter. Asian Americans were discovered to be the least likely ethnic group to use mental health services, according to a survey by the National Latino and Asian American Study. Additionally, the research discovered that Asian Americans experience depression and anxiety at higher rates than the general population. The stigma associated with mental illness in Asian cultures prevents many Asian Americans from getting treatment. Because of the widespread misconception that Asian Americans are to blame for the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have been the target of prejudice and discrimination. Trauma, anxiety, and depression have been brought on by the pandemic's rise in hate crimes committed against Asian Americans. The Asian American Psychological Association claims that racism and discrimination have caused Asian Americans to turn to unhealthy coping strategies like drug abuse and self-harm. Lack of resources for mental health that are sensitive to cultural differences is another problem Asian Americans experience. Asian Americans have trouble getting access to quality care due to a lack of funding, which declinesan their mental health issues. To add on, because there aren't enough Asian Americans working in the field of mental health, Asian Americans might not have