Research
Dongxu Guo
Research
Being queer and Asian is a unique experience in North America. Especially for teenagers that are first and second-generation immigrants. The media and majority of the population in north America overlook the intersection of the two minority groups and the struggles of AAPI queer people navigating their queerness and cultural identity at the same time. AAPI queer youth often experience being unaccepted by both minority groups. This challenge is a direct result of homophobia, transphobia in the AAPI community and racism in the queer community. The lack of belonging can lead to mental health issues for these teens and young adults.
In many AAPI households, being queer countries, being queer is still frowned upon. Many LGBTQ+ teens struggle with their sexualities, identities and mental health because of the pressures from their families, peers and mentors. A 2019 study by the HRC Foundation in partnership with the University of Connecticut “found that Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth are at a heightened risk for discrimination at home and in school” (Truong, 2019). The study also analyzed the responses of around 1,200 young people from the United States. It shows “that only 19 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth said they could ‘definitely’ be themselves at home, while only 29 percent said they could ‘definitely’ be themselves at school” (Truong, 2019). For many LGBTQ Asian Americans coming out to parents can be particularly difficult. And this struggle can manifest into depression and other mental health-related problems.
On top of the familial struggles for AAPI queer individuals, they also have to face racial bias and stereotypes within the queer community. Most queer spaces favour whiteness. In a Glaad article author Andre Menchavez demonstrates their unique experience, “I have been alienated from the queer community because of my Asian identity. These experiences of alienation taught me that the colour of my skin made me undesirable. ‘No fats, no femmes, no Asians’ is a phrase in the queer community I am too familiar with. Similarly, I faced the complexity of both fetishization and isolation while dating as an Asian queer person ” (Menchavez, 2019). Their experience is not uncommon within the queer community. Research by FS magazine reveals that out of 850 participants, 80% of black men, 79% of Asian men and 75% of south Asian men have encountered some forms of racism in the LGBTQ+ scene (Jones, 2016).
Besides being ostracized by both the AAPI and LGBTQ+ communities, most of the AAPI queer people don’t often seek help for mental health issues. This is the result of mental illness being stigmatized in Asian culture. According to a report by the Western Journal of Medicine, many east Asian cultures are highly influenced by Confucian which “discourage open displays of emotions in order to maintain social and familial harmony or to avoid exposure of personal weakness”(Kramer, Kwong, Lee., & Chung, 2002). This belief creates fear and shame around mental health for the AAPI community. Therefore, it prevents people from the community to openly discuss their past trauma and seek help from mental health professionals.