Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
My grandfather and father faced exclusionary codes that made entering the United States and gaining citizenship impossible. Both worked on the railroads, which was how a lot of Chinese immigrants came into the country at the time – making much lower wages than workers of other races. As a boy, Dad lived in the United States during worldwide...
In high school, I first realized I had a serious problem with my brain. I got my driver’s license, started a job, got accepted into college, and was close to graduating – but I still felt despair. I had no clue why I felt so heavy in my chest, failing to feel happy about all these milestones I expected to be excited about. I grew up Catholic in a...
Asians, like people of all races, can and do experience mental health challenges throughout their lives. Because of cultural norms, their experiences are often made to be invisible. Mental health is rarely talked about in Asian communities and is often seen as a “white person’s disease.” Because of that, fewer and fewer Asian people get the...
Lines for Life Honors API Heritage Month This May, Lines for Life celebrates the diverse cultures and rich histories of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community by honoring API Heritage Month. Why May? May holds special significance for API heritage in America, as it commemorates the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United...
My name is Amanda Young and I am a Crisis Intervention Specialist at Lines for Life. I identify as an Asian American, and I have been struggling with depression and anxiety since I was about 12, which really pushed me into this field of work. I want to support others. When people think about communities of color, they don’t generally think of...
My mama is not a clear vision in my mind. I can almost hear her voice when I read old cards and letters. But so much of my pacific Island mama was woven into the larger fabric of her family, a vision of my Tata and Nana, my Aunties and Uncles and cousins that I don't always see my mama clearly. Instead I see our forever growing island family. I...