Andrew Yang, Mental Health, and Asian-Americans (#3)
5 Minute Read
Andrew Yang is among 24 candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
On Monday, September 30, 2019, I attended my first ever rally for Democratic presidential hopeful, Andrew Yang. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, with blaring hip-hop music, crowds of Asian-Americans intermingled with so many other people of color, and a math-based presentation sprinkled with f-bombs. The Andrew Yang rally was honestly life-altering, especially given my own lack of experience with American politics. Existing in the margins of suburban Chicago as a card-carrying member of the “model minority,” political ignorance is both a privilege and a personal disservice that I haven taken for granted. Now with the emergence of the Yang Gang, everything is about to change.
Growing up as the only son of Chinese immigrants meant that politics was the furthest thing from my parents’ minds. I never received any messages about policy or party-affiliation unless it had to do with my personal well-being or financial well-being. Perhaps it is a vestige of the American dream hustle, but my parents did not have the bandwidth to consider the sociopolitical ramifications of an election unless it pertained to their checkbook. Ironically, they only voted for presidents and never participated in any local elections that could have had a more visible impact. Any decision made on a nation-wide scale was only relevant if it affected me personally, and until I gained more systemic understanding through my marriage and family therapy training, voting for the greater good had never crossed my mind.
Easing myself into engaging with politics at 26 may seem much later than our voting age of 18, but I am so grateful to Andrew Yang for reigniting hope through his representation of the Asian-American community. There is tremendous power in knowing that someone who looks like me is attempting to break new barriers that were previously unthinkable. When I think about other young Asian-Americans dreaming of a future that incorporates their heritage while defying social expectations, I can imagine the mountains of doubt that promote the road well-traveled. Just because there is not yet evidence for success does not mean that you cannot be the first person to establish a new possibility. Andrew Yang’s campaign has already made Asian-Americans more excited for voting, and I am very curious to see how this will affect our turnout come next November.
When I made the decision to become a therapist, I said yes to an unknown future that has at times been isolating and confusing. Mental health is still greatly stigmatized within the Asian community, and I have grown accustomed to the bewildered looks I get whenever I explain my job to Chinese aunties. That being said, even when you feel alone in your struggle, there is a commonality to every challenge under the sun. I do not know Andrew Yang personally, but I resonate with his pursuit and seeing his incremental gains in the polls gives me renewed hope. Part of his platform actually champions the need for better mental healthcare, especially with anxiety and depression on the rise. Andrew Yang could very well be a candidate that joins the list of forgotten contenders, but he has staked a claim in previously uncharted territory that will shift the tide for other hopeful Asian-Americans to come. #YangGang2020