People of Asian heritages face many well-documented obstacles to their mental and physical wellbeing in Aotearoa – these include dealing with anti-Asian racism, xenophobia, migration stress, and access and language difficulties (or alternatively, generational language and cultural loss). Additionally, we’re often navigating nuanced cultural contexts above and beyond those we all encounter as part of life in New Zealand.

It’s no wonder, therefore, that many people in our diverse communities find themselves in need of help at some point in their lives – nonetheless, many of us still struggle to find that support when we need it most. All too often, the systems we attempt to engage with fail to hold space for the complexity of our diverse experiences.

In the video below, we hear from several knowledge holders working in the Asian mental health space as they outline the key issues we need to tackle to open the door to positive change.

Special thanks to Rebekah Jaung, Rita Chi-Ying Chung, and Maria Milmine for generously sharing their perspectives.

This video is the second in a six-part series for our ongoing Asian Mental Health project.

View our first video and blog, featuring movement coach Dharshi Ponnampalam