Photo Credit: Radical Designs: http://saalt.org
Advocacy Plan
Asian Indian Immigrants are very thankful to live in America and often do not discuss the negatives of their transition. However, there are many negative experiences encountered by Asian American immigrants. These negative experiences can include anything from racism in the workplace to strict immigration laws that affect mental health in Asians Indians immigrants (Nadimpalli, Kanaya, McDade, & Kandula, 2016). According to Nadimpali et al. (2016) Asian Indian immigrants who feel directly discriminated whether from people in their neighborhoods, at work, or the government are more likely to have mental health issues. Thus, to advocate for Asian Indian immigrants’ mental health it is important to go straight to the sources that may be causing issues. My plan of advocacy begins by looking into immigration laws that make it difficult for Asian Indian immigrants to come to America and live here. Through research about immigration laws, I came across the website www.saalt.orgwhere SAALT stands for South Asian Americans Leading Together. From this website I found the image above promoting a voter guide about four big issues regarding South Asians. This voter guide provided detailed information about issues like immigration and hate crimes as well as the candidates running in midterm elections for nine states including Ohio and the legislation that each candidate supports. Not only is the website informative about issues but it also helps individuals supporting South Asians to know the legislation that directly affects them and vote for candidates accordingly. I plan to tell the individuals that I have met over the semester about this website because it also provides other means of getting involved in South Asians gaining a voice in America. In addition, during the next elections I will be referring back to this website to help me know current legislation that will help disseminate discrimination in the Asian Indian immigrant population. The knowledge about current legislation will not only help me but I will also be able to become an informant to others about the current issues and how current legislation helps or harms Asian Indian Americans. Overall, this image gives me hope that resources are available to help Asian Indian immigrants gain a voice in America and fight against discrimination. I look forward to continuing to work with the Asian Indian immigrant population by being an advocate for their rights and helping others understand the importance of being supportive of this group.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Servant Leadership Plan
Individuals who identify as Asian Indian immigrants have encountered numerous obstacles throughout their move and transition from India to America. These obstacles range from having to undergo discrimination to being away from family to finding new identities in a completely different culture (Methikalam, Wang, Slaney, & Yeung, 2015). Despite encountering hardships, many Asian Indian immigrants are thankful for the opportunity to live in America. Therefore, the biggest need according to Asian Indian immigrants that would benefit them is having their cultural differences understood and recognized. For example, on November 7thmany Indians celebrate the holiday called Diwali. Diwali is the Indian celebration of equivalent significance to many Americans’ Christmas. With the importance of holidays like Diwali, Asian Indians face issues of taking off work and getting their children out of school to celebrate. Since America follows Christian holidays, those are often the days that workplaces are closed and, thus, taking off days for other holidays is often scrutinized. According to Blumenfeld (2006), this Christian privilege leaves subordinate groups like Asian Indian immigrants who practice other religions feeling powerless and marginalized. To help those subordinate groups, like Asian Indians, feel celebrated it is important for individuals, especially counselors, to be aware of ways that Asian Indian immigrants are culturally different including their different holidays. Having individuals outside of the culture understand their differences will allow Asian Indian immigrants to feel more supported by their community. Therefore, I chose an image of a group of people holding holds hands to portray how we should support each other despite differences. This image reminds me of how we should build each other up instead of tearing one another down. As a future school counselor, this support is vital when helping Asian Indian immigrant students navigate relationships with other students and teachers. More specifically, when I am working in a school with Asian Indian immigrant students during times around Indian holidays, I could provide guidance lessons that the Indian students help me prepare about those holidays. Not only would the students feel included and supported, but also all other students in the school will learn about these holidays celebrated by their classmates. From what I heard from individuals in the Asian Indian population, it is important for them to feel like their culture is just as valuable as other cultures and I believe that value can start by recognizing their holidays. Overall, the recognition and understanding of Asian Indian culture is most important to many individuals in the population as a way to feel supported by others outside of their culture.
Reference:
Blumenfeld, W. J. (2006). Christian privilege and the promotion of “secular” and not-so “secular” mainline Christianity in public schooling and in the larger society. Equity & Excellence in Education, 39, 195-210. doi:10.1080/10665680600788024.
Copyright: http://www.dinwiddie.k12.va.us/sut/
Strengths-Based Needs
I chose an image of a school because one of the individuals I interviewed said that it would be beneficial if school systems recognized their children’s Asian Indian culture. By allowing schools to recognize the unique Asian Indian culture, Asian Indian immigrant children are able to develop identities based on the two cultures they are encountering on a daily basis. Thus, this need for Asian Indian culture recognition is necessary for the population as they develop certain identities in America. Second generation Asian Indian Americans, the children of Asian Indian immigrants, who might have been born in India but grow up in America undergo an identity development that begins in childhood. One article that I read stated that a lot of Asian Indian immigrant children feel the need to hide their Asian Indian identity because they felt so different at school (Iwamoto, Negi, Partiali, &Creswell, 2013). Iwamoto et. al (2013) claimed during the early stages of Asian Indian identity development many Asian Indian children experience racism from peers at school. Since I know that kids can be judgmental when they notice anyone different from them, I am not surprised that Iwamoto et al. (2013) came to that conclusion about racism. This research goes back to why I think that school systems should take action to recognize Asian Indian culture to help other students appreciate the culture and allow Asian Indian students to celebrate their diversity as opposed to hide their identities. In turn, by helping Asian Indian students have their culture included, they can form a healthy culturally diverse identity. I believe this is highly important information for school counselors who can implement programs to make the school aware of various cultures like the Asian Indian culture other than the “normed” American culture. Overall, this image of a school allows me to think about how vital young individuals’ self-concepts and identity developments is to them as they fit in with those around them throughout life.
By Jolly Janner – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15241265
Systemic Challenges
Asian Indian individuals who have moved to America face many systemic issues revolving around cultural differences. One of the main differences is the family values in which Asian Indians have collectivistic ideologies about the importance of family, especially parent/child relationships. Compared to the individualistic values held by most Americans, this difference can potentially damage the counseling Asian Indian immigrants might obtain. I selected the image above because it portrays that making the transition from India to America is a huge step for Asian Indian immigrants who are potentially leaving family behind. As seen in the image the physical distance between India (labeled in green) and America (labeled in orange) is significantly large. The vast distance between the Asian Indian immigrants and their family still living in India puts strains on those highly valued familial relationships. Thus, Asian Indian immigrants moving across the world can have mental health issues from the familial strains and other cultural differences they encounter (Chandra, Arora, Mehta, Asnaani, and Radhakrihnan, 2016). Since cultural differences can have an effect on mental health of the Asian Indian immigrant population, one therapist, Rastogi (2007), claims that counselors who encounter this population must understand the cultural differences between Americans and Asian Indians such as individualistic versus collectivistic values when helping the population cope with their issues. I agree with Rastogi and his claims because there are a lot of counseling techniques that focus on the individualism since many Americans have individualistic values. But due to the importance of family and collectivistic values, Asian Indian immigrants would not benefit from the commonly used counseling techniques that focus on the individual’s needs and could even result in a feeling of oppression in a counseling relationship that focuses on the individual. Therefore, since Asian Indian immigrants are making a huge sacrifice from moving across the world, they will likely have issues that could be helped through counseling only if their cultural values are acknowledged. When looking at the image I feel even more passionate about ensuring Asian Indian immigrants are receiving the correct counseling they need to make them feel welcomed in a country far from their original home. I think that since Asian Indian immigrants are able to take a leap and immerse themselves into a completely different culture from their own in America, it is the least that counselors can do when acknowledging those differences to help them cope. Overall, the image above helped me learn how big the distance is from America to India, and in turn, provided a foundation to the sacrifice these Asian Indian immigrants have committed as they came to America for a better life. Thus, they deserve to be given the appropriate counseling treatments that focus on their cultural values to help cope with the transition.
Annotated Bibliography
Chandra, R. M., Arora, L., Mehta, U. M., Asnaani, A., & Radhakrishnan, R. (2016). Asian Indians in America: The influence of values and culture on mental health. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 22, 202-209. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2015.09.011
The purpose of this review was to examine the influence of Asian Indian culture on mental health and the typical mental health problems of the population living in America. The literature also provided an overview of treatments to use on the Asian Indian population based on cultural considerations. The review seemed up to date with current findings about who in the population could be most affected as well as the mental health treatment considerations. The literature stated that marginalization, an aspect of acculturation in which individuals no longer claim ethnic identity nor adopt the identity of the locals in their new home, was one of the major causes of psychopathology in the Asian Indian population. In particular, the literature discussed acculturation implications for Asian Indian adolescents, elderly, and women who live in America either as a first- or second-generation individual. The literature emphasized the importance of a therapeutic alliance and discussed the use of various treatments to assist Asian Indians in mental health issues including cognitive behavior therapy and psychodynamic therapy. The authors concluded that they were able to provide an overview of empirical and clinical investigations of mental health in the Asian Indian American population. This review provides a framework of the effects of Asian Indian culture on mental health that will benefit counselors. Thus, I believe the review is relevant in providing essential information about how counselors can consider acculturation when encountering Asian Indian American clients.
Iwamoto, D. K., Negi, N. J., Partiali, R. N., & Creswell, J. W. (2013). The racial and ethnic identity formation process of second-generation Asian Indian Americans: A phenomenological study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 41(4), 224-239. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1912.2013.00038.x
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the effect of discrimination, parental, and community factors on racial and ethnic identity development in second-generation Asian Indian Americans. The literature began with the South Asian Identity Development Model framework, which included the five stages of Conformity, Dissonance, Resistance and Immersion, Introspection, and Synergistic Articulation and Awareness, that guided the study. This study is up to date since the study discusses that the framework is a basis of first-generation Asian Indian Americans and that the current study will build off of the framework to give insight into second-generation Asian Indian Americans. The sample consisted of twelve second-generation Asian Indian Americans with six females and six males whose ages ranged from 19 to 34 years old. The participants were interviewed about their values, racial/ethnic identity turning points, family and peer influences to development, and ethnic/racial preferences. Using the phenomenological approach, the authors concluded that racial and ethnic development is an ongoing process that continues to be influenced by discrimination, parents, reference groups, and community events. The study also showed that there could be additional stages in the South Asian Identity Development Model than just the original five stages. I would argue that the researchers could have used a bigger sample size to further validate conclusions and strengthen the additional stages of the model. Overall, this study is beneficial in providing a model that maps out ethnic and racial development of second-generation Asian Indian Americans.
Mann, S. K., Roberts, L. R., & Montgomery, S. (2017). Conflicting cultural values, gender role attitudes, and acculturation: Exploring the context of reproductive and mental health of Asian-Indian immigrant women in the US. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 38(4), 301-309. doi:10.1080/01612840.2017.1283376
The purpose of this study was to explore cultural values conflicts and gender role expectations between egalitarian and traditional views among Asian Indian immigrant women. The main discussion of this literature was the result of egalitarian versus traditional views on Asian Indian immigrant women’s acculturative, reproductive, and mental health variables. The study took place between 2013 and 2014 so it used a fairly recent framework to help understand the growing population of Asian Indian immigrant women. The sample consisted of 217 Sikh women who were all above the age of 18. The participants completed a survey that included items about attitudes toward women, acculturation, habits, interests, religion, patient health, and general anxiety. The authors concluded that women who lived in America for a longer period of time are more biculturally integrated and experienced less tension from cultural conflicts. Although, the authors overarching conclusion was that both Asian Indian immigrant women with either egalitarian views and traditional views experienced significant pressures and mental health consequences. The limitation with this study is that it focuses on Sikh Asian Indian women and, in turn, can result in a difficulty to generalize the results to all Asian Indian immigrant communities. I find this study very useful in providing information about the effects of acculturation in Asian Indian immigrant women’s mental health.
Methikalam, B., Wang, K. T., Slaney, R. B., & Yeung, J. G. (2015). Asian values, personal and family perfectionism, and mental health among Asian Indians in the United States. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 6(3), 223-232. doi:10.1037/aap0000023
The purpose of this study was to examine associations between personal and family perfectionism, Asian values, and mental health in Asian Indian Americans. More specifically, the main focus of this study was to explore perfectionism and its relationship with specific family expectations and cultural values such as collectivism. The literature seems up to date and follows a framework that is relevant to current ideologies of the Asian Indian culture found in America. The sample consisted of 174 Asian Indian Americans with an age range of 18 to 47 and two thirds being second-generation individuals. Participants completed an online survey that included items from the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, Family Almost Perfect Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and the Asian Values Scale. The authors concluded from the implications of the study that when working with Asian Indian individuals struggling with perfectionism, differentiation between having high standards and a tendency to never be satisfied will be helpful. This study provides significant information about the perfectionistic tendency of Asian Indian Americans that will be useful for counselors to not only understand their cultural ideologies but also how to work with individuals from the population. Therefore, I find this study beneficial to the understanding of Asian Indian culture in America and its impact on mental health of individuals in the population.
Nadimpalli, S. B., Kanaya, A. M., McDade, T. W., & Kandula, N. R. (2016). Self-reported discrimination and mental health among Asian Indians: Cultural beliefs and coping style as moderators. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 7(3), 185-194. doi:10.1037/aap0000037
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine associations between self-reported discrimination and mental health in the Asian Indian Americans. The literature started with a discussion on conservation of resources theory (COR), social support, and coping styles, and the relevance of those concepts to discrimination-related stress in South Asians. The study was conducted fairly recently with a framework that is relevant to current issues for the increasing Asian Indian population in America. The sample was of 906 South Asians between the ages of 40 to 84 years old with the majority of the sample being Asian Indians. Participants completed a survey that measured self-reported discrimination, mental health indicators, traditional cultural beliefs, and social support as well as covariates about background information like education and income. The study found that low levels of discrimination and mental distress were reported but the few reports of discrimination did impact mental health. The authors concluded that self-reported discrimination was positively related to depressive symptoms, anger, and anxiety. In addition, self-reported discrimination and mental health were found to be moderated by cultural beliefs and coping styles but not social support. This study provides information about the effects of discrimination of Asian Indians in America on mental health that can be used when providing the population counseling. I would take into the consideration that the sample was located in the urban areas of Chicago and San Francisco in which a duplicate study may not give the same results if conducted in less urban areas. Overall, I do find this study beneficial in giving concrete evidence that discrimination of Asian Indian culture can lead to negative mental health.
Rastogi, M. (2007). Coping with transitions in Asian Indian families systemic clinical interventions with immigrants. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 26(2), 55-67. doi:10.1521/jsyt.2007.26.2.55
This journal article discusses the culturally sensitive therapeutic methods based on collectivistic values that counselors can conduct to help Asian Indian families cope with their transition in the United States. This article is a little out of date by being more than ten years old, but the information is still relevant to the Asian Indian immigrant population today. The author discussed key Asian Indian cultural considerations for counseling including intergenerational family, collectivistic view of family, respect-based hierarchy, and effects of modernization. The article includes case studies on two Asian Indian immigrant families in which the key cultural considerations were acknowledged within the sessions. The first case study included an Asian Indian immigrant family that were having issues with extended family and the author discussed the importance of not emphasizing autonomy but instead showing the importance of existing family roles. The second case study again discussed an Asian Indian immigrant family that had family issues in which variations in family structure, value orientations, and potential for conflict were emphasized in the sessions. Both case studies provide concrete examples that Asian Indian immigrant families encounter, along with some recommended methods counselors can implement when working with such families. A limitation of this journal is that it does not provide a study in how these methods show improvement in Asian Indians engaged in the methods. Despite not having quantative or qualitative data, this journal article does provide significant information about Asian Indian immigrant issues, key cultural considerations, and potential methods counselors can use when working with clients from this group. Overall, I found this article beneficial in providing a framework about cultural differences between Asian Indian culture and American culture that will be useful in a counseling relationship with an Asian Indian individual.