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Anti-Asian Racial Violence and Coping with its Mental Health Impacts

Statement of Support for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community

 

Antiracism is not “not racist.” Antiracism is not silent nor inactive.
Antiracism is actively addressing issues of racism and promoting racial tolerance.

We at Tri-City Mental Health Authority deeply mourn the victims of the March 16th shootings in Atlanta, Georgia:

Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng

We offer our condolences and sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, and we see and acknowledge the pain, outrage, grief, fear and trauma our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) clients, staff, partners, and community members are feeling. We stand in solidarity with you and we are here for you.

As the mental health authority for the cities of Claremont, La Verne, and Pomona, addressing racism, social injustice, and advocating for equity is core to our purpose and mission. In January 2021, Tri-City’s Governing Board approved a proclamation acknowledging that racism is a public health crisis and recognizing the historic and ongoing harms of racial trauma. We reaffirm our commitment to action at all levels - from policy to practice - that uphold diversity, inclusion, and equity as foundational principles for organizational success, community healing, and as necessary components in outreach, engagement and treatment to overcome trauma and support resiliency.

As we progress in our evolution to become an antiracist behavioral health center of excellence, Tri-City will strive to promptly acknowledge racial inequity, speak out against racist-driven tragedies, and ensure that, both internally and externally, we are providing support, assistance and trauma-informed treatment, as needed and within our scope, to those who are targeted and are impacted.

The United States has a long, painful history of prejudice, systemic racism, sexism, xenophobia, violence and discrimination against many different communities. We are facing a racial pandemic, impacting the physical safety and mental well-being of so many individuals and families. Experiences with racial discrimination and the multigenerational impacts of trauma can have significant negative mental health outcomes. On behalf of Tri-City, we encourage our whole community to reflect on the myriad issues affecting AAPI and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, families, and communities. Even as we make daily progress towards emerging from COVID-19 restrictions, feelings of hope and positivity remain fleeting within communities of color due to ongoing and increasing acts of racial violence—both verbal and physical. The Atlanta massacre is yet another horrific reminder, one of many this past year, that we still have so much work to do to counter and actively condemn racism and prejudice in all its forms and manifestations. 

There can be no community well-being without all members of our community feeling respected, supported and protected. Tri-City Mental Health Authority, along with our Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee (CIDC) and Wellness Advisory Councils, are dedicated to listening to the needs of our communities and partners, educating ourselves, and working together to assure Tri-City remains a safe space for all to come and be supported. We will continue to work collectively with our staff, advisory councils and community members to ensure that our policies, trainings, outreach, treatment services, education and advocacy efforts are aligned with our mission to eliminate health disparities for all communities in Claremont, La Verne and Pomona.

We are here to support our community members in our three cities who are experiencing emotional distress, daily fears about their safety and well-being, and the psychological impacts of racism. Call our 24/7 Supplemental Crisis Line at 1-866-623-9500 to be connected to support. Visit us online at www.tricitymhs.org and @TriCityMHS on social media.

The following is a developing list of resources to support AAPI communities and anti-racism efforts. If you have other relevant resources that you wish to share, please email us at cidc@tricitymhs.org.

Stop AAPI Hate Resources

 

Anti Racism Resources