AAPI Mental Health & Identity

Anxiety and depression is a common struggle, but within the AAPI community, only 23.3 percent actually seek help. We are excited you are joining us today to address the importance of mental health and identity in the New York City AAPI community.

Please be present throughout the entire program to be eligible to receive the care package at the end of the night. We will also be providing a mini-care package for you to give to a friend in need. We will ask you to write an encouraging letter, so please come prepared with that in mind!

Schedule

Welcome

Session 1: Asian & Asian-American Historical Experience

About the Speakers

Christoper M. Kwok

Christopher M. Kwok is a community organizer who has been active in issues surrounding anti-Asian violence and harassment. Mr. Kwok serves as the chair of the Anti-Asian Violence Task Force of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. He is also an adjunct professor at Hunter College/CUNY and Rutgers Newark Law School, where he teaches courses on the Asian American community.

Mr. Kwok received his BA from Cornell University with a major in government and a minor in Asian American studies. He earned his JD from UCLA Law School, where he was an editor of the Asian American Pacific Islander Law Journal. Previously, he served as the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) coordinator at the U.S. Equal Employment Commission in the New York District office.

Vivian Louie

Vivian Louie is a professor of urban policy and planning and the director of the Asian American Studies Center and Program at Hunter College. Dr. Louie has written two books, Compelled to Excel: Immigration, Education and Opportunity Among Chinese Americans (Stanford University Press) and Keeping the Immigrant Bargain: The Costs and Rewards of Success in America (Russell Sage Foundation), and is co editor/contributor of a third book, Writing Immigration: Scholars and Journalists in Dialogue (University of California Press). Dr. Louie’s current book focuses on Asian Americans in New York City and civic participation. Her research has been featured in the The New York Times, NPR, All Things Considered and the Leonard Lopate Show. She is a lead scholar for New York City’s Department of Education social studies curriculum resource about AAPI history and contemporary experience. Dr. Louie frequently comments on why we need Asian American studies and ethnic studies both in school and in out-of-school settings. She received her BA in history and literature from Harvard College, MA in communication from Stanford University and PhD in sociology from Yale University. She was previously an associate professor at Harvard University and program officer at the William T. Grant Foundation.

Small-group discussion questions

• How do you view your identity as an Asian-American, and how do you view the shared experiences with other Asian-Americans?
• How do current events in your country of origin and worldwide influence your view of yourself and your day-to-day life as an Asian-American?
• Are there any questions you would like to ask Chris and Vivian? If so, please text them to 631-982-9186.

Special thanks to RokStar Chicken, Spot Dessert Bar, Moshi and Whistle and Fizz for providing dinner!

Session 2: Mental Health

About the Speakers

Angel Wang

Angel Wang is the head of growth at Anise Health, where she leads partnerships, sales and community-building programs. She is passionate about empowering the Asian community to harness the strength of their holistic health. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Columbia University. Prior to Anise, she has worked at Meta, Twitter, TikTok, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Chief Digital Office and Gusto.

Anise Health is a culturally-responsive mental health platform built by and for the Asian community. It provides integrated therapy, coaching and curated digital resources for people of Asian descent located in California and New York, though soon expanding to several states. Anise also does clinician-led peer support circles, workshops, healing spaces, psychoeducational events and more. 

Yun Chen

Yun Chen is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York. He grew up in Shanghai, China, completed his undergraduate at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and earned his PhD in clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He collaborates regularly with Anise Health on mental health events. He is a father, husband, son, international student/scholar, therapist, supervisor, educator, social activist, YouTuber, ex-gamer and an ordinary human with strengths and weaknesses, like everybody else.

He works with individuals suffering from mental illnesses, helps them find compassion within themselves and guides them in the journey of exploring life meanings. Besides helping people in clinical settings, his passion is to promote AAPI and minority mental health on a global level. He collaborates with local and national organizations to deliver evidence-based psychosocial workshops, lectures, podcasts, etc. He leads a recurring support group for Chinese international students, coaching mental health skills and providing a safe space to process challenging study abroad experiences. He also educates and trains mental health practitioners overseas on evidence-based psychosocial interventions.

Charlene Wang

Charlene Wang grew up in Hong Kong and came to the United States as a foreign student for college and business school. She is retired from a 30-year career in equity institutional sales and investment management on Wall Street. Ms. Wang started at Redeemer Counseling after returning to graduate school for a master’s degree in mental health counseling. She has a particular interest in multicultural issues and working with the AAPI population, especially on identity and family struggles. She is a single mother of two daughters and a rescue dog, and loves traveling and classical music.

Resources

• Visit Anise Health for more information. For $25 off your first month of care, please use the discount code NEWMEMBER25.
• Visit Redeemer Counseling for more information. Please sign up at the registration desk if you’re interested in learning more.

Closing Remarks

Speakers

• Mark Lee, RokStar Chicken
• David Rong, Great Commission Bible Church
• Billy Kim, 180 Fellowship & NYCAAPIC

Care Packages