WAVES – Wellness. Advocacy. Voices. Education. Support.
Vision
- A Supportive and Engaging Community that Fosters Healthy and Holistic Development of Our AAPI Youths
Mission
- Raise awareness of the mental health challenges that young Asian Americans face due to familial, cultural, and societal factors
- Develop community support and resources to improve youth mental health
- Promote cultural sensitivity in psychological well-being and interventions
- Encourage civic engagement in public policies to address mental health issues
Who We Are
Our founding in 2016 was motivated by the huge unmet mental health needs in the Chinese and Asian American communities. Since then, many passionate volunteers, including some mental health professionals, have joined us and work tirelessly to deliver educational and support programs in the community, conduct research, and advocate for policy and resources. We are in this race together to reduce suffering and save lives.
Our youth often suffer silently with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The cultural gaps between immigrant parents and U.S.-born children lead to social isolation, identity issues and sky-high expectations. Adding to the list of challenges are low mental health literacy, wide-spread stigma against mental illness, and lack of language-adaptive and culturally sensitive mental health services – these are only some of the barriers that stand in the way of getting help.
In response, we as a collaborative community are here to empower our families, stand in solidarity and work towards Wellness, Advocacy, Voices, Education, and Support (WAVES). While our work has made positive impacts and been widely recognized, there remains much to be done as our communities are still underserved and hurting. Please see our Programs page for more information about our current initiatives.
