Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
This Asian Heritage Month, we at AAOP are thinking a lot about wellness: the wellness of youth and young Asian individuals, and the wellness of our Asian communities. We see this month as a time to celebrate our rich Asian American histories, and also as an important moment to think about how we can build brighter and fairer futures for our communities.
Wellness is a huge part of that. When we are well, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, that is when we can be our boldest and best selves. For young Asian folks, wellness has often been framed as a privilege we don’t have access to, when in fact it is a right we should demand.
Systems and structures built on foundations of white supremacy have long denied Asian folks opportunities to cultivate wellness. That’s why when we devote time to developing personal wellness, we aren’t just making a valuable personal commitment, we are engaging in a joyful act of self and historical liberation.
There is a bitter irony in how limited Asian folks’ access to wellness practices has been, since so much of mainstream wellness culture is taken directly from Asian heritage traditions. Meditation, acupuncture, yoga: these are all Asian cultural practices of wellness. What we’ve seen over decades is that Western consumer culture has stuck its claws in these beautiful heritage practices, engaging in mass appropriation, stripping these practices of their cultural roots and meanings, and distancing wellness traditions from their Asian heritage status and the very communities that created them.
Reclaiming these Asian heritage wellness traditions is one way we can seek wellness. But while some folks’ path to wellness may be via normalized wellness practices like yoga or meditation, others may want to seek out more unique tools of wellness.
Wellness isn’t about doing one particular thing that will miraculously make you a centered and healthy person. It’s about listening to your body and mind and what they are telling you about what makes you feel strong and empowered. When seeking wellness, we can turn to our Asian heritage for guidance, to our loved ones for support, and to our communities for solidarity. But most of all, we must look to and trust in ourselves. When you choose to value yourself enough to ask for what you need and go after what makes you whole, then you have taken the most important step on the path towards wellness.
It’s been a difficult couple of months, with the murders of 8 individuals in an Atlanta shooting — 6 of whom were Asian women, the continuing rise of violence against our Asian communities, the murders of Daunte Wright and Ma’Khia Bryant, and the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trials. All of this, amidst a pandemic.
As part of our ongoing efforts to support the wellness of youth and young Asian folks, AAOP is proud to present “We Care for Us”, a workshop series aiming to provide a space for youth and young folks to process these events happening in Minnesota and beyond. It will also provide historical context and allow participants to begin a conversation on how we move forward. To learn more and register, please visit bit.ly/wecare4usheal
Sources
Ku, Sara, “I Wish People Supported the Asian Community the Way They Do Our Wellness Practices”, Well + Good, 25 Mar. 2021, https://www.wellandgood.com/support-asian-wellness-practices/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.
Stefanutti, Emma, “Asian health practices whitewashed by Western wellness industry”, Bearing News, 24 Feb. 2021, http://rbhs.bearingnews.org/2021/02/asian-health-practices-whitewashed-by-western-wellness-industry/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.