Intergenerational Trauma in AAPI Communities

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma is the passing down of trauma from one generation to another. This can happen through direct transmission, such as when a parent passes on their trauma to their children, or through indirect transmission, such as when a child witnesses or experiences the trauma of their parents or grandparents. It is a common phenomenon among the AAPI population due to a history of adverse experiences such as genocide, racism, and sexual abuse, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These experiences can increase the risk of mental illness, physical health complaints, and early death.

How Intergenerational Trauma Shows Up in the AAPI Community

Intergenerational trauma can manifest in various ways, including:

• Mood dysregulation
• Hypervigilance
• Impaired quality of life
• Intrusive thoughts or nightmares
• Emotional dysregulation
• Difficulty identifying and expressing emotions
• Perpetuation of the "model minority" stereotype
• Physical diseases such as Type 2 diabetes

Why Intergenerational Trauma Is Prevalent in the AAPI Community

1. Historical Atrocities:

Subgroups within the AAPI community have experienced various historical sources of large-scale adversity. For example, the Chinese community was subjected to the Chinese exclusion acts, Japanese Americans were interned during World War II, and many other groups have experienced genocide, war, and displacement. These events can lead to PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

2. Ongoing Racism:

AAPI individuals face ongoing experiences of racism, microaggressions, macroaggressions, discrimination, and racist bias in the media, which can contribute to complex PTSD and race-based traumatic stress.

Treatment

• Trauma-informed therapeutic treatment can effectively mitigate the effects of intergenerational trauma by accounting for clients’ trauma and taking precautions to avoid triggering clients.

• Mental health professionals help heal ingrained patterns of dysfunctional behavior and equip clients with coping skills to manage their specific symptoms.

• Seeking support to reduce stigma and address the effects of intergenerational trauma, so ultimately physical, mental, and emotional wellness can be restored for those impacted.

Ways To Cope

• Allow yourself to grieve lost oral histories and years of adolescence lost trying to fit into mainstream culture.

• Find others with these shared experiences of intergenerational trauma, exchange stories, and build solidarity in shared experiences.

• View emotional healing as akin to healing a physical wound or injury, acknowledging that the pain of revisiting and working through traumas may feel challenging initially but has the potential for growth and improved quality of life with time and commitment.

Conclusion

Mental health issues are not a sign of weakness, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. Numerous mental health resources are available for Asian Americans and Pacific Islander, such as the Asian Mental Health Collective and Asian for Mental Health, which provide comprehensive directories of AAPI mental health professionals in the U.S. and Canada.