industry & reform
Broad strokes
‘ Simplistic ’ labels ignore differences , difficulties students from Asian backgrounds experience .
By Wade Zaglas
Fresh research from a joint study between Youth19 and the University of Auckland has shown that the overarching label of “ Asian ” hides students ’ very different experiences at high school , especially in the ways they deal with mental distress .
Associate Professor at the University of Auckland Roshini Peiris-John said reducing a group down to a single category often happens in health and governmental studies .
To discover more about this heterogeneous cohort of students , Youth19 ’ s latest Youth2000 survey asked more than 7,000 students questions ranging from their family situations to sexual activity .
Almost a quarter – or 2000 – of the students identified as Asian , which “ captures everyone from Afghanistan in the west to Japan in the east and from China in the north to Indonesia in the south . It also covers everyone from new arrivals to those who have multigenerational ties to New Zealand .”
Along with ethnic identity , the new data also showed that students from many South Asian countries , including India , Pakistan , Afghanistan , Bhutan , Maldives , and Bangladesh experience higher rates of poverty , with 15 per cent stating their parents always worry about money and food .
Conversely , students from East Asian Countries , comprising China , Japan and east and west Indonesia are less likely to express such concerns .
The study also found an important distinction between the mental health needs of East Asian students compared with their South Asian counterparts , with roughly a third of the former experiencing “ significant depressive symptoms ”. Compounding these problems is their reluctance to access healthcare ( 73 per cent ) and a high proportion of untreated health care needs ( 21 per cent ).
“ Getting away from that overly broad ‘ Asian ’ label opens up opportunities for targeted interventions ,” says Dr Peiris- John , co-director of the Centre for Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research and Evaluation ( CAHRE ) at the University of Auckland and lead author of the report .
The biggest problem for young people today is “ feeling like they have to fit into the image that society wants us to be like , e . g ., skinny , pretty , have the best phone or have a boyfriend ,” a 15-year-old Pakistani female respondent said .
But for a 15-year-old Chinese participant “ anxiety and depression , not having someone to talk to and being afraid to speak about it ” was her biggest concern .
OTHER FINDINGS Data from the Youth19 survey also highlighted that more East Asian boys ( 22 per cent ) than South Asian boys ( 11 per cent ) experienced symptoms of significant depression . Peiris-John is similarly concerned about what the study revealed about suicide .
For instance , one-in-four ( 26 %) Asian girls ( and 16 % of Asian boys ) said they had seriously thought about killing themselves in the previous 12 months ; this compares to 23 per cent of European girls and 15 per cent of European boys .
“ Asian students often experience pressure to uphold the perception that they are successful , accomplished and resilient . Even
Asian students often experience pressure to uphold the perception that they are successful , accomplished and resilient .
worse , mental health issues are often hidden , as the stereotype also acts as a barrier to accessing support ,” Peiris-John says .
Students consisting of all Asian groups reported high rates of racism , discrimination and safety concerns at school .
• One-in-four said they were treated unfairly by a teacher because of their ethnicity ( compared to 14 % of Pakeha and other European students ).
• 10 % said they were bullied in school because of their ethnicity or religion ( compared to 3 % of Pakeha and other European students ).
• 5 % said they were treated unfairly by a health professional because of their ethnicity ( compared to 3 % of Pakeha and other European students ).
• 45 % felt unsafe in their neighbourhood ( compared to 39 % of Pakeha and other European students ). A 14-year old Sri Lankan student involved in the study said the biggest challenge for young people like her was “ to go out and show their religion in public without getting hurt ”.
“ Not having to hear racism as ‘ banter ’ and having to put on a face to adapt and go along with it would make school life better ,” a 17-year-old Asian boy said .
“ Experience of discrimination and racism is known to be an underlying cause for poorer health outcomes , reduced access to health care , and ethnic health inequities ,” Peiris-John emphasised .
The authors of the report suggest measures including :
• disaggregating data for specific Asian ethnic groups in youth health studies
• addressing racism and discrimination experienced by young people of all Asian groups
• creating safe and inclusive physical and social spaces in schools , communities , and health care settings for all young people
• improving access to health care , avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach , and
• addressing the invisibility of Asian health in national strategies and planning . ■
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