Responses to my letter about the Virginia Tech Murders

Today I received several emails from across the country, thanking me for writing the above letter about Asian American mental health. 2 of them were from Asian American women with mental illnesses. One of them Korean Am. She told me she was very touched by my article and knew exactly what I was talking about. It's such a Korean thing that I often wonder if non-Asians can comprehend what I'm talking about because I doubt the power of words to convey the emotional reality of culture. Well anyways, she went through a period of depression and suicidal thinking and her parents and friends gave up on her. She said that the thinking is the "Asian mentality" and it's difficult to do anything about it.

I had sent the email to a yahoo activists group; and apparently, it was sent all over the U.S. because I got emails from chiefs of mental health organizations in Hawaii. Someone from the Indiana government asked me if she could send my email to policymakers in her state. I marvel at the speed of communication with the internet. If only we could harness it more for social movements of the people.