Embracing a queer identity while being part of the Vietnamese diaspora presents significant challenges. However, when there is acceptance from family, the road to self-expression and an emotionally healthy life is within reach.
Mental health
When both her children came out as queer, Janice Lee struggled initially to accept, but it didn’t take her long to come to terms with it. She read a lot and made the effort to learn about sexuality and gender identities. In many Asian households, changes are taking place, as parents challenge long-standing patterns of shame and silence around LGBTQ+ identity.
Mental health programs may soon be out of reach for many undocumented immigrants, as funding cuts threaten access to them.
Although California has banned suspensions for “willful defiance” in grades K-12, both Elk Grove Unified and Sacramento City Unified school districts continued to suspend students for defiance during the 2023-24 school year, according to an OBSERVER analysis. The issue has gained new relevance as federal policies under the Trump administration threaten funding for schools that implement equity-based discipline practices.
With escalating immigration enforcement activity in Los Angeles, undocumented immigrants are choosing to avoid public spaces for fear of encountering enforcement agents. This fear has extended to healthcare clinics where doctors are reporting that patients are canceling their appointments or not showing up for them.
The Latino Legislative Caucus has proposed legislation to protect the immigrant community in California, including two key bills focused on healthcare settings.
These measures are designed to take immediate effect if signed into law.
The increasing number of Immigration raids have sown fear in the migrant community. Many like Alicia Romo are afraid to step out of their homes for fear of encountering enforcement agents.
G.H, a 51 year old immigrant applying for legal status, fears that the coming healthcare policy changes might impact her ability to afford the medical care she needs. California, facing its own budget crisis, has already scaled back parts of its Medi-Cal expansion program, and along with the federal spending bill, people like G.H. might find themselves excluded from getting basic healthcare needs met.
With much misinformation prevailing across immigrant communities about autism, Vietnamese parents raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder face a number of significant challenges rooted in cultural beliefs, social stigma, and limited access to resources and services.
For many Asian immigrant women, a combination of career opportunities, immigration anxieties, and the loss of nearby family support is reshaping how and when they choose to pursue childbirth— sometimes with irreversible consequences.