After the Flames: Mental Health Resources Are Available, But Chinese Immigrants May Miss Out
The story was co-published with World Journal as part of the 2025 Ethnic Media Collaborative, Healing California.
Photo taken by Lili’s neighbor after the fire.
Courtesy Lili M.
"Sometimes, when I’m driving, tears just start flowing out of nowhere," said Lili M., reflecting on her recent days as one of the thousands who lost their homes in the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, among the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California History.
The flames from the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed tens of thousands of acres and thousands of structures, with total damage and economic losses estimated to range between $250 billion and $275 billion.
While people focus on the concrete challenges of evacuation, relocation, and rebuilding after a fire, the psychological impact after a fire often goes unnoticed. And for Chinese immigrants who may have spent years building their dream homes, the emotional devastation may run deep, especially if there’s a lack of awareness around mental health issues.
Immigrants are more vulnerable to disaster-related health issues and recovery than mainstream populations, according to a systematic review, which shows persistent psychological distress, anxiety, depression, psychiatric problems, and PTSD in immigrant communities, often worsening over time.
Lost in A Single Night
Chinese immigrants Lili and her husband, who came to the United States 22 years ago, had settled in their home in Altadena for just over a year, when the Los Angeles fires happened. In a single night, they lost their home and possessions.
On January 7, the Santa Ana winds, a familiar force in Southern California, were far more erratic and unpredictable than usual. The constantly shifting winds fueled the Palisades and Eaton Fires, tearing through nearly 58,000 acres, killing at least 29 people and destroying more than 16,000 structures.
"It feels so unreal. Just yesterday, everything was fine, and now everything is gone," Lili said, explaining the loss she felt when looking at the fire’s destruction the day after evacuating. “, The evacuation just felt like a temporary escape; I grabbed a few clothes, and my husband barely took anything—only his computer.”
Lili came back to look at the loss of her home
Courtesy Lili M.
Later, that evening, Lili and her husband tried to return home to gather more necessities, but they were shocked by the scene before them. Lili recalled, "It was like hell on earth—the houses were burning, and sparks were floating all over in the air. "She felt like it was all over.
The remains of a car and house in Altadena.
Jian Zhao/World Journal
Lili and her husband tried to go back home but were stopped by the fire.
Courtesy Lili M
The remains of a house in Altadena.
Jian Zhao/World Journal
The remains of a house in Altadena.
Jian Zhao/World Journal
The remains of the century-old Altadena Community Church in Altadena.
Jian Zhao/World Journal
The next noon, Lili received a photo from a neighbor. "It was a sea of ashes, like a post-war scene. At first, I didn’t recognize it as my home, but after seeing my neighbor’s message, 'I’m sorry,' I knew it was."
With the three trees by the door and the remains of a rocking chair between trees, Lili was able to recognize her home.
According to a UCLA report, nearly 50,000 Asian Americans reside within the Los Angeles County evacuation zones during the January 2025 wildfires, with over 12,000 needing language assistance due to limited English proficiency. In the evacuation zones, Chinese is one of the most commonly spoken Asian language
"In the beginning, I was in complete shock, feeling tense, knowing that I had lost everything. Then came the financial pressures—finding a place to stay, buying necessities, starting life over..." Lili and her husband didn’t know of any emergency relief available, such as resources provided by the Red Cross, FEMA and local nonprofits and churches. So the first thing they did was to go to Target to buy clothes.
Luckily, they found an Airbnb for a temporary stay. Later, they looked for a long-term rental, gathered supplies, dealt with their insurance company, bank, applications, and forms and other more immediate needs..
Though tears sometimes came unexpectedly, Lili said there was just too much to handle, and she didn’t have energy to sort through those feelings.
Navigating the Emotional Aftermath
Lili’s husband, on the other hand, remained surprisingly calm. Lili said that after the fire, he continued to work every day and even turned down the time off his company offered. “He told me to move on, not to look back, and not to let my emotions control me.”
”Disaster survival can be a life-changing experience. but for most of them, they don't see themselves as needing mental health care until they do," said Marleen Wong, Professor Emerita of Mental Health at USC, during a panel hosted by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, on mental health access for California's diverse communities.
“And it's about cumulative stress. It's like a truck that has too many heavy loads, huge boxes, and each one gets loaded on top of the other until the vehicle fails. And then you can't move forward.”
“The recovery process can take years,” Wong emphasized, noting that it would lead to deeper struggles, such as questioning the meaning of life or experiencing a crisis of faith.
When Wong discussed the phases of the disaster, she explained, “Right now with the L.A. wildfires, we're in the honeymoon phase, and everyone is giving all they can. Then comes disillusionment. People start asking for accountability—Where were the fire trucks? Where was the water in Pacific Palisades? After that, there’s a period of working through the grief, and that is a number of events. It'll take three years, four years, five years.”
Marleen Wong's different phases of disaster
Wong added that people need to accept help so that each heavy burden, each box, can be lifted, and they can receive support from others. They can't do it alone.
Beyond Physical Damage
"Some people left their homes on January 7th. The clothes they’re wearing are the ones they left in, and all their documents and bank cards were burned in the fire… One elderly woman, who weighs around 300 pounds, lost her car and wheelchair and was left with nothing. All she had was a borrowed cane," shared social worker Cihui Zeng, who is the CEO of Tzu Chi USA, which partnered with the Red Cross and was among the first to engage with disaster victims, distributing gift cards and emergency supplies to those affected.
“At the shelters, some survivors have nightmares and cry for several nights. Others become more agitated, speaking sharply, sometimes even throwing things. Some people refuse to leave the shelter,” Cihui Zeng shared,"The mental, physical, and emotional toll is unimaginable."
"There are also some people who are clearly in need of help, but they have a strong sense of distrust and refuse assistance. They just keep rushing, saying, 'I don’t have time, I need to go to FEMA to apply, I need to stand in line...' This is a manifestation of post-disaster trauma. Out of fear, they are trying to secure a space, seeking a sense of security."
A disaster relief event held on January 25 at the Tzu Chi El Monte Service Center, providing gift cards and emergency supplies to fire victims.
Jian Zhao/World Journal
Losing one's home, belongings, and community, along with the threat to personal safety and the safety of loved ones, can have a major impact on survivors' mental health. Studies show higher rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which can last for years after.
“After a disaster, some people may experience emotions similar to grief and loss,” Yi Zhang, a therapist working for Chinatown Service Center, a non-profit serving the Chinese community, says, mourning the fact that their past memories and lives are gone and will never return. Such mourning doesn’t necessarily only relate to the loss of loved ones, friends, or pets; significant life changes can also trigger feelings of mourning.
Lili repeatedly mentioned that she felt guilty toward her son. "My son was born in the U.S. His entire record of growing up is gone. His trophies, the notebook recorded important moments, the signed water balls he collected,Boy Scout badges..." Lili's son, an undergraduate student in New York, returned home for the winter break to celebrate the holiday but ended up witnessing his home turn to ashes.
Lili said that the day after the fire, during lunch, her son suddenly broke down, saying, "There are so many books my grandfathers gave me that I haven’t read yet." "He shed just a few tears, but quickly held them back. I could feel he was thinking about us, worried we would be affected."
After the fire, Lili said she hadn’t had a real conversation with her son about what happened. “I was exhausted—applying for aid, searching for a place to live, while my son took charge of cooking and household errands.”
Before her son returned to school, Lili reached out to his classmates secretly, hoping they would check in on him.
As for herself, she now poured all her energy into rebuilding, leaving no time for her own emotions—and she has no idea how long it will take.
“I still haven’t had a good, deep cry,” she said. “Maybe my emotions just haven’t fully come out yet.”
The American Psychiatric Association has established diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Zhang suggests that, more intuitively, if a person notices significant changes in their emotions—such as depression, anxiety, or anger—or noticeable shifts in their physical health, like sleep patterns, appetite, or weight, these may indicate a need for help in adjusting.
"I think one thing that’s often overlooked is the mind-body connection—the close relationship between physical and mental health. For conditions like depression, many of the symptoms are actually physical changes.
A fire victim prays in front of the Blessing Wall set up by Tzu Chi at a disaster relief event held on January 25 at the Tzu Chi El Monte Service Center.
Jian Zhao/World Journal
Barriers To Get Help
"Although the U.S. disaster relief system is well-considered and supported by many departments, what the Chinese community currently needs most is knowing how to access and use these resources,"Wu observed. After the wildfires, UCLA published a report urging attention to language needs for Asian Americans.
“Language is an important communication tool, and there is also a need for understanding of cultural backgrounds.”
According to Wu’s observations, some Asians are hesitant to share the challenges they face. They tend to show emotions only to their families and are reluctant to open up to outsiders. This helps explain the strong demand for emotional support services, even though the data on this need remains limited.
Even when language is not a barrier, mental health counselors from different ethnic groups who interact with Chinese victims who speak English may still struggle to assess their needs due to cultural differences, said Wu.
"To understand, you need the ability and time to listen, and through listening, assess the needs of the disaster victims," Wu added, ”Then the shortage of personnel becomes evident.”
According to a KFF survey, adults of color disproportionately report additional challenges, such as finding a provider who understands their background and experiences, a lack of information, or stigma and embarrassment when facing barriers to mental health care. Among all ethnic groups, Asian adults (55%) report the greatest difficulty in finding a provider who can understand their background and experiences.
City and State Government Efforts in Recovery
Since the firestorms broke out, recovery for the burned areas and affected families has been the top priority in California. Governor Newsom has signed more than 15 executive orders in a month, including ones to cut red tape for faster rebuilding, offer tax and mortgage relief, speed up temporary housing, protect tenants, prevent price gouging, and allocate over $2.5 billion for emergency response and recovery.
California Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara, issued a bulletin on January 23 ordering insurance companies to provide advance payments on claims once a state of emergency has been declared and a property is determined to be a total loss.. These include funds for replacing personal property or contents up to $250,000, as well as an advance payment of no less than four months' worth of living expenses. The online tool has been set up to track insurance payments of the fires. The site indicates that as of Feb 5, about 33,700 claims were filed, out of which 19,800 claims were partially paid, or about 58 percent of the total claims.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a Public Health Advisory to residents near the burn areas, highlighting the dangers of fire debris for individuals living within 250 yards of a burned structure.
Residents in these areas may face an increased risk of exposure to hazardous substances from ash, soot, and fire debris cleanup is complete, which could lead to health issues.
This project was supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, and is part of "Healing California," a yearlong reporting Ethnic Media Collaborative venture with print, digital, podcast and broadcast outlets across California.
Recovery Resources
FEMA
- 800-621-3362(interpretation available)
Red Cross Disaster Relief Assistance
- (800) 675-5799
Los Angeles County Emergency Resources
California Wildfire Resources
LA County Public Health Wildfire Safety and Health Page
Legal Resources
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)
- 323-801-7912(Cantonese/Mandarin)
Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL)
- 800-520-2356(Cantonese/Mandarin)
California State Bar Complaint Hotline
- 800-843-9053
Rebuild Resources
Free Debris Removal
- 213-308-8305
Rebuilding Permit Application
California Department of Insurance Consumer Hotline 800-927-4357
Key Deadlines to Apply By
- LA Region Small Business Relief Fund — March 2, 2025
- LA Region Worker Relief Fund — March 2, 2025
- FEMA Financial Assistance — March 10, 2025
- SBA Disaster Loans for Physical Dama
