The High Suicide Rate of Asian Americans

According to popular opinion, Asian Americans are more likely to ace an SAT, work in a high-paying job, and stay married for life than Americans of most other ethnicities. Unfortunately, Asian Americans also have another not so wonderful distinction; they are much more likely than the average American to commit suicide. A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), points out that Asian Americans are more likely to commit suicide than American whites, blacks and Hispanics. The only ethnic group in the United States more likely to commit suicide than Asian Americans is Native Americans.

What can the high suicide rate of Asian Americans be attributed to? Although the reasons for the high suicide rate of Asian Americans is no doubt a complex problem, I believe that suicide is more common among Asian Americans than Americans as a whole for two primary reasons. First, Asian Americans are under pressure to perform. Second, Asian Americans are under pressure to conform.

Suicide of Asian Americans as a Result of Pressure to Perform

When I lived in India, I couldn't help but notice the number of children who were stressed out over their exams. I'm not only talking about teens who were about to head off to college, but rather children as young the age of six. Often the topic of conversation centered around their exams, and parents hired tutors and constantly pressed their children to study for their exams. The children themselves often expressed their anxiety about their exams. One child I recall who was particularly concerned about her exams was only eight.

The pressure to excel academically doesn't end when Asian families migrate to the United States. For Asian American children, grades are all important as well as other academic pursuits such as competing in spelling bees. Unfortunately, the pressure to perform doesn't end when Asian Americans graduate from college. The pressure to perform continues on in the area of what type of job they will get, who they will marry, and what other obvious signs of success they will display for all to see.

Many Asian Americans simply can't measure up to the expectations of their family and culture. After all, though there are plenty of smart Asian Americans, there are also some less than bright ones, too. Unfortunately, there appears to be no esteemed place in Asian American culture for their own people who perform in a less than stellar manner.

Suicide of Asian Americans as a Result of the Pressure to Conform

Asian Americans are also under a lot of pressure to conform. While America as a whole prides itself on being a nation of rugged individualist, Asian Americans are pressured to conform to the expectations and values of their family and culture as a whole. Opinions are usually formed not on the basis of what an individual thinks or desires, but rather on what has been determined by the group to be appropriate. This pressure to conform generally covers everything from how a person will dress, who he or she will associate with, what he may do for a living, where she will go to school, and often most importantly, who the person will marry.

To compound this problem, though the taste of freedom is all around the Asian American young person, she may feel frustrated that while she can see freedom all around her and almost taste it, it remains beyond her grasp. This can cause dissatisfaction among Asian Americans who see and desire greater freedom yet fail to obtain it for themselves.

Sadly, Asian Americans who fail to live up to the expectations of their family and culture in their ability or desire to perform or conform may feel they have no other option but to commit suicide. Naturally, this does not mean that most Asian Americans you know will commit suicide. It simply means that although Asian Americans may be more likely to excel in a spelling bee, they are also more likely to fail in the most important pursuit of all, life itself.

Perhaps it's time to release some of the pressure heaped on Asian Americans and remind them that the American dream includes the freedom of life, liberty, and yes, even the pursuit of happiness.

Sources:
http://include.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/IL02/103240006
Personal experience and interviews