Comments on: Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/ brain barf... yum! Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:31:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: 8Asians.com » Asian American Mental Health Services http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115692 8Asians.com » Asian American Mental Health Services Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:43:21 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115692 [...] Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women from 8Asians.com [...] [...] Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women from 8Asians.com [...]

]]> By: 8 Asians » Push to achieve tied to… deception? http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115691 8 Asians » Push to achieve tied to… deception? Sat, 26 May 2007 22:17:25 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115691 [...] For some, this “push to achieve is also often cited as a factor in suicide“, although other factors may also be involved in these situations. [...] [...] For some, this “push to achieve is also often cited as a factor in suicide“, although other factors may also be involved in these situations. [...]

]]> By: jennifer http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115690 jennifer Sat, 26 May 2007 14:00:52 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115690 this is a serious issue. a korean female student at manhattan school of music (a few years ago) jumped off the 6th floor because she broke up with her boyfriend. when i asked some students from korea why they think she may have killed herself; they actually cited korean dramas! that perhaps the korean girl thought that it would make a dramatic, tragic statement...which i found appalling. the last few suicides at columbia, apparently, have been korean females as well. (this is from word of mouth so i'm not sure how true that last statement is). this is a serious issue. a korean female student at manhattan school of music (a few years ago) jumped off the 6th floor because she broke up with her boyfriend.

when i asked some students from korea why they think she may have killed herself; they actually cited korean dramas! that perhaps the korean girl thought that it would make a dramatic, tragic statement…which i found appalling.

the last few suicides at columbia, apparently, have been korean females as well. (this is from word of mouth so i’m not sure how true that last statement is).

]]> By: Xxxtine http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115689 Xxxtine Fri, 18 May 2007 00:46:55 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115689 As mentioned in the post and in the comments, the push to success is one of many seemingly unrelated reasons as to why someone would want to end their life. I think a good portion has to do with self-esteem as very rarely - especially with women - is never really nurtured especially when we're competing against one another. Women process information very personally and the smallest criticism can totally be blown out of proportion. I remember when I was going through such a difficult phase that I kept on thinking that my problems are nothing compared to other people's problems and that I shouldn't burden anyone with mine. - And I think that's the BIGGER issue in the Asian culture where people don't want to become a burden - so they just end it, not knowing that they weren't a burden in the first place and someone was always there willing to support and help them through it. As mentioned in the post and in the comments, the push to success is one of many seemingly unrelated reasons as to why someone would want to end their life. I think a good portion has to do with self-esteem as very rarely – especially with women – is never really nurtured especially when we’re competing against one another. Women process information very personally and the smallest criticism can totally be blown out of proportion.
I remember when I was going through such a difficult phase that I kept on thinking that my problems are nothing compared to other people’s problems and that I shouldn’t burden anyone with mine. – And I think that’s the BIGGER issue in the Asian culture where people don’t want to become a burden – so they just end it, not knowing that they weren’t a burden in the first place and someone was always there willing to support and help them through it.

]]> By: J. Peter Siriprakorn http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115688 J. Peter Siriprakorn Thu, 17 May 2007 19:25:30 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115688 i tend to think the pressure to overachieve (a pressure which has certainly reached ridonkulous degrees all across the racial board) hits the asian american community particularly hard precisely because it occurs in a vacuum. there is such little communication internally and such a weak internal support network that the pressure is in many ways more acute because it is unmediated by the presence of a public, by a certain public-ness. in mainstream white culture for example, there is at least a public perception of the ivy league grooming rituals behind the scenes -- the scheduling of every moment of a child's time, for example, the micromanaging of a child's daily routine, has been thoroughly played out on popular t.v. dramas/sitcoms, after school specials. in short, those popular dramatizations have permeated our consciousness of ourselves and our social world. there's a public awareness of the ways of regulating the pressure, and a form of community that that has surfaced through attachment to such shared practices. the asian american community on the other hand tends to be much more insular, more isolated. our practices happen behind closed doors, largely barring new modes of connectedness, social identification, empathy – things which might make the pressure-cooker less likely to burst. I guess what i'm trying to say is that in mainstream white culture the micromanaging of a child's time can become a mode of identification with a larger social body -- and it seems to me that that vague sense of community is something the asian american 'community' (if one can even call it that, because it's not like there's much to make us cohere. not like we have any sort of recognizable political identity) is sorely in need of. It’s certainly not a cure, but the more we can earn these issues a place in the social semiotic (because the model minority stereotype so deeply informs our sense of what an Asian American identity should or should not be, it always casts a shadow whether we legitimate it or not), the less damage there will be overall. i tend to think the pressure to overachieve (a pressure which has certainly reached ridonkulous degrees all across the racial board) hits the asian american community particularly hard precisely because it occurs in a vacuum. there is such little communication internally and such a weak internal support network that the pressure is in many ways more acute because it is unmediated by the presence of a public, by a certain public-ness.

in mainstream white culture for example, there is at least a public perception of the ivy league grooming rituals behind the scenes — the scheduling of every moment of a child’s time, for example, the micromanaging of a child’s daily routine, has been thoroughly played out on popular t.v. dramas/sitcoms, after school specials. in short, those popular dramatizations have permeated our consciousness of ourselves and our social world. there’s a public awareness of the ways of regulating the pressure, and a form of community that that has surfaced through attachment to such shared practices. the asian american community on the other hand tends to be much more insular, more isolated. our practices happen behind closed doors, largely barring new modes of connectedness, social identification, empathy – things which might make the pressure-cooker less likely to burst.

I guess what i’m trying to say is that in mainstream white culture the micromanaging of a child’s time can become a mode of identification with a larger social body — and it seems to me that that vague sense of community is something the asian american ‘community’ (if one can even call it that, because it’s not like there’s much to make us cohere. not like we have any sort of recognizable political identity) is sorely in need of. It’s certainly not a cure, but the more we can earn these issues a place in the social semiotic (because the model minority stereotype so deeply informs our sense of what an Asian American identity should or should not be, it always casts a shadow whether we legitimate it or not), the less damage there will be overall.

]]> By: jozjozjoz http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115687 jozjozjoz Thu, 17 May 2007 16:58:25 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115687 Linda, Thanks for your comment. I appreciate the insight about Jennifer. Were there any other sources of coverage that provided a more holistic picture of her? Linda,

Thanks for your comment. I appreciate the insight about Jennifer. Were there any other sources of coverage that provided a more holistic picture of her?

]]> By: linda http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115686 linda Thu, 17 May 2007 09:55:35 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115686 hi there. i actually came by this blog through reading littleyellowdifferent. incidentally, jennifer tse was a friend of mine, and i thought i might mention that the cal aggie really distorted her death when implying that pressure to succeed led to her suicide. hi there. i actually came by this blog through reading littleyellowdifferent. incidentally, jennifer tse was a friend of mine, and i thought i might mention that the cal aggie really distorted her death when implying that pressure to succeed led to her suicide.

]]> By: jozjozjoz http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115685 jozjozjoz Wed, 16 May 2007 21:14:01 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115685 Yoko, thanks for sharing. I can relate to your experience more than you can imagine! Yoko, thanks for sharing.

I can relate to your experience more than you can imagine!

]]> By: yoko http://www.jozjozjoz.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women-2/comment-page-1/#comment-115684 yoko Wed, 16 May 2007 20:44:56 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2007/05/16/push-to-achieve-tied-to-suicide-in-asian-american-women/#comment-115684 Interesting article. From my experience: I was 13 when I first thought of suicide. I was under considerable pressure from my dad to do well in school-- I was chastised for bringing home Bs on my report card. I was also yelled at for not wanting to go to my prom. I felt like a failure, even if I wasn't. When I went to college, I totally acted out my first year-- I drank a lot, did some reckless things. My second year proved to be harder for me academically, and again I fell into depression. I finally decided to get help and see a psychiatrist on campus. My father was upset that I did that, telling me that I was weak and I shouldn't be telling personal things to a complete stranger. But I stood my ground, and I kept going to therapy. It was one of the best things I've ever done. I'm in my 30s now. I have mild depression, but I've learned to manage it. My relationship with my father is much better now that we're both older and mellower. Interesting article.
From my experience: I was 13 when I first thought of suicide. I was under considerable pressure from my dad to do well in school– I was chastised for bringing home Bs on my report card. I was also yelled at for not wanting to go to my prom. I felt like a failure, even if I wasn’t.

When I went to college, I totally acted out my first year– I drank a lot, did some reckless things. My second year proved to be harder for me academically, and again I fell into depression. I finally decided to get help and see a psychiatrist on campus.

My father was upset that I did that, telling me that I was weak and I shouldn’t be telling personal things to a complete stranger. But I stood my ground, and I kept going to therapy. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

I’m in my 30s now. I have mild depression, but I’ve learned to manage it. My relationship with my father is much better now that we’re both older and mellower.

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