Reps. Chu, Tokuda, Strickland, Matsui, and Sen. Hirono Introduce AANHPI Mental Health Day Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Senator Mazie K. Hirono (HI), introduced a resolution recognizing May 10^th as National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Mental Health Day.

Between 2018 and 2024, AANHPI youth ages 15 to 24 in the United States were the only racial or ethnic group in this age category whose leading cause of death was suicide. This devastating crisis is made worse by longstanding barriers to mental health care, including the high cost of health care, low mental health literacy, language access challenges, and cultural stigma that too often discourages individuals from seeking help.

The National AANHPI Mental Health Day resolution recognizes the critical importance of mental health to the well-being of AANHPI families and communities and raises awareness to break down the stigma that too often prevents individuals from seeking care. The also encourages health agencies to adopt policies that improve access to and utilization of mental health services for the AANHPI community, as well as other marginalized communities.

"For far too long, our AANHPI community has suffered in silence while facing some of the lowest rates of mental health service utilization of any racial or ethnic group in the country. Language barriers, cultural stigma, a lack of culturally competent care, and insufficient disaggregated data have all contributed to this crisis and left far too many people without the support they need," said Rep. Chu. "As the only psychologist in Congress, I am proud to once again lead this resolution recognizing May 10^th as National AANHPI Mental Health Day to reaffirm our commitment to breaking down barriers to care for AANHPI communities. As the Trump Administration continues to slash staff and funding at the Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), we must recommit ourselves to expanding access to mental health care and supporting the well-being of our communities."

"In the face of growing attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is more important than ever that AANHPI communities are seen and their struggles are not ignored," said Rep. Tokuda. "AANHPI Mental Health Day is about breaking the deep-rooted stigma around mental health in our communities and continuing our work to expand awareness and access to culturally competent care."

"Mental health issues are a hidden crisis facing the Asian American community," said Rep. Strickland. "Cultural and language barriers obstruct the already limited resources available for mental health, and raising awareness is the first step towards addressing this crisis."

"Nearly every family has been touched by mental health challenges in some way. That is why we must keep breaking down barriers to care, confronting stigma and making sure every person can get the support they need," said Rep. Matsui. "For too many Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, quality mental healthcare remains out of reach. This resolution raises awareness of those barriers, while calling for the resources and infrastructure our communities need to heal and thrive."

"With suicide rates among Native Hawaiians in Hawaii being close to double the national average and mental health treatment utilization among Asian Americans remaining alarmingly low, it's clear our AANHPI communities need more mental health support," said Sen. Hirono. "Everyone deserves access to mental health care that is culturally informed and linguistically appropriate, and I'm proud to lead this resolution that calls on us all to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and raise awareness about resources available for AANHPI communities."

Last year, Rep. Chu and Senator Hirono reintroduced the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025, which instructs SAMHSA to establish a national outreach and education mental health and substance misuse strategy for the AANHPI community and study and collect disaggregated data on AANHPI representation in the behavioral health workforce and behavioral health utilization rates among AANHPI youth.

The resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Meng, Mullin, Takano, Thanedar, Watson Coleman, Nadler, Tonko, Tran, Barragán, Simon, Krishnamoorthi, Peters, Salinas, Min, Menendez, Jayapal, Pocan, Case, Norton, Goldman, Subramanyam, Scott, and Lieu.

"National AANHPI Mental Health Day this year sits with us particularly heavily, as we feel our communities' dual celebratory joy during AANHPI Heritage Month alongside the mental health burden of a deeply unaffordable economic reality, lack of widespread access to culturally-responsive mental health supports, and ongoing attacks on our immigrant and Indigenous communities. Despite these challenges, the resilience and solidarity of our communities across the country remain, and there exists an enormous wealth of community knowledge, mobilization, and sustained activism to protect and foster our collective wellbeing," said Elizabeth Sweet, Community Engagement & Communications Director of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA).

"The National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day Resolution is a welcome step to address the insufficient access to mental healthcare providers and in-language services that AANHPI communities have faced for far too long. Now, with growing cuts to health care affordability and increased immigration enforcement reaching into previously protected spaces like schools and hospitals, fear and instability pose even steeper challenges," said Juliet K. Choi, President & CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF). "The need for culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services has never been more urgent. Meaningful investment in a diverse mental health workforce and language access services are essential to ensure our communities are not left behind."

"The establishment of a National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day is an important step in recognizing the unique mental health needs and experiences within AANHPI communities," said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). "By elevating awareness and fostering culturally informed conversations, this designation can help reduce stigma and encourage more individuals to seek the care and support they deserve. NAMI is proud to support this effort and thanks Rep. Chu, Rep. Matsui, Rep. Tokuda, and Rep. Strickland for their commitment to advancing mental health equity."

The resolution is endorsed by National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA); Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF); National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum; South Asian Public Health Association; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Cuaresma Counseling; Sakura Foundation; Wellness with Andrea Jakucs & Associates; Japanese American Citizens League; National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA); API Tennessee; United Chinese Americans UCA WAVES- Youth Mental Health Collaborative; Taulama for Tongans; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Stop AAPI Hate; AAPI Equity Alliance; SPEAK, a Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin; Sweet Mango Therapy Group, Inc.; TPB Strategies LLC; Asian Girls Ignite; Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI), CUNY; Sweet Mango Therapy Group, Inc.; Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF); National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA); Hepatitis B Foundation; Prevention Institute; Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL); Chinese American Citizens Alliance; AAPI Data; National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA); Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education; National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA); Thriving Asians; American Muslim Health Professionals; and Asian Americans Advancing Justice, AAJC.

The full text of the resolution is available here.

If you or a loved one need mental health support, dial 988 to be connected to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7. Counselors can also be reached by text message or online chat. You may also dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.