Dr. Jenny Wang Discusses Asian Americans and Importance of Mental Health in Houston Book Launch | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Visit
    • Plan Your visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Java Lava Cafe
    • About the Building
    • Ticketing Policies
  • At Home
    • At Home
    • Webcasts
    • Spotlight Asiatown
    • Houston's Asian American Journeys
    • Visit from Home
    • Learn from Home
    • COVID-19 Series
    • Family Activities
    • Encore Series
    • Staff Picks
    • Around the World
    • 1,000 Cranes for Hope
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Family Events
    • Special Events
    • Past Events
    • Event Recaps
  • Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Permanent Exhibition
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Education
    • Family Programs
    • Student Programs
    • Teen Programs
    • Educator Programs
    • Japan Outreach Initiative
    • Adult Programs
    • Community Programs
    • Bold New Initiative
  • Support
    • Donate Now
    • Become a Member
    • Education Project
    • Special Events
    • Endowment
    • Planned Giving
    • Corporate Partners
    • Volunteering
  • About
    • About Us
    • Unity in Diversity
    • Our People
    • Our Board
    • Our Supporters
    • Our Volunteers
    • Work With Us
    • Financial Statements
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • News
    • All Posts
    • Event Recaps
    • Press Releases
  • Space Rental
  • Shop
Texas
Search
Texas
  • Visit
    • Plan Your visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Java Lava Cafe
    • About the Building
    • Ticketing Policies
  • At Home
    • At Home
    • Webcasts
    • Spotlight Asiatown
    • Houston's Asian American Journeys
    • Visit from Home
    • Learn from Home
    • COVID-19 Series
    • Family Activities
    • Encore Series
    • Staff Picks
    • Around the World
    • 1,000 Cranes for Hope
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Family Events
    • Special Events
    • Past Events
    • Event Recaps
  • Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Permanent Exhibition
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Education
    • Family Programs
    • Student Programs
    • Teen Programs
    • Educator Programs
    • Japan Outreach Initiative
    • Adult Programs
    • Community Programs
    • Bold New Initiative
  • Support
    • Donate Now
    • Become a Member
    • Education Project
    • Special Events
    • Endowment
    • Planned Giving
    • Corporate Partners
    • Volunteering
  • About
    • About Us
    • Unity in Diversity
    • Our People
    • Our Board
    • Our Supporters
    • Our Volunteers
    • Work With Us
    • Financial Statements
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • News
    • All Posts
    • Event Recaps
    • Press Releases
  • Space Rental
  • Shop

Dr. Jenny Wang Discusses Asian Americans and Importance of Mental Health in Houston Book Launch

Dr. Jenny Wang
Permission to Come Home Books
Dr. Jenny Wang with Rekha Muddaraj
Audience with Dr. Jenny Wang
Q&A, Permission to Come Home
Book Signing with Dr. Jenny Wang
Dr. Jenny Wang signing books
Enlarge Hide captions

HOUSTON, May 9, 2022 — Asia Society Texas was honored to host Dr. Jenny T. Wang for the Houston launch of her new book, Permission to Come Home, which speaks to the importance of mental and emotional health for Asian American and immigrant communities. In conversation with KHOU 11 News anchor and reporter Rekha Muddaraj, Dr. Wang shared personal stories of her journey with mental health practice while touching on the impact of intergenerational trauma, the role of anger, and the importance of setting boundaries.  

Immigrant mindsets and intergenerational trauma

While acknowledging that the Asian American diaspora is diverse and complex, Dr. Wang said she believes there are some commonalities in the experiences of Asian American immigrants and children of immigrants. She said the community can often have a strong aversion to failure, seeing it as a source of shame. Given that immigrants to the U.S. often face hardship and incredible obstacles, Dr. Wang said that these experiences can result in a desire to avoid risks and pursue achievement and success. However, she noted that failure is how we grow, and that shame is dangerous for mental health because it leads us to shut ourselves off, pushes us into secrecy, and drives us into self-sabotaging behavior. She underscored the need to open up about failure and shame in our communities, which also helps circumvent the model minority myth around Asian Americans — a myth that is harmful by leaving the needs of the community unacknowledged and unmet.

Dr. Wang added that the immigrant experience often includes unprocessed trauma across generations that sometimes manifests as toxic behavior such as alcoholism, abuse, or even simply a lack of attunement between parent and child. For instance, Dr. Wang said that immigrant parents often view strength as holding back emotions so that they don’t interfere with daily life — but challenged the audience on whether that mindset serves our current generation. She said that becoming aware of the existence of trauma and acknowledging it will help our generation heal, which then gives our parents’ generation a chance to heal as well.

Permission to set and acknowledge boundaries

In her book, Dr. Wang gives readers the permission to rage and to say no, which are both related to the importance of setting boundaries. While anger is looked down upon culturally, Dr. Wang indicated that anger is an emotion that serves a purpose. As an example, she said the rising incidents of anti-Asian hate makes us angry — so how do we utilize that? She explained that anger is a reaction to someone crossing a boundary, and the emotion is what galvanizes us to express ourselves; however, the experience of anger as an emotion is different from the expression of anger, which should be regulated. Dr. Wang noted that avoiding anger removes the chance for us to learn how to resolve conflicts and to fully understand what the anger is trying to protect us from.

As for permission to say no, she explained that doing so reinforces boundaries that allow us to preserve our resources — our emotional well — so we are not depleted. According to Dr. Wang, boundaries are for teaching people we intend to keep in our lives how to treat us well, so that we can be there for them in return. Saying no helps enforce boundaries through communication, she said, but boundaries also need to be enforced through behavior — though she acknowledged that boundaries look different across countries, cultures, and generations.

Help Us Build a More Inclusive World

Each year, Asia Society Texas Center offers over 150 public programs — many of which are free and made possible by the strong financial support of our members and friends. Please consider supporting our work by making a tax-deductible donation.

Support Our Programming

Seeking help, finding rest, and coming home

Dr. Wang said she believed the pandemic exacerbated mental health issues, but that a silver lining was that it also allowed us to slow down and begin to notice that these issues needed to be addressed. She was encouraged by the number of people who found therapists for the first time over the past two years, but also pointed out that therapy is not the only way to healing. There are various cultural practices such as mindfulness and meditation that can help, and attuning with each other can also be healing.

It is important to rest and care for ourselves, she said, sharing that she also set boundaries for herself and her popular social media account @asiansformentalhealth. She said the antidote to burnout — a combination of emotional exhaustion and skepticism that anything can be done to change things for the better — is to activate locally, in community with those around us. That is how we “come home,” she said, by creating a place for ourselves, collectively and individually.


Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.


Asia Society Texas Business & Policy Programs, Endowed by

Huffington Foundation

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and United Airlines. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Houston Endowment. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Asia Society Texas Center, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

Business & Policy Presenting Sponsors

2022 Bank of America Stacked
Muffet Blake
ConocoPhillips
ExxonMobil
United Airlines Logo

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.


Asia in Your Inbox

Enter your email address.

* indicates required
 
 

More from Asia Society

AsiaFest 2022 - Steps for Dancing

Eighth Annual AsiaFest Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Asia Society Texas Center's Opening

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Asia Society Texas Center's opening, the eighth annual AsiaFest featured music and dance performances, food, and arts, crafts, and demonstrations highlighting the diversity of Asia.
Michelle Zauner
article

Best-Selling Author Michelle Zauner Discusses Memoir 'Crying in H Mart,' Shares Her Writing Process In Conversation With Bryan Washington

Indie rockstar Michelle Zauner, singer and guitarist under the name Japanese Breakfast, joined Asia Society Texas for a conversation about her New York Times best-selling memoir, Crying in H-Mart.
WLS and Muslim Series Huma Abedin

Huma Abedin Reflects on Muslim American Identity, Public Service Career in Asia Society Texas' Women’s Leadership Series and Muslim Series Program

Asia Society Texas was honored to welcome Huma Abedin, longtime top aide to Hillary Clinton, to speak with warmth and candor about her career and faith in a special convergence of the Women's Leadership Series and Muslim Series.

Pagination

  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • Next page Next
  • Last page Last

Connect with Us!

Join us on social media and sign up for our e-newsletter so you're always up-to-date with our latest programming and content!

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
LinkedIn | YouTube


Asia in Your Inbox

Enter your email address.

* indicates required
 
 

About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2022 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC