Racialized-gendered Experiences and Mental Health Vulnerabilities of Young Asian Women in Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Discourses of mental health vulnerabilities of women in the Asian diaspora s are often invoked through the concepts of “culture” with little consideration of asymmetric power relations and structural influences. We used a narrative approach to explore the experiences and perspectives on culture, identities, relationships, and mental health among young Asian women living in Toronto, Canada. We engaged 14 participants in focus groups and individual interviews, and identified four overall themes: (1) racialized-gendered bodily abjection, (2) experiences of enacted racism and sexism, (3) perceptions of familial expectations, and (4) their strategies of coping and resilience. Our analysis revealed how Whiteness and structural violence shape the racialized-gendered experiences of young Asian women and perpetuate microaggressions that compromise their mental health and well-being. Critical nursing practice must question the idea of “culture” embedded in the dominant discourse of “culturally competent” care. Nurses need to achieve structural competence to dismantle systems of oppression and unequal power relations.