On Saturday, October 12, the Japanese American National Museum will hold its annual mental health conference. This welcoming space will usher mental health topics into the Asian American community. Changing Tides (CT) is a prominent organization at this conference and part of the Little Tokyo Service Center. It was founded in 2018 by four young UCLA scholars who facilitated a unique conversation about destigmatizing mental health in the Asian American community and opened a dialogue about normalizing mental health. The organization has evolved to broaden its outreach through events, services, and community work.

Changing Tides Program Coordinator Matthew Yonemura started his journey in 2021 as a crew volunteer and has since become a full-time employee with the organization. Yonemura states of the origins of Changing Tides: “We try to keep our organization young adult orientated and so we have our various committees of parents and grandparents… but at the core of these four college students we have our youth committee. Our CT crew and that’s all folks ranging from mid-30s to high school students… So with us aiming the majority of our resources toward young adults. We also keep young adults involved to ensure that the direction of the program maintains being relevant to young adults.” 

One of the most significant events that the organization host is their annual Ripple Effect Walk, in which families and community members meet at a track with banners of each lost individual and walk to pay their respect for the people who have died by suicide. As each family or team walks at a specific time, it commemorates the life of the individual who died of suicide. Yonemura, who has been a part of this event since it started in 2021, finds it the biggest Changing Tides event and most significant for him. “It’s so meaningful because we honor multiple families. I have gotten to know each of the families really well and they’ve been kind enough to share their story of the ones they’ve lost and what their interest were and the music they liked. One, I even know their favorite cookie.”

This event is not only to honor those who have passed, but its goal is to fundraise for mental health resources and fund other programs that Changing Tides is affiliated with, such as CT Anchor, a QPR training which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. This training will aid and prepare individuals to address discussions surrounding suicide and provide guidance for those considering suicide.

Another vital resource is CT Stream, a therapy stipend program for AAPI youth and young adults ages 16–29. This program is meant to provide accessible and affordable mental health services through mental health professionals.  The Ripple Effect Walk offers families a moment to gather and memorialize the life of their loved ones. “There was one walk that was 23 minutes for 23 years of life for that individual. There’s another one with 21 minutes for 21 years of life,” Yonemura recalls.

This young organization has become a vital resource for Little Tokyo; however, it is not exclusive to the Asian American community. Many are welcome to volunteer and partake in their services. Yonemura shares that almost every BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) community has their own shared struggles against the stigma of mental health,

“There’s a different word across the BIPOC communities for ‘machismo’ or whatever it might be for why people don’t seek out therapy, and the Japanese community is no different. We have what is called ‘gaman,’ which basically means perseverance.”

With the shared struggles across communities, it is essential for diverse communities to gather and support one another. Changing Tides tries to offer opportunities for everyone to volunteer and not only to become a part of the conversation and show a deep interest in mental health but also to provide direct action through resources.

The Changing Tides employees like Yonemura and Deena Umeda, along with the CT crew of volunteers, have contributed to the growth of this organization by advocating and expanding their resources through their ongoing projects like “survivors of suicide having someone to talk to without it being therapy. We are working on adding group therapy to the CT stream instead of only to individuals, and we are working with the entire Social Service department to host a community mental health conference next month,” Yonemura adds.

The “Ebb and Flow: Community Mental Health Conference” conducted next month will offer a space to engage in different topics of mental health awareness, like parent stress and caregiver stress. It will also include yoga and art workshops and a luncheon. Yonemura also notes that free scholarships will be available for students who need financial assistance and are eager to learn, engage, and participate. Speakers will come and share their stories, and important social advocates will host and discuss important mental health topics and broaden the scope of healthy conversations among the Asian American community.

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Little Tokyo Service Center’s Ebb and Flow: Community Mental Health Conference will be held at JANM on October 12, 2024. Tickets now available. 

 

© 2024 Ashley Valdes