May hosts Mental Health Awareness Month; it also is the month honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage, as well as National Military Appreciation. Putting these celebrations together gives one pause. It is a complicated triangle.
Memorial Day is when we grieve for American soldiers who died in service to their country. Initially, the day was called “Decoration Day” due to a ceremony begun by freed enslaved people, members of the U.S. Colored Troops, in Charleston, SC in 1865. Graves of Union soldiers were decorated with flowers and flags. After World War I the ritual grew to commemorate all soldiers. It is noble to honor sacrifice and valor.
Who honors the sacrifice and valor of innocent people of Japanese descent, nearly 120, 000 strong, who were seized by the U.S. government in 1942 and incarcerated in 10 isolated concentration camps? Approximately 2/3 were U.S. citizens who had their assets frozen. Japanese Americans made up 1/3 of Hawaii’s population. Mass removal was not completed there due to “labor needs,” but some were sent to mainland camps. After their years of detainment, the release of these Asian Americans in 1945 entailed a transportation ticket and $25.00. In 1988 the U.S. government delivered a formal apology and initiated reparations.
War strips humanity naked, sometimes literally as in the rape and plunder realm, but also figuratively. Many innocent people lose their livelihood and in in some instances, their very lives in continuous wars today. Are we supposed to appreciate such military actions?
Research listed on an official website of the U.S. government, the National Library of Medicine, reports on ill effects upon a soldier’s life in killing in combat in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Supporting previous research, findings related “…that bearing responsibility for death in a warzone is associated with PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder), depression, anxiety symptoms, suicidality, and hazardous alcohol use.” The researchers isolated “rumination” as a factor for negative post-deployment reactions. PTSD has haunted many veterans for decades.
Who is paying attention to mental health awareness in our government? Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed since 1949, but it is not highlighted enough. Awareness of both physical and mental wellness is not just an issue for soldiers but also for solders’ families.
I want to endorse one government agency, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), for its toolkit of resources with themes on mental health for each week in May:
- Week 1 — Understanding mental illness;
- Week 2 — Early support matters – recognizing signs in children and youth;
- Week 3 — Words matter and words can heal;
- Week 4 — Supporting loved ones – connection is a powerful form of care.
Let’s make a better effort, America, to take up these themes as positive action steps all year.
Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz
500. Yes, this is the 500th question I ask in PoP: What does Memorial Day mean to you?
501. How might you promote mental health awareness?
Pearls of Peace: A Family Psychologist’s Circle-of-Life Blog 