The Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) is a local nonprofit organization that supports immigrant families in Boston and beyond with mental health services, educational workshops, and more while engaging youth in community service. One initiative helping it fulfill its mission is the YouLead (Youth Leadership) program.
YouLead began in the early 2000s as a “safe space for Asian immigrants and Asian American youth to learn more about their community and develop skills to become a leader,” explained Kayla Tat, the program’s Youth Outreach and Engagement Associate.
While welcoming youth participants of all races and ethnicities, the program has a “strong emphasis on equipping youth to dive into Asian American history and teaching them how they can address issues prominent in Boston’s Chinatown and their community,” said Tat. Additionally, over the years, the program has developed to place greater emphasis on community mental health. Why?
“Mental health is a highly stigmatized issue, especially among Asian immigrant communities,” answered Tat. “This stigma may cause youth to feel perceived, shameful, and judged. It is important to break this barrier to normalize conversations on mental health and recognize the impact it can have long-term.”
While providing an opportunity to improve leadership skills, youth in the program participate in workshops about mental health, public speaking, and financial literacy.
For this year’s youth cohort, the program is centered on one specific issue regarding mental health: youth problem gambling. Thus, some workshops so far have discussed gambling awareness and prevention.
Tat herself was a YouLead participant during high school. Through it, “I was introduced to common issues prevalent in the community such as racism.” Having participated in many youth programs growing up and having a public health background, she became dedicated to “community health and youth development.” In her opinion, YouLead is a “great combination of both.”
Junior Miraldie Mabois, a youth participant, agrees. While joining the program to “learn more about leadership roles,” she also felt that through it, she bettered her understanding about “gambling and spending money wisely and how it can really affect our lives.”
Similarly, junior Sophia Chan stated that she learned how gambling can be a more prevalent issue among Asian communities and that understanding “important issues like gambling and peer help” will be beneficial to her journey towards a career in the healthcare industry.
Currently, YouLead cohorts in Boston and Quincy are preparing for their first community event on April 25th: the Asian American Mental Health Coalition April Meeting, located at 38 Ash Street, Boston, MA 02111, from 2-3 pm. Youth leaders from both sites will host interactive stations addressing various topics learned in the program, such as “mental health, peer support, gambling prevention, and financial literacy,” concluded Tat.
