Silver State Times

Washington, D.C. – On May 10, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, joined Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) in cosponsoring a resolution recognizing May 10, 2023 as National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Mental Health Day. The resolution aims to bring awareness to mental health challenges unique to the AANHPI community and celebrate efforts to improve access to mental health care. U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.-10), and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02) have introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.

“Our Asian American communities in Nevada have faced barriers to mental health for far too long—that’s why I was proud to help deliver the 988 crisis hotline and expand behavioral health crisis support services,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “We must continue to work together to reduce stigma and expand access to mental health care, raise awareness of these mental health resources, and support those seeking care, so that anyone in Nevada who needs help can get it.”

The AANHPI population is the fastest growing demographic in Nevada, making up about 12% of Nevada’s population. Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevadans have reported high rates of mental health needs, including AANHPI Nevadans. Additionally, Barriers to mental health care and quality treatment, such as limited in-language resources and few diverse, multilingual mental health providers, have exacerbated mental health illnesses experienced by AANHPI communities, including suicide.

Senator Cortez Masto has fought to lower costs for everyone in Nevada, and she’s been a champion for AANHPI Nevadans. She recently visited a medical center that focuses on providing health care to AANHPI communities in Nevada and highlighted her efforts to expand affordable health care access and lower drug costs. Last year, she attended the Asian Night Market and spoke with AANHPI Nevadans about her work to support the community and AANHPI businesses. She also met with AANHPI community leaders in Las Vegas to discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act that she passed into law will make health care more affordable by giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, capping drug costs, and limiting egregious price hikes by drug manufacturers. She also fought to pass the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to address the rise of hate crimes and violence targeted at members of the AANHPI community nationwide.

Original source can be found here.