Provide Support

Advocating for Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth

Let's Do This

Unfortunately, bullying is a universal struggle. Asian American and Pacific Islander youth often face unique cultural, religious, and linguistic barriers that keep them from getting the help they need, and South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Micronesian, and English-learning students are disproportionately targeted.

Data from the Asian American Bullying Survey Report shows: 

  • 80% of Asian Americans have experienced hate or bullying, online or in-person.
  • Of those bullied, only 38% told an adult about it, compared to 63% of non-Asian Americans. 
  • 1/3 of adults did not take action after learning someone was bullied. 
    As caring adults, we want to be an adult that young people can trust and turn to when they experience or witness bullying. 

Here are some things you can do: 

  • Open the door to crucial conversations about bullying and discuss what bullying behavior is and how it may manifest differently in school versus online. Build their confidence to report bullying and to find support.
  • Listen and validate. Avoid blaming your young person or suggesting that they are in any way responsible for what is happening. Don’t excuse the bully, minimize their actions, or minimize your young person's feelings.
  • Make a plan together. Help them develop a plan for who to tell about bullying if it happens and how they might put an end to it. If bullying happens in person, they may need to ignore the bully, avoid them, or stay near adults they can trust. For cyberbullying, they should save the evidence and take screenshots, block the bully, and take a social media break.  
    You can also find more information about bystander intervention from Right to Be and anti-bullying resources from Act To Change and Child Mind Institute.

You can also find more information about bystander intervention from Right to Be and anti-bullying resources from Act To Change and Child Mind Institute.

Stay Inspired

Cultural humility is an important part of all mentoring relationships. Taking the time to learn about your mentee’s social identity and get a better understanding of their lived experiences plays a key role in forming meaningful connections. Check out Chapter 2: Practicing Cultural Humility of the Becoming a Better Mentor Guide real-world advice and evidence-based strategies to be there for young people.