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Parents Who Have Lost a Child | Can Ask Meh?

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Mental health is associated with "crazy"

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Mental health is associated with "crazy"

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"The "model minority" myth, which perceives Asian people as hard-working, best-educated and well-paid achievers among their peers in other ethnic groups, is one of the most prevalent stereotypes facing Asian Americans, especially second-generation, young Asians. Such labels are also tied to Asian students as being quiet, obedient and weak in dealing with social relations." - USC Capstone

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work towards having it geared towards mental health and how mental health plays a large part in how physical health works

What is mental health/growing focus on mental health

Focus on mental health and the Asian American perspective of it. Talk about stigmas, etc

Show how it plays into the physical health aspect. Talk about the employment side, Khanh's story

Mental health in pressure, depression, and suicide

What can we do? Talk about how Luke Tang's parents set up a foundation to garner awareness and money to support. Talk about what SLU can implement or back up further

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Testimonials with Family Members on their Struggles with Employment?

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Testimonials with Family Members on their Struggles with Employment?

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List of questions

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Asian Americans graduate from university at far higher rates than white Americans, but despite this are no more likely to hold professional or managerial jobs, according to a new study.

The findings suggest that Asian Americans face additional barriers and discrimination when trying to climb the career ladder at work, a phenomenon known as the 'bamboo ceiling', an invisible barrier akin to the 'glass ceiling' faced by women.

It has long been known that the US-born children of Asian immigrants--a population known as the "Asian second generation" are not only more likely to be college-educated than the US general population, but are also more likely to graduate from the nation's elite universities. While Asian Americans make up only 6.3% of the US population, they account for about a quarter of all students in the Ivy League institutions in the US. However, until now, it has not been known if these advantages crossover into the workplace.

In the Ethnic and Racial Studies article, three researchers--Van Tran, Jennifer Lee and Tiffany Huang--from Columbia University, New York City pooled over a decade of data from the Current Population Survey (2008-2016), a monthly survey of about 60,000 US households conducted by the United States Census Bureau. They then used this dataset to analyse graduation rates among the five largest Asian groups in the US - Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Koreans. Together these groups account for 83% of the country's Asian population. They found that all five groups are more likely to have graduated from college with a bachelor's degree than white Americans.

The highest attaining group are Indians, who are eight times more likely to graduate with a degree than white students. Chinese are six times more likely, Koreans and Vietnamese almost three times more likely, and Filipinos almost twice as likely to graduate.

However, despite this educational advantage, Asian Americans are less likely to secure positions in top-tier professional jobs than white Americans with the same qualifications as them. The only exception was secondgeneration Chinese graduates, who are one and a half times more likely than whites to be in a professional or managerial position, after controlling for age, gender, education and region of the country.

"Despite their exceptional educational credentials, we found clear evidence that Asians professionals are overcredentialed in education to achieve parity with whites in the labor market," says Van Tran, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Columbia University who led the study.

"To be clear, Asians are not under-represented in the managerial and professional occupations--three quarters of second-generation Chinese and Indians report being in a managerial and professional occupation. However, second-generation Asians are significantly under-represented in senior-level leadership positions, considering how well-credentialed they are, even after accounting for many demographic factors."

According to the authors, there are a few factors that could explain Asian Americans' lack of career progression.

"The same stereotypes that help Asians succeed in the educational domain (i.e. being smart, competent and hardworking) may actually hurt them in the labor market, where Asian Americans are sometimes perceived to be less vocal, less assertive, lacking in social skills and leadership potential," says Professor Jennifer Lee.

"Asian American professionals are also often excluded from the informal power networks in the workplace, which sometimes matter more than competency when it comes to being promoted into the leadership ranks."

Another potential reason is that second-generation Asian professionals often lack Asian role models and effective mentors in the workplace.

Whatever the reasons, the findings are especially timely, as Harvard University has been accused in a high-profile legal case of discriminating against Asian American applicants. A conservative advocacy group, Students for Fair Admissions say that Harvard artificially suppress the number of Asian American students by holding them to higher academic standards than whites, and rating them poorly on personal characteristics.

"We hope that our findings will spark a broader conversation about the disadvantages faced by Asian American professionals across the country, and more importantly, about what policies might be put in place to help promote more equal treatment and opportunities to all groups, including not just Asians, but also whites, blacks and Latinos in the US," says Professor Van Tran.

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Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Asian-Americans do better at university, but face barriers in the workplace

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Asian-Americans graduate from university at far higher rates than white Americans, but despite this are no more likely to hold professional or managerial jobs, according to a new study. The findings suggest that Asian-Americans face additional barriers and discrimination when trying to climb the career ladder at work, a phenomenon known as the 'bamboo ceiling,' an invisible barrier akin to the 'glass ceiling' faced by women.

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Harvard sophomore, 19, dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly' less than two weeks into fall semester but no foul play is suspected

Harvard College physics major Luke Tang was pronounced dead early Saturday

Middlesex District Attorney's Office said incident was not considered suspicious

Tang was named a US Presidential Scholar as a high school senior and acted as salutatorian during his 2014 graduation

A Harvard College sophomore was found dead early Saturday in what school officials are calling a 'sudden and unexpected tragedy.'

The passing of Luke Tang, 19, is being investigated by police, but Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana said no foul play is suspected.

Middlesex District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Elizabeth Flock confirmed that the incident was not considered suspicious. It remains unknown at this time where the 19-year-old was found, at what time Saturday or who made the disturbing discovery.

Luke Tang's untimely death was announced in an email that was sent out to students and staff at the prestigious college this weekend.

'This is a very difficult time for those who knew Luke, including his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with each of them,' Khurana said. 'Such a sudden and unexpected tragedy is shocking and evokes strong feelings in all of us, even if we did not directly know Luke.'

The college said it was not releasing the cause of death or any additional details on the circumstances of Tang's passing out of respect for the privacy of his family.

An obituary published in the New Orleans Times-Picayune described the teenager as a standout student who was named Benjamin Franklin High School's student of the year and salutatorian in 2014.

That same year, Tang was also named a US Presidential Scholar.

In his free time, Tang taught violin to underprivileged children and served as concertmaster for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra.

During his freshman year at Harvard, where he was studying physics, Tang became a school teacher at Memorial Church, served on the board of the Harvard Interfaith Forum and was a member of the Asian American Christian Fellowship at the Ivy League university.

The son of Chinese immigrants who arrived in the US in 1990, Tang came from a family of high achievers.

His father, Dr Wendell Tang is a pathologist a Ochsner Medical Center who earned his doctorate from the University of Hawaii; his mother, Christina Tang, is a certified public accountant who works as a senior financial analyst at the Children's Hospital in New Orleans.

Luke's older brother, Richard, is also a gifted musician who is currently studying medicine at Tulane University.

On Saturday evening, Harvard's Lowell House dormitory, where Tang lived, hosted a standing-room-only memorial in honor of the late sophomore.

'This was a profound testament to how important he had been in the short time he was at Harvard,' house Master Daniel Eck told The Harvard Crimso n. 'There is such a strong group of students who are sophomores who know him, knew him, loved him, and will continue to remember him.'

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Harvard sophomore, 19, dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly'

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Harvard College physics major Luke Tang was pronounced dead early Saturday Middlesex District Attorney's Office said incident was not considered suspicious Tang was named a US Presidential Scholar as a high school senior and acted as salutatorian during his 2014 graduation A Harvard College sophomore was found dead early Saturday in what school officials are calling a 'sudden and unexpected tragedy.'

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March 2, 2019 (Boston, MA)

2019 Moving Images Film Festival

January 3, 2019 (Duke University School of Medicine)

Focus on Suicide: A Screening and Discussion of "Looking for Luke" (a component of the 'Brain and Behavior' course for 1st year medical students)

October 28, 2018

Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance Summit - Asian American Mental Health (Cambridge, MA)

October 24, 2018

AACAP Annual Meeting ~ Looking for Luke: Lessons on Suicide and Depression, and Addressing Both College Mental Health and Asian American Mental Health Through Film (Seattle, WA)

October 23, 2018

Boston Asian American Film Festival ~ Shorts: Peace of Mind (Boston, MA)

September 29, 2018

2018 Chinese American Convention

September 19, 2018

Documentary: Looking for Luke (Boston, MA)

September 16, 2018

NYC Screening feat. NBA Basketball Player Jeremy Lin (New York, NY)

September 13, 2018

Documentary: Looking for Luke (Boston, MA)

Horizon Foundation 2018 Mental Health Film Festival (Columbia, MD)

April 27, 2018

Cornell Veritas Forum Presents Looking for Luke (Ithica, NY)

April 21, 2018

We Share We Listen 我想聽 你說 (Quincy, MA)

April 5, 2018

Break the Silence: Asian Mental Health Conference at UChicago (Chicago, IL)

April 3, 2018

Looking for Luke Screening/Q&A with Dr. Juliana Chen and Harvard University Health Services (Cambridge, MA)

March 8, 2018

Looking for Luke: Screening at Duke (Durham, NC)

March 6, 2018

Looking for Luke Film Screening & Discussion (St. Louis, MO)

February 25, 2018

Seattle Asian American Film Festival (Seattle, WA)

Februrary 14, 2018

Asian Culture Day (Newton, MA)

January 25, 2018

Documentary: Looking for Luke (Benton Chapel, Vanderbilt University)

December 1, 2017

Looking for Luke Screening and Q&A (Madison, WI)

November 13, 2017

"Looking for Luke" at Benjamin Franklin High School (New Orleans, LA)

November 7, 2017

APHA Global Public Health Film Festival (Atlanta, GA)

November 6, 2017

Emory Dark Arts presents Looking for Luke (Atlanta, GA)

October 10, 2017

Looking for Luke at NU (Boston, MA)

September 30, 2017

Hear Me Out! Open Dialogue on Intergenerational Emotional Wellness (Gaithersburg, MD)

September 30, 2017

Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance - DC Chapter (Fairfax, VA)

september 15, 2017

Question + Create: A Harvard Alumni Gathering on the Arts (Cambridge, MA)

september 28, 2017

SADD Talk Series: Opening Lines of Communication (Facebook Live)

september 12, 2017

Looking for Luke: One Family's Story (Boston, MA)

june 27, 2017

SADD 2017 National Conference (Tampa, FL)

april 15, 2017

Let's Talk! Promoting the Success & Well Being of Asian & Asian American Students (Cambridge, MA)

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"Looking for Luke" - Suicide Prevention | MGH Clay Center

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March 2, 2019 (Boston, MA) 2019 Moving Images Film Festival January 3, 2019 (Duke University School of Medicine) Focus on Suicide: A Screening and Discussion of "Looking for Luke" (a component of the 'Brain and Behavior' course for 1st year medical students) October 28, 2018 Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance

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"We thought he was fine," Christina Tang said in a phone interview from her home in New Orleans. "We thought when he got out of the hospital, he got his help."

Between 2007 and 2017, at least nine Harvard undergraduates in Massachusetts took their own lives, according to an investigation by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. Six of them, including Tang, were of Asian descent. Asian-Americans make up about 20 percent of Harvard's undergraduate student body.

Harvard officials declined to comment on these numbers or Tang's suicide. But his death is prompting concerns about the particular vulnerabilities of Asian students at Harvard and other schools across the United States. It also is raising questions about the responsibilities of universities to prevent suicides.

Last fall, Luke's father filed a lawsuit in Middlesex County Superior Court against Harvard and several employees for allegedly failing to protect his son from self-harm. The case builds on a 2018 ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that found schools have a "limited duty" to prevent suicides if they know a student is at risk.

Harvard's attorney said in a recent court hearing that the university met its responsibility by getting Tang help in the spring. But Wendell Tang's attorney David Heinlein said Harvard officials should have reached out to the young man when he returned from his vacation to make sure he was still getting treatment.

"They should have said, 'How did your summer go?,' " Heinlein said after the hearing. " 'Before you get back in the heat of the classes, we want you to meet with the appropriate people.' They did nothing."

Tang's parents also have questioned their own role in what happened. Christina Tang said she wishes she took her son's struggles more seriously. She wishes she told him she loved him more. "He didn't want us to worry,'' she said.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for college students across the United States. And numbers are on the rise. In Massachusetts, 214 students between the ages of 18 and 24 died by suicide between 2007 and 2016, according to state public health records. That's a 43 percent increase from the prior decade.

But most of these stories remain untold, shielded by grieving families seeking privacy and by universities' reluctance to publicize such tragedies. This reticence has prompted some suicide prevention experts to call for more openness.

Dorothy Hutchinson, director of services for the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, said that by not talking about mental health and suicide, universities can perpetuate prejudice and fear. "Silence is deadly," she said.

To learn more about what happens on college campuses, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting analyzed state public health records that detailed who died by suicide and scoured obituaries and other public records to determine where they went to school.

Among the findings for college-age students between the age of 18 and 24:

■ At least 18 students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst killed themselves between 2007 and 2016, the largest number of suicides of any college in the state during that time period. UMass also has the largest student population in the state.

■ Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard suffered the second-largest number of suicides for that age range during that period, both with eight. Two other Harvard students, an undergraduate student and a law student, both of Asian descent, died in 2017.

■ Several universities suffered multiple suicides in a single year. Among them, three Boston University students killed themselves in 2016 and three Wentworth Institute of Technology students took their lives in 2015.

None of the schools would confirm numbers. Officials from UMass Amherst say they don't track suicide deaths because of challenges collecting information, especially when a student dies off campus or on break. They did confirm that the 18 students who died attended UMass.

All of the schools said they are working to address increasing mental health needs of students. About 14 percent of college students said they seriously considered suicide over the past year, more than double the number from a decade ago, according to the national Healthy Minds Network, which surveys student mental health.

Students suffer from isolation and anxiety, facing academic, social, and financial pressure. Most grew up in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks - in an atmosphere tainted with fear and high-profile school shootings, said Sarah Lipson of the Healthy Minds Network.

Asian students are said to have the greatest "unmet need" for mental health counseling with only about 23 percent who need it seeking help, according to network data.

Christina Tang said neither her son nor Harvard told her about the contract he signed to get help. If she'd known, she said, she would have made sure he complied. "We didn't know about the follow-ups,'' she said.

Luke Tang was born in Hawaii, the youngest son of a tight-knit family. They moved to Louisiana when he was 11 years old and he attended a public high school for high achievers.

He felt intense family pressure to succeed, said childhood friend Lucy Wang. He was religious but started to question the meaning of life. Wang said that after Tang's first suicide attempt, she tried to impress upon his parents the seriousness of his depression. "He probably didn't know anybody who had ever gone to therapy," she said.

After Tang died, his parents read his notes and diaries and began to understand his suffering. They participated in a documentary, " Looking for Luke," in hopes of educating other families about depression and mental illness, particularly among Asians.

The documentary has resonated with others. Nationwide, Asians between the ages of 18 and 24 die of suicide at lower rates than others their age, federal data show. But at some elite schools, numbers are skewed.

Jenn Fang, who produces a blog called Reappropriate focused on Asian issues, became concerned about the suicide tendency while studying at Cornell University. The school in 2006 published a report finding 13 of 21 students who died by suicide over 20 years were of Asian descent. She's frustrated by the lack of good data about deaths on colleges nationwide.

"If we don't understand how race influences the experiences on campus, resources will never be adequate," she said.

Josephine Kim, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said Asian students struggle with cultural perceptions - both from within their own communities and without - that they should be high performing.

"You are supposed to be perfect," she said. "And if you are so perfect, then it's weird if you reach out for help."

Adding to challenges, she said, is that when students seek mental health services they find themselves forced to explain their culture to health care staff. Of the 58 staff members at Harvard's Counseling and Mental Health Services, only two are Asian, according to the university.

Harvard officials said they have been trying to hire more Asian counselors but have had little luck recruiting.

Jenny Hsi, a student at the Harvard School of Public Health, said students of color can find it a burden to explain themselves to white counselors. "There's a great sense that counseling and mental health services are for white people,'' she said.

By filing a lawsuit, Luke Tang's father put a new focus on a university's responsibility to prevent suicide.

The case builds on a 2018 ruling by the state's top court that universities have a duty to try to prevent self-inflicted harm when they have "actual knowledge" of an earlier suicide attempt or of a student's intent to die.

In a hearing earlier this month, an attorney representing Harvard, Martin Murphy, said the SJC decision set out specific steps that a university must take when it is aware of a student at risk: Initiate a suicide protocol or arrange for clinical care; if such care is refused, reach out to a student's emergency contacts.

Murphy said Harvard met its obligation by sending Tang to a psychiatric facility, requiring him to sign a contract for care, and following up when he was released.

"By putting this very robust set of referrals in place in the spring, Harvard not only fulfilled its duty but essentially vastly exceeded its duty,'' said Murphy.

Last week, Superior Court Justice Michael D. Ricciuti denied the university's motion to dismiss the case.

A status hearing is scheduled for October.

Luke's older brother Richard, training to be an emergency doctor in New York, said he hopes the lawsuit will push Harvard to provide more resources for troubled students.

"I just wish fewer families as possible have to endure this," he said.

The New England Center for Investigative Reporting is based out of WGBH news. Boston Globe Reporter Todd Wallack and students from Boston University's investigative reporting clinic contributed to this report. McKim can be reached at jenifer_mckim@wgbh.org.

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Harvard student's suicide prompts concern about mental health care on college campuses - The Boston Globe

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"We thought he was fine," Christina Tang said in a phone interview from her home in New Orleans. "We thought when he got out of the hospital, he got his help." Between 2007 and 2017, at least nine Harvard undergraduates in Massachusetts took their own lives, according to an investigation by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting.

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Harvard is currently facing a wrongful death lawsuit accusing the University and several of its employees of negligence in their care for a Harvard undergraduate, Luke Z. Tang '18, who died by suicide in Sept. 2015.

The student's father, Wendell W. Tang, filed the suit in the Middlesex County Superior Court on Sept. 11, one day shy of the three-year anniversary of his son's death. The complaint names the Harvard Corporation - the University's highest governing body - as well as residential dean Catherine R. Shapiro, Lowell House Resident Dean Caitlin Casey, Harvard University Health Services mental health counselor Melanie G. Northrop, and HUHS psychiatrist David W. Abramson as defendants.

The complaint accuses each of the defendants of "negligence and carelessness" that resulted in Luke Tang's death and argues the defendants are responsible for damages amounting to at least $20 million.

"As a direct and proximate result of Harvard's negligence and carelessness, the Plaintiff's decedent was caused severe conscious physical and mental pain and suffering and further, the Plaintiff's decedent was caused to commit suicide," the complaint reads.

The lawsuit filing outlines Luke Tang's struggle with suicidal ideation, his suicide attempt during his freshman year at Harvard, and the consultation he received from Harvard officials following his return to campus. The complaint alleges Luke Tang entered into a contract prepared by Shapiro, Northrop, and Abramson shortly after his freshman year suicide attempt. The contract stipulated that Luke Tang must receive mental health counseling in order to remain on campus.

Luke Tang left Harvard for the summer in May 2015 and did not receive mental health counseling between that time and his death in September, according to the complaint. The suit alleges the University and its employees were negligent for failing to fulfill the "duty of care" they assumed in their relationships with Luke Tang.

The suit remains in the preliminary stages of litigation, and the University's lawyers have yet to file a response to the complaint in court. An initial schedule issued by the court lists Jan. 9, 2019 as the deadline for a response from Harvard.

University spokesperson Rachael Dane declined to comment on the case, citing the pending status of the litigation. Neither the plaintiff nor any of the four individually named defendants responded to requests for comment.

Though he did not comment on the lawsuit itself, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana wrote in an email that his "thoughts and prayers continue to be with everyone who knew and loved Luke."

"Losing a child is among the most painful things that can happen to a family," he wrote.

In the years following Luke Tang's death, his parents have worked to raise awareness for mental health issues - especially as they affect Asian-American communities - and they have created a memorial fund in their son's honor.

In 2017, a group of filmmakers chronicled his parents' activism and their struggles in a documentary called "Looking for Luke." His parents were closely involved in the production of the film and penned a letter expressing gratitude for it.

"We need to more fully understand our children and loved ones, and let them know how much we care," they wrote in a statement shortly after the film's release. "We hope that after viewing this film, you will have a better understanding of Luke's life, and help spread awareness of mental health, in an effort to prevent further tragedies from happening."

The next steps for the case remain unclear. Though Luke Tang's father is requesting a jury trial, that trial would not begin until 2021 - if it occurs at all, according to court filings.

'NO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING'

Wendell Tang's lawyers filed the 16-page complaint detailing Luke Tang's struggles and treatment during the final year of his life. The complaint ultimately alleges the University acted with negligence in its relationship with Luke.

A section of the plaintiff's complaint, entitled "Facts," outlines the months leading to Luke Tang's death.

Luke Tang first attempted suicide in April 2015 in a residence hall at Harvard after experiencing symptoms of suicidal ideation, according to the complaint. Within two weeks, Harvard sent Luke Tang to receive inpatient care at McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Belmont, Mass.

During his week-long stay at the hospital, Shapiro visited Luke Tang. Shapiro, who is now the College's senior resident dean, was a resident dean of freshmen at the time Luke Tang was first hospitalized. The complaint states that, following Luke Tang's discharge from the hospital, he met with Northrop, who had received reports from psychiatrists at McLean Hospital recommending that Luke Tang receive weekly psychiatric therapy.

That same day, Luke Tang informed Northrop of his plans to travel to China for a week in May of that year. During that meeting, Northrop told him he must speak with his therapist to create a support plan for his time in China. She added that he must continue therapy upon his return to the College.

Shapiro, Northrop, and Abramson helped to prepare a "contract" outlining the terms of Luke Tang's continued tenure at Harvard, the complaint alleges. Harvard required that Luke Tang agree to the contract in order to remain on campus, and Luke Tang was not allowed to change or negotiate the terms of the contract.

In line with the contract, "Tang was expected to follow the recommendations of his treatment team, including attending sessions regularly and actively participating in his treatment," the complaint reads.

On May 8, Luke Tang met with Northrop for a check-in, when she discovered he had failed to schedule a follow-up appointment with his therapist. At that meeting, Northrop reminded Luke Tang of Harvard's expectation that he would continue treatment.

Luke Tang met with Northrop again on May 15. By that time, Shapiro had informed Northrop of her concerns for Luke Tang given his lack of treatment plans for the summer, and that she planned to voice her concerns to Luke Tang's parents.

The next day, Luke Tang left for his week-long trip to China. He returned to Harvard in August of that same year.

On September 12, Luke Tang died by suicide in Lowell House.

"Tang had no mental health counseling between May 16, 2015 and September 12, 2015," the complaint alleges.

HUHS spokesperson Michael Perry declined to comment on the pending litigation, though he wrote in an email he believes students should be reminded of the mental health services Harvard offers.

"We want to remind students that Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) remains steadfast in its commitment to providing the entire Harvard student community access to safe, effective, and convenient mental health services," Perry wrote. "If you need help or are experiencing any distress, please contact CAMHS at 617-495-5711."

The remainder of the complaint lists each of the defendants and the reasons for which Wendell Tang believes they were negligent in their care for Luke Tang. The lawsuit alleges the University and its employees acted in negligence by failing to follow suicide prevention protocols. The complaint lists 12 instances in which it alleges the University showed negligence, including in Harvard employees' decision to design a contract that "failed to provide reasonable safety" for Luke Tang and their alleged failure to uphold the provisions of that contract.

The complaint lists similar allegations of negligence for each individually named defendant, adding that the plaintiff believes Northrop and Abramson were also negligent as medical professionals.

Wendell Tang's lawyers wrote that the "reckless and/or grossly negligent" conduct of the University's employees entitles the plaintiff to punitive damages and other costs totaling to more than $20 million.

'DUTY OF CARE'

The September lawsuit filing marks the first stage in what may turn into legal battle that could span years. At present, it is unclear how the suit will progress.

An attached scheduling document lists Jan. 9, 2019 as the deadline for a response to the complaint. The document includes a long-term timeline for the case, under which a trial - if one happens at all - must be scheduled by March 2021. If the case does go to trial, the schedule states the case must be resolved by September 2021.

Wrongful death lawsuits against universities are often resolved by settlements between universities and students' families before reaching trial, according to Carolyn Reinach Wolf, an attorney who specializes in mental health-related litigation. For suits that do make it to trial, judges' decisions tend to be highly dependent on the specific circumstances of individual cases.

"There's not one sort of national standard of 'if X, then Y,'" Wolf said.

Massachusetts state law provides for the compensation of punitive damages as well as funeral and burial costs in cases of wrongful death resulting from negligence.

Wendell Tang filed his complaint in court with 10 counts against the five defendants. The complaint individually charges Harvard and the four named employees with one count of negligence leading to wrongful death and one count seeking punitive damages.

A similar high-profile case recently rocked MIT's campus, just a few miles from Harvard. The 2011 suicide of a Ph.D. candidate, Han Nguyen, prompted the suit, which ultimately went before Massachusetts's Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court of appeals. That court found MIT was not liable for the student's death and outline specific circumstances that must exist for a university to be held liable. One of those circumstances is a student informing university officials of plans to take his or her own life.

The complaint alleges that Luke Tang's suicide was "foreseeable" to each of the four named employees cited in the case.

"Prior to September 12, 2015, Harvard, its agents, servants and employees had actual knowledge of Luke Tang's suicide attempt which occurred while he was enrolled at Harvard and of Luke Tang's other stated plans or intentions to commit suicide," the complaint reads.

The law firm that represented Nguyen's family in the MIT case - Heinlein, Beeler, Mingace & Heineman - is the same firm helping Luke Tang's father sue Harvard. The firm's website lists "student suicide" as one of their lawyers' areas of practice.

Wolf added that factors such as whether a university takes appropriate suicide prevention steps, communicates certain problems to family members and outside professionals, or has taken on a close relationship with a student can determine the viability of wrongful death lawsuits.

The complaint alleges that each of the four named defendants had a "special relationship" with Luke Tang and consequently had a "duty of care" - an obligation to prevent him from self-harm.

Wolf said individual cases vary widely in terms of how universities respond to protocols and how they communicate with family members.

"It's also important to understand that each case is very different on its facts. Did the student have a past history? Was the student acting out? Were parents calling the school saying, 'I'm really concerned about my son'?" she said.

This case is not the first wrongful death lawsuit Harvard has faced for an on-campus death. The mother of Justin D. C. D. Cosby, a Cambridge resident who was fatally shot in Kirkland House in 2009, sued the University in 2012. The judge in that case eventually dismissed the suit.

-Staff writer Delano R. Franklin can be reached at delano.franklin@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @delanofranklin_.

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Harvard Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over 2015 Student Suicide | News | The Harvard Crimson

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Harvard is currently facing a wrongful death lawsuit accusing the University and several of its employees of negligence in their care for a Harvard undergraduate, Luke Z. Tang '18, who died by suicide in Sept. 2015. The student's father, Wendell W. Tang, filed the suit in the Middlesex County Superior Court on Sept.

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Katherine Tong sat in the church pew listening to a eulogy delivered by a father who lost his son to suicide. She thought, "Thank God our family is OK."

What she didn't expect was that six months later, her stepson Evan Tong ended his life in his own room saturated with carbon monoxide. He was only 17.

She knew he was depressed, but quickly dismissed any worries that he would take his own life. "No, he will never do that," the mother told herself the moment when the idea flashed through her head.

For the Tong family, like so many in the Asian community, suicide and mental illness had been far away from them. In fact, they didn't talk about it.

But the silence is costing young lives. While Asian young people don't have a higher suicide rate than the overall national rate, the number gradually went up, from 2011 to 2015, according to mortality data from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the same time, suicide was the leading cause of death among Asian American young people, ages 20 to 24, in 2015. Suicide accounts for about one-third of deaths in this age group, the highest for all races. By comparison, the number of white people, ages 20-24, who died from suicide was 19 percent; Latino males, 15.3 percent; Latino females, 16.2 percent; and blacks, 8.1 percent.

Social science experts and educators blame the high number on cultural stigmas and social pressures, which start at home but are spread across society.

Asian American young people have long been labeled as one of the most well-educated and high-achieving groups in the United States. Besides the anxiety to gain academic and professional achievements, they suffer from insecure feelings about their identity, discrimination and conflicts between traditional Eastern and the Western perspectives.

At the same time, cultural stigmas and lack of understanding about mental health in Asian families and the community prevent young people from seeking help.

Asian American experts and mental-health advocates are trying to educate the Asian community about suicide prevention and overcoming a reluctance to seek help.

"Mental Health should not been seen any differently than physical health," said psychological therapist Sandra Yi-Lopez who provides Korean language counseling services in Los Angeles.

I was torn apart

Eric Lu was a typical "golden" child in Asian parents' mind before sliding into a deep depression and harboring suicidal thoughts in 2014. He studied at Harvard University, earned admission to the medical school, and appeared ready to embark on a promising career as a doctor.

Lu was born in Taiwan and moved to Texas with his parents when he was 3 years old. Like many other second-generation Asian American children, he learned traditional Asian values from his family that conflicted with American perspectives he gained from his peers at school and society. "I don't think growing up I really tried to develop my own sense of identity until much later." Luke said. He said he tried to be flexible and "learned to just fit into whatever the prevailing mindset was." And that strategy usually worked, whether home with his family or at school, which was predominantly white.

Neither he nor his immigrant parents expected this "dual identity" would one day lead him to a severe depression or even an ideation to abandon his life.

It was in his first year at Harvard Medical School that he first started to develop his "own self:" He found out his passion - film making, and decided to take a leave from medical school to pursue his goal of becoming a filmmaker.

His parents fiercely pushed back. They could not accept that their son would take the chance to abandon the glory he already achieved and bet on an unstable career. During Eric's two years' leave of absence in Los Angeles, the family had "two to three hours' fight every day" about his career choice. His parents, he said, threatened to kick him out of the family and cut off financial support. "I felt very torn ... very sad, very angry, very conflicted, very devastated."

"The only one time I was disobedient to them and went against them was this time," the Ivy League graduate said. "I've always been very obedient. I played the violin, I did well at SAT and I went to Harvard. Every step of the way, I check off the box they were holding me to."

He finally gave in to his parents and returned to Boston to continue his studies at the medical school in 2014. Soon after that he slipped into deep depression. He shut himself in his room, started failing classes. And things got worse. For more than a month, he kept thinking about jumping off the balcony of his 17th-floor apartment.

Though extreme, Lu's experience represents common anxieties among Asian American students to gain professional achievements. The book, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," by Amy Chua, a Chinese American mother, gained wide attention for her Asian-style obsessive parenting methods that pushed her children to high levels of achievements. Now, some seven years after the Tiger Mom fever, young Asians still suffer mental stress caused by the pressure to be academically outstanding.

A recent study by psychology scholars at Indiana University compares circumstances before suicides among Asian Americans and whites. It found that school problems are twice likely to be the contributing factor for suicides among Asian American and Pacific Islanders under age 25, than for white young people.

Professor Y. Joel Wong, who led the study, said the result is related to a "family perfectionism," meaning parents and children place high expectations on academic success.

Many times, however, the pressures come from not only the Asian community, but from the outside world.

The "model minority" myth, which perceives Asian people as hard-working, best-educated and well-paid achievers among their peers in other ethnic groups, is one of the most prevalent stereotypes facing Asian Americans, especially second-generation, young Asians. Such labels are also tied to Asian students as being quiet, obedient and weak in dealing with social relations.

"It became a thing that you're never allowed to fail. Even when you do succeed, nobody thinks you're worthy of a celebration." said George Qiao, a Harvard senior and Chinese American mental health advocate. He believes the model minority prejudice fosters tensions and self-doubt among Asian American young people, like him and his Asian friends.

Qiao was a straight-A student in a public high school in Los Angeles, where his extraordinary achievements were thought to be a "predestined" by his race. "When I was in high school, I didn't feel proud of anything," said Qiao, "Because people will say like, 'Oh, you aced all tests? It's because you're an Asian.' Then what are you supposed to be proud of?"

The experience resonates with Katherine Xie, a senior at Cornell university who had depression and suicidal attempts during her high school years. Xie said she came through a lot of exterior mental pressures, from the perspectives from her non-Asian peers and portraits by the media: "We're almost like robot in a way" - extremely smart, extremely hard-working, but not being able to share or even have their personal emotions.

The preconceived, wrongly shaped "identity" can be fragile and destructive. Once an individual doesn't succeed in academics or realizes scholarly accomplishments alone do not establish value in the society, a sense of self and identity are shattered. "That became more devastating to Asian students than white Americans," said Wong.

Amid the identity mist and stereotypes, many young Asian Americans feel a strong sense of isolation and insecurity that distances them from the society.

"It's common for Asian Americans to feel insecure ... There is a wall separating me from the white Americans. At the same time, I have abandoned a lot of the heritage that I should have had," Qiao said.

Larissa Lam, a Chinese American singer and a host for a motivational talk show, UTalk, with programming that encourages young adults in the U.S. to discuss life issues, said she saw many Asian American teenagers suffering emotional distress from the loneliness. "Feeling the pressure of both sides of not being quite American enough and not being quite Asian enough." Lam said: "The loneliness, or not fitting in, or belonging, place in their mental health."

A Deep Silence

When Xie overdosed and ended up in the hospital four days before her high school graduation, she had already endured four years of depression. She wasn't conscious of the possible consequence at that time, "I didn't really think that I'm gonna die," she said, "I just didn't have any healthy way to cope with these extreme feelings at that time."

She remembers first telling parents about her internal distress, as a 14 year old. She asked for their permission to get medical treatment, but the thought of it irritated her parents.

"It's not real. Get over it." The Chinese immigrant couple told her. They were angry and disappointed that their child could not handle challenges and hardship on her own.

The family never spoke of her mental health problems again. Instead, Xie tried her best to control her emotions, as her parents suggested. She disguised herself well in front of others. She maintained a 4.0 GPA in school, won national awards and got admitted to Cornell University. But the depression persisted. She cut herself as a way to transfer emotional pain to physical pain and turned to dependence on pills that nearly took her life.

Xie shared her story in the Mighty, an online magazine, in 2016. Her article got more than 2,000 likes and young Asians left comments about their struggles engaging their families in productive conversations.

"How many times have I brought up needing help and have only shown signs of struggling and I'm met with, 'Oh you'll be fine,'" one comment read.

The reluctance to discuss mental health and to seek professional treatment is prevalent within Asian families and the community.

"If this is culturally unacceptable to talk about, it is very dangerous," said Sandra Yi-Lopez, a psychological therapist of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, a non-profit organization that offers mental health support in the United States. She says it's common for young people to rely on drugs and alcohol to cope with mental problems when they are unable to express their feelings. "Especially when drinking is appropriate in a culture; for example, the Korean culture."

The refusal to listen and attempt to understand a child's mental struggles is not a simple case of a distant parent-child relationship. Rather it's a sign of a taboo deeply rooted in values shared by the Asian American community.

Asians' Silence on Mental Health

A mother who lost her son to suicide and a community educator try to break the silence that takes away young lives. (If your video does not display, click here.)

The silence is a coping mechanism of Asian immigrants who sacrificed a great deal to come to the United States and overcame hardships. Their experiences reinforce the values of endurance and resilience. "Seeking mental health treatment is regarded as a kind of character flaw." Xie said.

The "saving face" culture, a ubiquitous desire to gain social respect in the Asian community, is another reason for silence. "Don't air your dirty laundry in the public" is a warning many Asian children hear from their parents. It is considered rude to share negative feelings and mental distress as well as to ask about an Asian's mental health, which causes someone to "lose face."

What's more devastating is the strong shame and stigma that suicide sticks to Asian culture.

Katherine Tong, the Chinese mother, said the family lost friends ever since her son Evan killed himself. "They just didn't want to associate with us, because they think this problem could rub off on their family."

As a result, many families and individuals hide the feelings. They don't go to a counseling or get professional treatment. For young people who are suffering mental distress, this is fatal.

Do you feel anyone around you is not feeling well?

Yes No,but I love to learn more about mental health support

Is your loved one experiencing hopelessness or significant changes in behavior, like withdrawing or unexpected high-efficiency, or showing signs of self-harm?

Yes No, but I'm worried about him/her

Talk with the person. It is hard, but you need to ask explicitly: "Are you thinking about hurting or killing yourself?"

If the person says "Yes."If the person denied or doesn't want to talk about it.

Show your understanding.
Thank him/her for being open to you.
Most important:Ask whether the person is willing to seek professional help!

He/she agreed!"No, I don't think I need that."

This response is what often times you will get. It's tough to admit one's suicidal thoughts.
But they DO need someone to talk about their feelings!
Ask "How are you feeling?"

It is always no hurt to say "Do you want me to accompany you?"
Let his/her know it will be a long battle. And you will always be there.

Don't push them. Let them know you are here and you are listening:"What do you think you need?"

When they are being more open to you, ask about seeking mental health again.

That prompted Lu, who already became a filmmaker in 2015, to direct a documentary about suicides in Asian American families. He came across the story of Luke Tang, a Harvard sophomore who surprised all his family and friends by killing himself in September, 2015. Lu said he had much in common with Tang. "Every part, really to every part," he said. "That's why I wanted to tell the story, because I knew that there are a lot of people out there who are like Luke or me. They might not make it out of their suffering."

In the 26-minute documentary, "Looking for Luke," Tang's parents endeavored to understand why this happened to their beloved son. By talking to Tang's close friends and reading his journals, the parents gradually realized signals of depression in the last stage of their son's life that could have been identified and treated earlier.

Lu hopes with this movie, he can open up a conversations and "give permission or space for people," especially children and their parents, "to talk about deeper, underlined mental distress."

A Slow Progress

Since April 2017, the documentary "Looking for Luke" has been brought to at least 19 screenings in 14 cities across the country. Each screening is followed by a discussion and professional counseling services for the community.

As Lu expected, the movie helped many Asian American young people and their families to take their first step to cope with mental health and suicide issues. "A lot of them asked me: 'What is depression? How can I help my child with his depression?'" He's planning to bring the movie to more places and even Asian countries like China where suicide is also a hidden secret.

Christopher Jun keeps doing one-on-one talks in Koreatown every week. "The Korean community is slowly opening up," Jun said. "Especially for young people."

Following Jun's lead, the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services plans to offer more suicide prevention services in Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese to fill the need for resources in the Asian American community.

The Tong family and the Toh family are working with American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and local suicide prevention groups. They hope that their story can inspire Asian families to cope with mental health with their children.

"It is very important that parents express their love. Parents should tell their kids that: I hope you to work hard and do your best as you can, but regardless of how you do, I still love you." Wong suggests.

For young Asian Americans, Lam, as a second-generation Chinese American, advises that they embrace both their American-side and the Asian-side identities. "Think of it as a strength not a weakness. Growing up I realized ... we have something special that defines us. I can be a bridge to cultures."

And most important, Jun said: "When you are not feeling well, seek help!"

If you or someone you know needs help, here are resources:

General Crisis Lines:
* National Suicide Prevention Hotline (24-hour): 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255
* Crisis Text Line (24-hour): Text TALK to 741-741

For Asian Americans:
Asian LifeNet Hotline: 877-990-8585
(Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean and Fujianese speakers are available)

Southern California Resources:
* Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services provides multilingual suicide support and mental healthcare. For more information, call 1-888-807-7250 (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday).
* Find support groups for suicide attempters and survivors of suicide loss near you: https://afsp.org/find-support/ive-lost-someone/find-a-support-group/

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Why Are Young Asian Americans Killing Themselves?

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Katherine Tong sat in the church pew listening to a eulogy delivered by a father who lost his son to suicide. She thought, "Thank God our family is OK." What she didn't expect was that six months later, her stepson Evan Tong ended his life in his own room saturated with carbon monoxide.

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The "Scourge of South Korea": Stress and Suicide in Korean Society

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"Suicide is everywhere," says South Korean author Young-ha Kim, referring to modern Korean society, in his op-ed for the The New York Times. Countless others have documented what some call "the scourg

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Why South Koreans are trapped in a lifetime of study

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Some 590,000 high school students took the country's Suneung national college entrance exam on Thursday. But for most, the flurry of textbooks and stress never ends, leaving young South Koreans ill prepared for real life.

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In South Korea, grim stories of teen suicide come at a regular clip. Recently, two 16-year-old girls in the city of Daejeon jumped to their deaths, leaving a note saying, "We hate school."

It's just one tragedy in a country where suicide is the leading cause of death among teens, and 11- to 15-year-olds report the highest amount of stress out of 30 developed nations.

A relentless focus on education and exams is often to blame. For a typical high school student, the official school day may end at 4 p.m., but can drag on for grueling hours at private cram institutes or in-school study hall, often not wrapping up until 11 p.m.

"Every high school, they do this," high school juniors Han Jae Kyung and Yoon Seoyoon tell NPR.

The 14-hour days in classrooms reflects South Korean society's powerful focus on educational achievement.

"The overriding impression was just a level of intensity I had never experienced at all," say Tom Owenby. He spent five years in Seoul, teaching English and AP history classes. He's now a professor at Beloit College in Wisconsin, but his Korean experience is hard to forget.

"It's not about finding your own path or your own self as it is about doing better than those around you. It's in many ways a zero sum game for South Korean students," says Owenby.

Everything here seems to ride on a single college entrance exam - the suneung - taken in November. It's so critical that planes are grounded on test day for fear of disturbing the kids.

Results determine which universities students can get into, and since there are as few as three colleges considered top tier by future employers, the competition is fierce and the stakes are sky high.

"The chances of getting into a really top school are the chances of you getting hit by lightning," student Han Jae Kyung says.

It's no surprise, then, that researchers found more than half the Koreans age 11 to 15 reported high levels of stress in their daily lives. That's a higher percentage of stressed out kids than in any of the 30 other developed nations that are part of the OECD, or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

"It's kind of alarming actually. If young students [are] not happy, we cannot guarantee their happiness when they grow up, so our future will be really dark," says Kim Mee Suk, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, which helped conduct the stress study. She ties the demand for college success to a national drive to keep the economy humming.

"We don't have enough natural resources; the only resources we have (are) human resources. So actually everybody equipped with higher education would be best for our country but not good for their own selves. So we have really a big dilemma," Kim says.

She and others are calling for more play time and less test-based curricula. But watching from afar, Owenby says he's not optimistic.

"Even if policymakers were hoping to move in that direction, there's such pressure from parents to try to give their sons, their daughters the best educational opportunity possible. And it becomes what's often termed as an educational arms race," Owenby says.

A race to succeed so intense it can have tragic consequences. And there are social consequences, too. Many parents say they chose not to have more children because supporting all the cramming simply costs too much.
See behind-the-scenes posts from this piece and others at our new East Asia Tumblr, Elise Goes East. Hae Ryun Kang contributed to this report.

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The All-Work, No-Play Culture Of South Korean Education

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In South Korea, grim stories of teen suicide come at a regular clip. Recently, two 16-year-old girls in the city of Daejeon jumped to their deaths, leaving a note saying, "We hate school." It's just one tragedy in a country where suicide is the leading cause of death among teens, and 11- to 15-year-olds report the highest amount of stress out of 30 developed nations.

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This is something very personal to me that I would like to talk about in my paper if you think it is appropriate. I knew Luke. He graduated from my high school and was a role model to myself and many of the people around me. No one knew about the pressures and anxieties he felt. It was a very big shock when hearing about his passing in homeroom sophomore year.

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Harvard sophomore, 19, dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly' less than two weeks into fall semester but no foul play is suspected

Harvard College physics major Luke Tang was pronounced dead early Saturday

Middlesex District Attorney's Office said incident was not considered suspicious

Tang was named a US Presidential Scholar as a high school senior and acted as salutatorian during his 2014 graduation

A Harvard College sophomore was found dead early Saturday in what school officials are calling a 'sudden and unexpected tragedy.'

The passing of Luke Tang, 19, is being investigated by police, but Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana said no foul play is suspected.

Middlesex District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Elizabeth Flock confirmed that the incident was not considered suspicious. It remains unknown at this time where the 19-year-old was found, at what time Saturday or who made the disturbing discovery.

Luke Tang's untimely death was announced in an email that was sent out to students and staff at the prestigious college this weekend.

'This is a very difficult time for those who knew Luke, including his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with each of them,' Khurana said. 'Such a sudden and unexpected tragedy is shocking and evokes strong feelings in all of us, even if we did not directly know Luke.'

The college said it was not releasing the cause of death or any additional details on the circumstances of Tang's passing out of respect for the privacy of his family.

An obituary published in the New Orleans Times-Picayune described the teenager as a standout student who was named Benjamin Franklin High School's student of the year and salutatorian in 2014.

That same year, Tang was also named a US Presidential Scholar.

In his free time, Tang taught violin to underprivileged children and served as concertmaster for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra.

During his freshman year at Harvard, where he was studying physics, Tang became a school teacher at Memorial Church, served on the board of the Harvard Interfaith Forum and was a member of the Asian American Christian Fellowship at the Ivy League university.

The son of Chinese immigrants who arrived in the US in 1990, Tang came from a family of high achievers.

His father, Dr Wendell Tang is a pathologist a Ochsner Medical Center who earned his doctorate from the University of Hawaii; his mother, Christina Tang, is a certified public accountant who works as a senior financial analyst at the Children's Hospital in New Orleans.

Luke's older brother, Richard, is also a gifted musician who is currently studying medicine at Tulane University.

On Saturday evening, Harvard's Lowell House dormitory, where Tang lived, hosted a standing-room-only memorial in honor of the late sophomore.

'This was a profound testament to how important he had been in the short time he was at Harvard,' house Master Daniel Eck told The Harvard Crimso n. 'There is such a strong group of students who are sophomores who know him, knew him, loved him, and will continue to remember him.'

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Harvard sophomore, 19, dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly'

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Harvard College physics major Luke Tang was pronounced dead early Saturday Middlesex District Attorney's Office said incident was not considered suspicious Tang was named a US Presidential Scholar as a high school senior and acted as salutatorian during his 2014 graduation A Harvard College sophomore was found dead early Saturday in what school officials are calling a 'sudden and unexpected tragedy.'

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Khanh's Experience with Foster Care (interview?)

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Khanh's Experience with Foster Care (interview?)

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Asian Women & Discrimination in the Workforce

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Asian Women & Discrimination in the Workforce

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Asian Women and Employment Discrimination

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In this week’s Race/Related newsletter: a conversation with experts, plus a personal essay about discrimination.

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On employment (discriminated/disabilities)

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Stereotypes, Discrimination, & Our Perspective

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A person's condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well being.

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Physical health is defined as the condition of your body, taking into consideration everything from the absence of disease to fitness level. Physical health is critical for overall well being.

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Asian American Students & Their Relationship with Mental Health

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Asian American Students & Their Relationship with Mental Health

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Cultural Factors Influencing Asian Americans on Mental Health

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Cultural Factors Influencing Asian Americans on Mental Health

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Cultural Factors Influencing the Mental Health of Asian Americans

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Having people attend racial talks to promote inclusivity so emails like that are not sent

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A Cleveland High School senior's Twitter post has reverberated across screens, from Seattle to France, with people sharing their own stories of overcoming job hurdles because of language. A strong theme: children feeling emotional toward their immigrant parents.

Share story

Emily Huynh decided to take matters into her own hands when her Vietnamese father received an insensitive email this week from a prospective employer, pointing out his lack of English skills.

The Cleveland High School senior posted about the message online, thinking just friends and a few others in the Asian community would relate. Instead, the 18-year-old ignited a conversation among children of nonnative English speakers spanning the country and globe who say the email speaks volumes about language discrimination everywhere.

The movement grew from a tweet by Huynh Monday night that shows an image of the email to her 52-year-old father - whose native languages are Vietnamese and Cantonese - from an Everett-based delivery company to which he applied for a job. The email, from an HR representative, said: "Let me tell you now, if you no speak English, I will send you home," according to the screenshot.

The company, called Dash Delivery, fired the employee for making the insensitive remark, owner Kevin Bus said in an email. He added the employee was hired to help with recruiting and interviews. Bus apologized to the family, and Huynh said the former employee sent an email, too, that said he sincerely apologizes.

The former employee did not return phone calls for an interview.

Meanwhile, the teenager's message reverberated across screens, from Cleveland High School to France, with people rallying behind the Huynh family and sharing their own stories of overcoming job hurdles because of language. A strong theme: children feeling emotional and protective toward their immigrant parents. A few said they even contacted Dash Delivery, which provides delivery and driving services across the Puget Sound, to express their disappointment.

"Idk why people think they're so entitled to mistreat others just bc they can speak English?" one person tweeted.

"Our Asian parents get stepped on all the time," another said.

Between homework and scholarship applications, Huynh said she usually proofreads her dad's emails, checking for accurate grammar and punctuation. He keeps a notebook with key vocabulary terms and phrases by his computer to learn daily. But because she was busy this week, Huynh said she had no time to help, and her dad sent a message to Dash Delivery Monday without her guidance.

The subsequent response from the HR representative, Huynh recalled explaining to her father, "tried to make fun of you and mock you."

Huynh's father declined an interview through her with a reporter. He is embarrassed but not angered, she said.

"Discrimination always happens against immigrants on the daily, but they don't always bring it to the spotlight," said the teenager, describing her motivation behind posting the email. "I grew up here, and I know about racism, and I know what's happening here right now."

By Tuesday, the tweet went viral. Sitting in class at Cleveland High, Huynh said she was shocked by the stream of responses to her Twitter thread, which later attracted the attention of reporters from all over, including ABC News and Vietnamese and Chinese news outlets.

"This broke my heart bc I read this in my dad's voice and it reminds me of how he struggles to communicate in a complicated language to white people who mock him," one person tweeted.

"My dad's job requires them to take a quarterly written test about their job, but fears he'll potentially lose it due to not understanding a certain word," another said. "He's by far the most hardworking man there."

By Thursday evening, tens of thousands of people had shared the Seattle teenager's thread, which includes photos of her and her father.

"I knew I wasn't alone, but the fact that this many people have contacted me," Huynh said. "It's overwhelming."

Elizabeth Hanley, a Seattle-based attorney who focuses on employment discrimination, said it is not unlawful under state and federal laws for employers to make English a job requirement if the language is "reasonably related" to the position, though very few employees have challenged them in court.

"My experience in dealing with this type of discrimination is, people who are in this category - when they have different national origins - are extremely reluctant to ever make claims," she said. "It's lower-wage workers, and a lot of people aren't aware that it (an English requirement) could be unlawful."

People generally accept it's an employer option, and it is not always an employer option, Hanley added.

Huynh said her father forgives the HR representative and does not intend to take legal action because the former employee "has had enough" from backlash to the email.

Bus of Dash explained: "Our company is an equal-opportunity employer, and it is proud of its diverse workforce. Indeed, the majority of the employees performing the work for which Mr. Huynh applied speak English as a second language, and they represent a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities.

"We hope that everyone who has been affected by this insensitive remark can accept our heartfelt apologies," he added.

Huynh's father and mother moved to the U.S. from Vietnam and China, respectively, in 1995, Huynh said. He worked as an overnight truck driver for more than a decade before getting laid off about two years ago, she said, and he has been doing odd jobs and applying for full-time work since.

"My dad is hardworking, loving and prideful," she said. "I think most immigrant parents are like that."

Huynh's mother, meanwhile, is a sales associate for a grocery store, she said. The family lives in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood; the parents speak Cantonese to each other at home, while Huynh said she and her younger brother, a sophomore at Cleveland High, make a point to infuse English into conversations to help their parents learn.

I say this all the time. People don't understand nor appreciate their privilege in being a native English speaker. People are near killing themselves to get to a level of proficiency to apply to jobs etc. Definitely not something to be taken for granted. https://t.co/M3nekWajTh

- island babes (@aleyahbb) January 24, 2018

This made me sad. People put themselves on a pedestal way too often. You may be good in English, but the other person may be great in another language. Correcting someone is fine, but don't make a person feel small about it. https://t.co/YdjRKCoLZB

- ms. peachy (@jujupeaches) January 24, 2018

I hate when ppl. do this. Something similar happened to my parents and it hurts to think that they get discriminated against for something like this. If they were given the opportunity they would learn. But how can they learn without if you don't even give them a chance?

- BTS_MusicSLAY (@BTS_MusicSLAY) January 23, 2018

this hurts. This is how our parents get treated on the daily and often times, their pure hearts can't even do much about it. Please use your privilege for good and speak up for these injustices you see. We appreciate it more than you know. https://t.co/G6FSTePobZ

- a dead girl (@SeyoungTweets) January 23, 2018

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'If you no speak English': email to Vietnamese man in Seattle sparks emotional response over language discrimination

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A Cleveland High School senior's Twitter post has reverberated across screens, from Seattle to France, with people sharing their own stories of overcoming job hurdles because of language. A strong theme: children feeling emotional toward their immigrant parents.