“Growing Up Asian in North America: Mental Health, Expectations & Breaking the Glass Ceiling”

Event Details

Asian professionals carry invisible layers of pressure — cultural expectations, immigrant identity struggles in Western societies, and the emotional weight of high-responsibility careers such as first responders, counselors, and healthcare workers. We are taught to be the “good” daughter, son, mother, father, or citizen — strong, successful, self-sacrificing — while silently navigating trauma, burnout, and internal conflict.

From the stereotype of emotionally distant Asian men to the “tiger mom” who loses herself in endless responsibility, relationships often suffer under unspoken expectations. Romance fades during childbearing years and while caring for aging parents. Women feel torn between personal desires and cultural duty. Men struggle with emotional expression shaped by generational norms.

This session explores how immigrant experiences, cultural conditioning, and professional pressures intersect to impact our mental health, careers, and relationships — and how we can consciously break through these internal and external glass ceilings to rise to the next level, both personally and professionally.

The NAAAP Wellness & Self-Care Program for 2026 is focused on nurturing a culturally informed space dedicated to emotional clarity, holistic wellbeing, and community connection. Interactive workshops blend emotional awareness with the lived realities of Asian upbringing, identity, and life in North America. Together, we will explore how upbringing and intergenerational beliefs influence our identities and how they show up in our stress, relationships, leadership, and overall wellbeing.

Special Guest Panel...

Si Liew is a speaker, Registered Nurse (BScN), Occupational Health Nurse, holds MBA, and Qigong practitioner specializing in emotional wellness and cultural healing. She is the founder and host of the Edmonton Fearless Women Summit, where she builds safe, supportive spaces for women and girls to grow, heal, and lead authentically. Her work is shaped by her own journey through decades of cultural silence, overachievement, and unspoken emotional weight. Today, she helps Asian professionals understand the generational patterns behind burnout, people-pleasing, low self-esteem and perfectionism. Her mission is to empower women to step out of survival mode and into their most confident, connected, and liberated selves.

	Mrinal Gokhale - An author, writer, speaker, and consultant based in Milwaukee, WI. Her work focuses on mental health, disability, neurodiversity, and the model minority myth within the South Asian diaspora. Through her writing and advocacy, she explores identity, stigma, and cultural expectations with honesty and nuance. You can read her work at linktr.ee/mgokhale.
	Alex Ngan - A Human Resources Information Management Team Lead with the Edmonton Police Service, Alex brings a cross-cultural perspective shaped by his upbringing between Hong Kong and Canada. With prior experience at global institutions including HSBC, S&P Global, and AXA Wealth Management, he has led regional HR initiatives across Asia. His work focuses on building people-centered systems, fostering inclusive cultures, and advancing HR innovation.
	Hanna Essenburg has been in the trenches — marching, organizing, fighting for change — until burnout stopped her cold. She gets it in a way most people don't. Now she works with nonprofit folks and activists who are running on fumes, using tools like tapping (EFT) and breathwork to help them settle their nervous system and figure out their next move. You shouldn't have to destroy your health to do meaningful work. Hanna shows you how to keep going and actually stick around for the long haul. Reach her at pathtoimpactcoaching.com.
	Maylynn Quan - A photographer and founder of Kids Canada, Maylynn Quan explores how identity is shaped by colonial history and intergenerational trauma, particularly within Asian diasporic communities. Drawing from her background in photography, she approaches her work with a deep sensitivity to human experience and connection, integrating practices such as Qigong to support both mental and physical well-being and create space for healing, self-discovery, and reconnection beyond inherited expectations. Tuesday, April 21, 2026; 8:00 p.m. EST Hosted online on Zoom Complimentary registration for NAAAP Members with priority access Complimentary registration for Non Members REGISTER ONLINE by or before Tuesday, April 21, 2026; 12:00 pm The NAAAP Wellness & Self-Care Program is a progressive, culturally informed journey designed to support Asian professionals in building emotional resilience, identity confidence, and holistic wellbeing. Inquiries & Questions: connect@naaaptoronto.org

Ticket Name	Sale Ends	Price	Quantity
NAAAP Members-Login to your account	21 Apr 2026	Free	Log In Required
Non Members	21 Apr 2026	Free

When

Date: 21 Apr 2026

Time: 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

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Location

Hosted Online on Zoom

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