Hire more Asian CAPS Counselors at UCSB

As published in the 2018-2019 UCSB Campus Profile, students of Pan-Asian ethnicities now constitute 27% of the overall student body (including graduate students). Though Asian students now make up almost a third of UCSB, the amount of resources in terms of academic and campus programs allocated towards the Asian community is disproportionately low. Mental health is a prevalent issue within Asian-American communities— rooted in parental pressure, cultural norms, stigmatization, and bicultural identities. 

In order to adequately support and address mental health issues in the ever growing Asian-American community on campus, UCSB should hire at least 2 more Asian counselors and staff members— starting at CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services). Specifically, UCSB administrators should look to hire Asian counselors of underrepresented Asian cultures— such as those of Burmese, Cambodian, Hmong, Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Mongolian, Pakistani, or Sri Lankan descent— as multiple studies have indicated the importance of cultural sensitivity in mental health intervention as well as the higher satisfaction rates of clients when the health provider is of the same race or ethnicity.

As a federally designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, UCSB should be held responsible for properly allocating resources to serve the very community that enables the school administration to receive race-based funding and grants from the federal government.