psychology_Sons_(2003)

492 Ethnic Minorities

Fortunately, one of our members, Pat Okura, was execu-

tive assistant to the director of NIMH, Bertram Brown. Pat

gave us very valuable suggestions and help.

• Research.There was little information and knowledge
  about Asian Americans. No large-scale epidemiological
  studies of the prevalence of mental disorders had ever been
  conducted. It was not until the mid-1990s that funding
  been received from NIMH to conduct the first large-scale
  study of the prevalence and correlates of mental disorders
  in an Asian American population (the study was conducted
  by the National Research Center on Asian American
  Mental Health). Funding for such research was difficult
  because of the popular belief that Asian Americans were
  well adjusted and relatively free of mental disorders
  and such studies were unnecessary—a belief we had to
  combat.


• Practice.We felt that mental health services were not
  adequate to meet the needs of Asian Americans. Widely
  documented was the severe lack of utilization of mental
  health services on the part of Asian Americans. AAPA
  tried to encourage the development of more culturally-
  responsive services to Asian Americans and strategies to
  increase utilization.


• Training.There were very few Asian Americans in psy-
  chology, and we needed a critical mass of individuals to
  achieve our goals. AAPA helped to sponsor a 1976 training
  conference funded by NIMH to make recommendations
  for the training of students for future roles in research,
  teaching, and practice with Asian Americans.


• Networking.Also important to AAPA was networking—
  providing opportunities for Asian Americans to meet and
  collaborate.

Because the achievements of AAPA and its members have
been distributed over a 30-year period, it is sometimes
difficult to draw lessons from our organizational efforts.

However, there are several considerations that had a signifi-

cant effect on our growth and effectiveness:

1.A small, dedicated, and persistent group can accomplish

much. While we initially spent a great deal of time trying

to increase membership in AAPA, it was clear that a

few dedicated members would have to do most of the

work in communicating with members, writing the

newsletter, and advocating the interests of Asian

Americans to national organizations and funding agen-

cies, and so on. Time was also spent deciding courses of

action when members had grievances (complaints about

racial discrimination, documenting instances of stereo-

types, etc.), sought advice (e.g., about submitting manu-

scripts for publications), and made requests of one kind

or another.

2.Alliances must be made with members of other ethnic

groups, Whites, key leaders, and organizations.

3.The influence of a small, dedicated, and persistent group

cannot be underestimated. We had many instances of

having a few individuals taking initiative and succeeding.

4.Those who become involved in ethnic issues must realize

that such issues are unlike those typically found in psy-

chology. Ethnic issues can become very emotional and

personal, as well as intellectual. You can be subjected to

personal attacks involving whether actions help or hurt

the ethnic community. On other hand, work on Asian

Americans can be gratifying, not only professionally but

also personally.

Happily, AAPA is ready to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

It includes the involvement of hundreds of psychologists and

psychology students. It has an annual convention, a news-

letter, and an Internet listserve for members to communicate

with each other. Many of us feel a tremendous sense of pride

over AAPA’s accomplishments over the years.

The Challenge of Change: Formation of the Association of Black Psychologists

DAVID B. BAKER

In January 2001, the National Multicultural Conference and
Summit II was convened in Santa Barbara, California. The
sold-out event hosted by four divisions of the American Psy-
chological Association had as its subtitle “The Psychology of
Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Disability:
Intersections, Divergence, and Convergence.” Clearly, the
umbrella of inclusion is now large enough to include many

who had been marginalized, excluded, or otherwise made

invisible in psychology. In recognizing diversity as a value, it

is instructive to remember that not all that long ago there was

little celebration and plenty of struggle.

The social movements of the 1960s were about many

things, civil rights being chief among them. Civil rights based

on demographics such as age, gender, and race/ethnicity had