On July 5, the American singer killed herself in Hong Kong
Chinese Canadians are remembering the late singer Coco Lee () as a leader in promoting Asian representation in North American pop culture. Her death also brings attention to the stigma that Asian communities have around mental health issues.
Lee was born in Hong Kong and raised in San Francisco. Her family says she tried to kill herself and went into a coma, which is how she died last Wednesday in Hong Kong.
Lee had a 30-year career in show business. During that time, she sang and acted in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, becoming famous not only in North America but also in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, where Chinese is spoken.
Her voice for Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney’s Mulan was one of her most memorable roles.MulanIn 1998, and her powerful version of the song nominated for an Oscar,A Love Before Time from the filmCrouching Tiger, Hidden DragonIn 2001 at the Academy Awards show.
Asian representation in North American pop culture that broke new groun
D’arcy Han, a singer and voice actor from Vancouver, was shocked to hear that Lee had died.
Han said she met Lee at an album-signing event in Richmond, B.C., 20 years ago.
“She was a very nice person… “I was blown away by the stars,” Han said on CBC’sOn The Coast“She always seemed like a bright ray of sunshine and full of energy.”
Since then, Han said she had listened to Lee’s music and been inspired by her when, six years ago, she decided to become a singer in China.
She said that she didn’t realize how much Lee had changed the way she sang until she went to China to take part in a singing contest.
“In fact, one of the guest judges told me that… Han told her, “You’re just another Coco Lee.” “I said that I’d be happy to accept the compliment.”
WATCH: D’arcy Han sings in a show put on by China Central Television:
Han said that Lee was a pioneer in representing people of Asian descent in North American entertainment and that he did a lot to make room for different voices in the field.
“In North America, there weren’t as many people of Asian descent in the spotlight in that way, so she probably inspired many Asian girls and boys to want to be artists,” she said.
Lee’s sisters said in a written statement that she had gone to a doctor for help with her depression before she killed herself.
Asian communities have a lot of shame about mental health
Since he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder six years ago, Toronto actor Bryce Seto has worked to make it normal for Asian communities in Canada to talk about mental health.
According to the DSM-5, the disorder is marked by a strong fear of abandonment or instability, problems with self-image, and trouble controlling emotions and behavior.Mayo Clinic.
Seto, whose ancestors are from Hong Kong, said that the cultural stigma that surrounds mental health issues in Asian communities may keep some Asian Canadians from getting help. His ancestors are from Hong Kong.
“The older Asian Canadians really pushed the younger ones to care more about things like school, honor, and family and less about their own feelings.
On CBC’s The National, he said, “You feel like you should be more focused on your own upward mobility. This creates a culture where there is a lot of silence, a lot of stigma, and people aren’t willing to talk about things like mental health.”The Early Edition.
Seto is glad to see that more Asian celebrities are talking about their own mental health problems.
To help his cause, he recently helped start theBlossom Mental Health Fund, a non-profit group that works to help Asian Canadians with their mental health. The fund gives people in need money for psychotherapy and helps them find therapists who can help them in a way that fits their culture.
“Asian therapists understand the cultural nuances and intergenerational trauma that are unique to the journeys of Asian Canadians. This means we don’t have to spend our time in therapy trying to explain, which can retraumatize and cause more problems.”
Seto said that the Blossom Mental Health Fund, which is currently only in Ontario, wants to grow to cover all of Canada in the future.
Here’s where to get help if you or someone you know is having trouble:
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Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 p.m. ET and midnight ET).
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Kids Help Phone Number: 1-800-668-6868. Live chat with a counselor atthe website.
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Association for the Prevention of Suicide in Canada:Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
This guide from the Center for Mental Health and AddictionShows how to talk to someone about suicide when you’re worried about them.