Vuong Tran, a Vietnamese American suicide survivor, is using his experience to challenge cultural silence around mental health in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Tran recalls asking his father for the Vietnamese word for “mental health” and learning it translates to something closer to “needs to be in a hospital.” That linguistic gap, he says, makes it hard to say, “I’m struggling.”
Tran’s recovery began with five days in a hospital, followed by support from a church ministry called Soul Care. “I felt seen and understood,” he said. “People listened without judgment.” He found healing in community — through therapy, medication, and groups that offered real connection. “These weren’t surface-level friendships,” he said. “People wanted to know the good, the bad, and the hard — and they followed up.”
Now a volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Tran helps bring resources to AAPI communities. He’s surprised how many still don’t know about the 988 crisis line. “Language and basic steps matter,” he said. “It gives people a way to start.”
Tran also highlights the gendered silence among AAPI men. “Talking about feelings can feel like going against the grain,” he said. But he insists it’s worth it. “You don’t have to do life alone.”
He advocates for using terms like “died by suicide” to reduce stigma and normalize help-seeking. “If the words we have equal shame or crime, people won’t talk,” he said.
See: “AAPI suicide survivor is using his story to help others” (October 4, 2025)
