Similarly, Maya Wiley, a former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio and current mayoral candidate, says that Yang’s comments were "deeply lacking in compassion" and that he might have been fearmongering for votes. Yang’s top competitor in the race, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, told the New York Times that he was “really disturbed” by Yang’s “demonization” of people with mental health problems. As studies have proven, these mischaracterizations prevent folks from getting health care, employment, and more. The Coalition for the Homeless has found that the main cause of homelessness in New York City is lack of affordable housing, and that the city’s homeless population is disproportionately Black and Hispanic/Latinx.Īs other New York City mayoral candidates and mental health advocates have pointed out, Yang’s umbrella statements lack empathy and contribute to stigmas the mentally ill and homeless face. The unhoused population includes many people who have simply lost the ability to afford rent or left unstable home situations behind. Yang has painted New York City’s unhoused residents as a threat to tourists and the economy, but studies actually show that they are more at risk of violence and endangerment than the other way around. The AAPI community has continuously expressed a need for a better understanding of mental illness - given that it is taboo to discuss the topic within many AAPI families - but Yang has demonstrated again and again that he may not be the mental health ally we deserve.įurthermore, not only is Yang’s stance disparaging to the mentally ill, it’s also not entirely factual. He encouraged the AAPI community to “embrace and show our Americanness in ways we never have before.” After many pointed out how damaging that mindset is to Asian Americans, Yang suggested his piece had been misinterpreted.Īs an Asian man, Yang is in a unique position to advocate for compassion and greater mental health services. Just last spring, Yang wrote an inflammatory op-ed for the Washington Post about how Asian Americans could be part of the “cure” for anti-Asian racism after hate crimes against AAPI communities increased during the pandemic. During his 2020 presidential run, his brand centered on the idea of him being a man of color who fights for the working class, a claim that has since been debated and, in large part, debunked. Teen Vogue has reached out to Yang’s campaign office for comment.
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