Resource Description:

Adolescence is a critical time for identity formation, and for youth of color, this often includes navigating complex experiences related to their race and ethnicity. In multicultural counseling, it is essential to understand how identity shapes mental health, self-esteem, and resilience. This resource aims to empower Vietnamese-American youth with language, insight, and pride in their cultural identities, while giving counselors a creative and adaptable tool that supports both individual growth and collective healing.

Our resource includes a series of reflective prompts centered around navigating two cultures, heritage, and race & identity, and is designed to help Vietnamese American adolescents explore and affirm their cultural identities. This focus is grounded in research that supports the idea that a strong ethnic identity is linked to greater daily happiness and lower levels of anxiety and distress among youth, “a strong ethnic identity can serve as a protective factor in adolescents’ everyday psychological well-being” (Kiang, Yip, and Fuligni 2008). By helping youth connect with their heritage and develop a positive sense of self, our tool aims to support emotional resilience, reduce psychological distress, and foster a deeper sense of belonging in culturally meaningful ways.