KHMER JOY

2024

Advised by Tina Phan & Xinyi Li
View my thesis dossier here.

TOOLS
Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator

DURATION
6 Months

ABSTRACT

The lack of culturally sensitive mental health resources in the U.S. and the foundational Eurocentric values fail to support members of the Cambodian-American community. Recent interests in holistic practices with Westernized, oversimplified, and appropriated care continue to erode its cultural significance and sacredness, distancing from their origins and true intent. For generations, the Cambodian community has relied on healing practices such as meditation, arts, water blessings, and chanting to promote wellness and strengthen community bonds. It is crucial to acknowledge and preserve these ancestral traditions that help reconnect the community, foster healing, and amplify existing cultural strengths.

Using publication and human-centered design methods, this thesis project deconstructs the contemporary mental health system by challenging Eurocentric values embedded in the mental health system. It follows a reconstruction process that re-centers Cambodian values by integrating traditions, art forms, and spiritual wellness through a curated tool kit for the community that is distributed through an exchange process to create a space for shared learning and support.

The kit explores different areas of Cambodian values: spirituality, artistic expression, and culinary practices. It gives a deeper understanding of significant cultural traditions that could strengthen one’s reconnection to Cambodian roots and ancestry.

RESEARCH

Mental health remains a critical concern for the Cambodian-American community. The existing system often lacks cultural sensitivity, failing to acknowledge the effectiveness of traditional healing practices. This project aims to bridge this gap by creating a culturally-sensitive toolkit that empowers individuals to connect with their heritage and explore self-care practices grounded in Cambodian traditions.

I conducted an online survey distributed through social media platforms (Instagram & Facebook) targeting Cambodian-Americans. The survey explored, mental health services, understanding preferred features and resources for the toolkit to align with my audience, identifying activities participants found helpful in maintaining mental well-being and gaining insights into how members of the Cambodian community seek and provide mental health support.

After my findings, I attended a symposium called “Decolonizing Mental Health for AAPI Youth & Families” that gave me insight on the current methods to decolonize mental health and how to create safe spaces for Asian-American individuals. It also provided valuable insights for the toolkit's design principles and introduced me to the idea of deconstructing the Eurocentric biases embedded in the Westernized mental health system. I attended three different panels, researcher panel, clinician panel and caregiver panel. Each panel delve into a different aspect of mental health care and discussions with Asian-American health care professionals. Through a deconstruction, it highlights its limitations in addressing the needs of the Cambodian-American community.

As an experiment, I led a traditional Cambodian line dance session with my thesis class. This exploration aimed to assess the potential of cultural self-soothing activities to promote positive emotions and foster a sense of connection, ultimately informing the inclusion of such practices within the toolkit.

Decenter, Deconstruct, Reconstruct

Inspired by Tuck and Yang's (2012) concept of decolonization as a call for concrete action, I reframed my approach for the toolkit not only simply critiquing the existing system but also, aimed to decenter and deconstruct it. When decentering, this involves shifting the Western model from the center of mental health care. We acknowledge its value but recognize the need for other perspectives, particularly those grounded in Cambodian traditions. By deconstructing, we examine these biases in the Eurocentric model and explore how these biases might undermine the effectiveness of traditional practices valued by the Cambodian-American community.

I reconstructed a framework for mental health that integrates the strengths of Cambodian approaches. This reconstructed framework would create a space for culturally-relevant interventions and empower the Cambodian-American community to connect with their heritage while addressing their mental well-being. It creates space for a more inclusive approach to mental health that incorporates the strengths of Cambodian healing practices.

Cambodian Traditions & Spirituality

To further the development of the toolkit, I researched on Cambodian traditions, spirituality, and the arts. I explored the historical and local resources to find traditional Cambodian practices that promote mental well-being. This included mindfulness techniques, plant-based remedies, and community rituals. I found that Cambodian Buddhism is deeply embedded in the culture. Studying Buddhist principles and practices like meditation, loving-kindness, mindfulness and acceptance provided insights on the role of spirituality.

Cambodian arts like silk-weaving and dance offer avenues for emotional expression and community connection. I researched the history and cultural significance behind the art forms to explore how I can wove these silk-weaving pattern elements into the design of the toolkit.

Khmer Joy is a product for Cambodian-Americans that introduces healing approaches from our heritage and advocates more culturally sensitive care for the community. A toolkit is designed and it aims to help individuals learn the various ways of healing practices derived from Cambodian culture.

Many mental health resources lack cultural sensitivity, failing to address the unique experiences and needs of the Cambodian-American community. This toolkit aims to bridge that gap by:

Challenge the assumptions embedded in the Eurocentric mental health system.
Re-introducing and explore the significance of traditional Cambodian practices in supporting mental health.
Empowering Self-Care: Providing resources and activities that can be integrated into daily life to promote well-being.

The toolkit is divided into different sections, each focusing on a core aspect of Cambodian wellness:

Deconstruct & Reconstruct (Tracing)
A zine that serves as an introduction on the deconstruction and reconstruction process.
Experiment 2: Recenter (Intervention)
A recipe book that explores cooking based on herbal medicine and meditation and mindfulness cards teaching spiritual practices.
Experiment 3: Exchange
The exchange of toolkits to another person. A small note is included where previous owners of the toolkit can write messages such as encouragement and their favorite parts of the kit for the next person receiving it.

Experiment 1: Introduction

I designed a Introduction zine that encapsulates the deconstruction and reconstruction of mental health while introducing traditions that is within the toolkit.

Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Mental Health: The zine content aims to deconstruct the current, Eurocentric mental health framework, highlighting its limitations in addressing the needs of the Cambodian-American community. It then aims to reconstruct a framework that re-centers Cambodian values and integrates traditional healing practices.
Introduction to Traditions: The zine served as an introduction to the traditions included within the toolkit itself. This provided context and understanding of the practices before individuals engaged with them in more depth through the toolkit parts.

By focusing on these areas, this project seeks to amplify existing cultural strengths and create a space where traditional Cambodian healing practices can complement, not replace, mainstream mental health care.

Experiment 2: Recipe Book

Flavors of Healing is a recipe book that combines traditional Cambodian cuisine with the concept of cooking as a form of meditation. The book features recipes incorporating Cambodian herbal remedies, highlighting the interconnectedness of food, mindfulness, and well-being. Cooking will be presented as a practice for mindfulness, encouraging focus on the present moment, mindful selection of ingredients, and the rhythmic processes of food preparation. Recipes showcase the rich flavors and diverse ingredients of Cambodian cooking, with a focus on seasonal produce and local specialties. Each recipe will incorporate traditional Cambodian herbs that is known for their medicinal properties. It also follows the hot and cold medicine that is also found in Traditional Khmer Medicine.

Experiment 3: Metta Bhavana Card Deck

This card deck is designed to introduce Cambodian meditation practices, mindfulness practices, and affirmations. Each card will feature either a Cambodian meditation practice, mindfulness practice that have exercises used in Cambodian spirituality, such as mindful breathing techniques or affirmations. These practices will help the user cultivate present-moment awareness and integrate mindfulness into their daily life. Affirmation cards include statements based on Cambodian proverbs and common Buddhist teachings for self-talk and encouragement. The card deck serves as a bridge between Cambodian mindfulness traditions.

Exchange: Distribution of Toolkits

The toolkit aims to foster not only individual well-being but also a sense of community connection. Toolkits will be distributed at Cambodian Buddhist temples. There will be a Toolkit Exchange Event once a month where people can bring their used toolkits and exchange them with others through a Buddhist offering ceremony. This creates a space for shared learning, support and cultural exchange. During these sessions, people can share the toolkit and discuss their experiences.

Here's how I plan to distribute the toolkit:

Our local Cambodian Buddhist temples will serve as primary distribution place for the toolkit. Temples are often act as a source of the Cambodian community’s main social hub to connect culturally and also find spiritual support.

At the monthly Toolkit Exchange Events there will be open discussions to share your experiences using the toolkit and use the toolkit in a group setting. It will allow participants to share personal journeys, ask questions, and offer support to one another. This will also be the time where the sign-in sheet is used and the toolkit owner can write words of encouragement to the next person receiving the toolkit. Through discussion, participants can learn different ways to utilize the toolkit and discover practices that resonate most with them and also finally, offer the toolkit to the next person in that event.

Senior Thesis Show

Final set up and products of the toolkit.