"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step": An Asian American perspective on mentoring in neuropsychology

Abstract

Objective: The Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA) is a recently established cultural identity-based organization with the mission to ensure accessibility and provision of culturally sensitive neuropsychological services for individuals of Asian descent. One of ANA's programmatic goals has been to foster a pipeline of neuropsychologists through mentoring and networking. In this paper, we aim to understand the historical context as well as unique considerations that are relevant for mentoring in the Asian American community.

Methods: A search of the existing literature in psychology and allied fields such as counseling and sociology was conducted to identify and formulate suggestions for mentoring culturally diverse communities, with a specific focus on Asian Americans. Firsthand narrative descriptions of effective examples of mentoring experiences in the context of shared values are discussed.

Findings and implications: This paper reviews the historical context and establishes an initial contextual foundation for increasing knowledge about best practices that can be used to establish effective mentoring relationships for Asian Americans. Six key considerations were identified: model minority myth, acculturation and enculturation, ethno-racial status and gender, the context of communication, quantity and quality of mentorship, and unique values specific to the Asian American community. Our findings identify the value of cultural identity-based organizations in creating communities that can support the professional development of future neuropsychologists at various career stages. Overall, findings have implications for maintaining the relevance of the field of neuropsychology in adequately serving an increasingly culturally diverse national and international population.

Keywords: Asian Americans; Asians; Mentoring; cultural sensitivity; culture; neuropsychology; training.