Minority Mental Health Awareness Month: Stories, stigma, and strength in parenting

Parenting is a deeply personal and transformative experience, filled with moments of joy, learning, and growth. But it’s also layered with complexity, especially for families from underrepresented communities. The emotional landscape of pregnancy and early parenthood can be shaped by many factors: cultural identity, family expectations, systemic inequities, and lived experiences that aren’t always acknowledged in mainstream care.

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to highlight the unique mental health journeys of parents from historically marginalized communities. While every parent deserves to feel supported and understood, many still navigate care systems that overlook their cultural values, emotional needs, or ways of expressing distress.

To explore this more deeply, we spoke with two experts dedicated to reshaping maternal mental health through inclusive, culturally-rooted care:

• Arija Israel, a maternal mental health advocate, doula, and Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, who is currently pursuing perinatal mental health certification with a special focus on Black women’s experiences.
  
• Noelani Sagapolutele, LCSW, an Indigenous Native Hawaiian leader, therapist, and founder of Wa‘a Collective—a network of Pacific Islander mental health professionals across the U.S. Her approach blends Western therapy with Indigenous wisdom.

In our conversation with Arija and Noelani, we explored the emotional realities that many minority parents face and how care that honors culture, history, and identity can make all the difference.

Cradlewise: What are some common mental health challenges that parents from minority backgrounds may face during pregnancy and early parenthood?

Noelani Sagapolutele: Aloha! As a Native Hawaiian therapist, I see how our minority parents carry unique burdens that often go unrecognized. During pregnancy and early parenthood, many face what I call ‘cultural code-switching exhaustion’ – constantly navigating between their cultural identity and mainstream expectations.

Arija Israel: Parents from minority backgrounds experience the full spectrum of perinatal mental health challenges—like anxiety, depression, and even birth trauma—but what’s different is how layered those experiences can be.

Navigating racism in healthcare, generational trauma, financial stress, and a lack of culturally affirming care are added stressors that exacerbate the distress.

Cradlewise: Are there any factors—such as access to care, community support, or past experiences—that can influence the emotional well-being of minority parents?

Noelani Sagapolutele: Absolutely. In my work with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families, I’ve witnessed how geographical isolation, lack of culturally competent providers, and financial barriers create significant obstacles.

But even more impactful is the historical trauma many carry – past negative experiences with healthcare systems, immigration fears, or discrimination. On the flip side, when parents have strong cultural connections, ‘ohana (family) support, and access to providers who understand their worldview, their resilience shines through. Community support isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for our collective healing.

Arija Israel: Access to quality, culturally responsive care is huge—but so is how safe a person feels accessing that care. For many Black and Brown parents, past experiences with medical racism and dismissive behaviors from even family can make them avoid seeking help. There is also collective trauma affecting wellness as more and more stories are shared in the media highlighting systemic racism.

Cradlewise: Can mental health symptoms like anxiety or depression show up differently depending on cultural or personal backgrounds?

Arija Israel: Yes, and this is one of the most overlooked realities in perinatal care. People don’t typically say “I’m depressed”—they might say they’re tired, overwhelmed, or not feeling like themselves.

For Black women, depression often manifests as self abandonment, irritation, or self criticism. And culturally, many of us are raised to push through pain rather than name it. That doesn’t mean the pain isn’t there—it just means we’re used to ignoring it. Providers need to be trained to listen beyond the checklist.

Cradlewise: How might stigma around mental health impact parents from certain communities when it comes to seeking help?

Noelani Sagapolutele: In many of our communities, seeking mental health support can be seen as personal weakness or spiritual failing. There’s often shame about not being able to handle challenges the way our ancestors did, or fear that asking for help reflects poorly on the entire family.

Arija Israel: Stigma can be a major barrier—especially in communities where mental health is seen as weakness or something to keep private. Parents may fear being judged, misunderstood, or even having their parenting questioned if they admit they’re struggling.

here’s also a fear of having their children taken away if mental distress is self-reported. So instead, they suffer in silence. And that silence can be dangerous.

Cradlewise: What types of support—whether from professionals or within the community—can be especially helpful for parents from diverse backgrounds?

Noelani Sagapolutele: The most powerful support combines clinical expertise with cultural humility. In my practice, I weave together evidence-based therapies with indigenous healing practices, recognizing that we are relational people with stories, ‘ohana, and lineage of greatness.

Community support like cultural birthing circles, elder wisdom-sharing, and traditional postpartum care practices are invaluable. Professional support works best when providers understand concepts like collective identity, extended family systems, and cultural values around child-rearing.

Arija Israel: We need more therapists of color who understand diverse backgrounds, doulas who are trained to recognize perinatal distress, and policies that support and promote access particularly for the economically disadvantaged. For Black and Brown families, community is the ultimate cheat code.

Cradlewise: What advice do you have for friends, partners, or workplaces that want to better support a parent’s mental health journey?

Noelani Sagapolutele: Listen with your whole heart, not just your ears. Ask questions like ‘How can I honor your cultural practices while supporting you?’ rather than imposing what you think they need. Educate yourself about their cultural background and the unique challenges they face.

Create space for them to express their struggles without judgment. Workplaces can offer flexible policies that respect cultural postpartum practices and provide mental health resources that include culturally responsive providers.

Arija Israel: Start by listening without trying to fix. Ask how they’re really feeling—not just how the baby’s doing. Offer practical help, but also emotional check-ins. Don’t assume strength means they’re okay.

Cradlewise: How can healthcare providers make their care feel more welcoming and supportive for families from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds?

Noelani Sagapolutele: Healthcare providers must move beyond cultural competency to cultural humility – recognizing that each family is the expert on their own cultural needs.

This means asking about cultural practices, accommodating extended family involvement, understanding different communication styles, and having diverse staff who reflect the communities they serve. Most importantly, providers need to examine their own biases and create truly safe spaces where families don’t have to choose between their cultural identity and quality care.

Our communities deserve mental health support that honors who we are, not who we’re expected to become. When we create culturally-conscious care, we’re not just treating symptoms – we’re healing generations.