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BILLY STRAYHORN 1915–1967

American jazz composer and pianist, and the longtime unsung collaborator of Duke Ellington. Inspired by his grandmother, he displayed musical talent from a young age, even saving up money from odd jobs to buy his own upright piano. He wanted to be a classical pianist, but black classical musicians were practically nonexistent, and he soon gravitated towards jazz instead. While still a teenager, he wrote one of his best known songs, “Lush Life,” as well as penning a musical. In 1938, he had the chance to meet Duke Ellington, who was passing through his hometown of Pittsburgh. Ellington was so impressed by what Strayhorn played for him that he invited him to come to New York City, even though there were no official open positions in the band. Strayhorn took him up on the offer. There he met his first partner, fellow black musician Aaron Bridgers. They lived together from 1939 until when Bridgers moved to Paris in 1947. Throughout his life, Strayhorn was surprisingly open about being gay. In 1941, he met the singer Lena Horne because Ellington, who was romantically interested at the time, thought Strayhorn would be a “safe” choice to show her around. Lena Horne ended up falling in love anyway, and said she would have married Strayhorn had he been straight. He did become her mentor, vocal coach, and close friend. And over the course of three decades, he enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with Duke Ellington, using his classical background to create sophisticated arrangements, and writing or co-writing some of Ellington’s best known compositions, including the staple “Take the ‘A’ Train” and the groundbreaking soundtrack to Anatomy of a Murder. But his contributions went largely uncredited, or at least downplayed. Ellington retained many of the copyrights for Strayhorn compositions, and even received their royalties. Strayhorn’s homosexuality may have been one of the reasons he tended to shy from the spotlight, and why others shielded him from it. But he had mixed feelings about his hidden role within the orchestra, and began branching out later in his career, releasing a few solo albums. A civil rights advocate, he attended the 1963 March on Washington, but his health declined soon after. He died from cancer brought on by excessive drinking and smoking, in the company of Bill Grove, his partner at the time. A few months later, Duke Ellington commemorated his memory with the album …And His Mother Called Him Bill. Today, Strayhorn is finally seen not just as a member of Ellington’s band, but as an important and influential musician in his own right.

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Pictured: Students protesting. Photography courtesy of the Asian American Federation

APAHM Spotlight: Asian American Federation

As part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting some amazing organizations that are positively impacting the community. Asian American Federation is a pan-Asian nonprofit leadership organization that represents and supports a network of 70 Asian American community service organizations in New York. They’re focusing on mental health needs in the Asian American community, as a whole, as it’s been affecting a lot of people in the community. We sat down with Deputy Director Joo Han.

The Asian/Pacific Islander community is not monolithic. What are some common misconceptions about this ethnic group?

The Asian American community comprises 16 ethnic groups (including the Arab community who are included in our research) — that speak over 36 Asian languages.

The model minority myth really obscures the diversity and need in the community. For example, Asians are the poorest racial group in New York City, with 25 percent living in poverty (a rate that grew by 44 percent from 2000 to 2016). The majority, or 70 percent, are immigrants, with 70 percent also having limited English proficiency. If you disaggregate the data, you’ll also see that some Asian groups, like Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong, have higher status dropout rates (the percent of 16-24 year olds who aren’t enrolled in school and don’t have a high school diploma) than non-Hispanic Whites.

Mental Health is a journey that many of us go through. Unfortunately, many people of color do not have the accessibility for mental health/resources. How is the stigma towards mental health hurtful in the Asian/Pacific Islander community?

Deep cultural stigma is one of the greatest barriers to accessing mental health services in the Asian American community.

A study found that even though a higher percentage of Asian American high school and college students reported experiencing depressive symptoms compared to their White counterparts, Asian Americans are the least likely group to report, seek, and receive medical help for depressive symptoms due to cultural stigma. This stigma stems from the belief that mental healthcare is “only for crazy people” — or the seriously ill — and comes from honor/shame cultures that suppress negative experiences in order to “save face” or not be a burden to others.

Also, Asian Americans, who bear the additional burdens of the model minority myth and imposter syndrome, can further feel they are “weak” or “inadequate” when they struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, and so forth, which may deter them from reaching out for help.

How can we de-stigmatize mental health needs?

One of the best ways that we can de-stigmatize mental health needs is to develop and spread mental health literacy. Part of spreading mental health literacy also comes from sharing our own stories about how mental illness has touched our lives, whether personally or through a family member or friend, so that we can normalize mental healthcare as we would physical healthcare.

Pictured: AAF’s Executive Director Jo-Ann Yoo & New York Council members. Photography courtesy of the Asian American Federation

How can people continue to support the Asian/Pacific Islander community?

Plug into Asian-led, Asian-serving community-based organizations where you live. There is tremendous need for Asian Americans who can commit their time, expertise, and resources to serving the fastest-growing population in the U.S. And really commit—by volunteering to teach a class in something you’re skilled at, joining a board, or offering to hold a fundraiser. By serving the community, you’re actually investing in resources that will uplift you, your family, and the community as a whole.

Thank you for your time, Joo Han. We appreciate all your work with the Asian American Federation. Tumblr, how do you handle your mental health as a person of color? Use the hashtag #APAHM to share your story.