OAKLAND — “Laughter Is the Best Medicine,” an evening of fun to help raise awareness about a serious issue — the importance of mental health and disabilities in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities — will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, from at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC), 388 Ninth St. in Oakland Chinatown.
The event features L.A.-based Japanese-Finnish American actress Amy Hill, whose recent TV credits include “Enlightened,” “The Office,” “Arrested Development” and “The Mentalist”; and New Jersey-based Korean-Jewish comedienne Esther Goodhart, host of “Asian America” on PBS and WOR Radio’s “The Jewish Hour.”
The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) and Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California (APIDC) are partnering with the OACC to host the second “Laughter is the Best Medicine” event.
Mental health and disabilities remain topics that are not often discussed in the community. This is often due to stigma, lack of adequate information, or fear of not knowing what to do or say. NAAPIMHA, APIDC and OACC are all committed to improving the quality of life within the diverse AANHPI communities and through events such as this, they hope to not only raise awareness but also change how we address these issues. Individuals who have experienced challenges are also very capable of leading productive, meaningful lives if given the proper support, resources and services.
For further information, contact JR Kuo at (626) 848-4189 or jrkuo@gmail.com. Order tickets online at http://laughtermedicine.eventbrite.com/.
For more information on OACC, visit http://oacc.cc/.