Michael Yam, the host of NFL Total Access on NFL Network, has now ventured into the world of children’s books with his first-ever creation, “Fried Rice and Marinara.”

This heartwarming tale revolves around Mikey Yam, a character just like Michael, who cherishes both his Chinese and Italian heritage. Michael wrote this story to show young readers that it’s okay to have a diverse background and to be proud of who they are.

Drawing inspiration from his own life, Michael wanted to share the joy of embracing different cultures with children. In “Fried Rice and Marinara”, he uses the magic of food to bring the story to life and spark curiosity about diverse backgrounds. Through this delightful book, Michael hopes to encourage kids to learn about their own heritage and appreciate the uniqueness of others.

As a first-time children’s book author and illustrator, Michael faced some challenges, but his passion for storytelling and connecting with young readers drove him forward.

Read through as we learn more about Michael and how he aims to inspire all children to feel confident in their identities with his book “Fried Rice and Marinara”, through an interview with Asian Hustle Network.

BREAKING BARRIERS WITH “FRIED RICE AND MARINARA”

During the course of my career, I have been fortunate enough to speak to students about a path in broadcasting. I have always been disheartened by the lack of Asian representation in media classes. Aside from cultural factors, I believe the lack of widespread representation at high levels of sportscasting is a major reason why Asian American students are picking other career paths.

Strengthening the pipeline is one of the ways I think this changes. If young kids can see themselves in stories, I think it can spark an interest in storytelling. 

MIKEY YAM AS A MULTIETHNIC LEAD CHARACTER

As a kid, I didn’t think anything of the different cultures. I always knew I was Chinese and Italian, but as I got older, I realized that my friends didn’t have to think about or balance multiple cultural experiences that were very different.

Part of the reason I wanted to write “Fried Rice and Marinara” was to have young readers see a multiethnic character in a lead role. I also wanted to spark the thought that families with diverse backgrounds are normal.

At times in my childhood, I thought I had to “pick a side”, which is weird to think about now. I really want young kids to be able to embrace their heritage and be proud of their background. I know for my family, food was a backdrop to everything we did. I wanted to use cuisine as a vehicle to bring the story to life.

NAVIGATING BOTH SIDES OF HIS HERITAGE

First and foremost, it’s about embracing both cultures. I think many people focus on the differences between ethnicities, but we would all be in a better place if we gravitated to what’s the same.

Both my Chinese and Italian sides value family and the joy that comes from spending time with each other. I have fond memories of BBQs as a kid and my birthday parties having both Italian and Chinese food. 

CHALLENGES HE FACED IN THE WRITING PROCESS

I’ve spent my career telling the stories of athletes. I’m comfortable in that realm, but with “Fried Rice and Mariana”, it’s the first time I tried to connect with a young audience in a medium I’ve never worked in.

I have always loved having fun with my nieces and nephews, telling them crazy stories at home. I tried to imagine telling them this story as if we were in person. No, I can’t rhyme on the fly like in the book, but it’s about the tone.

I always love asking kids questions to see where their mind goes. If you notice at the back of the book, there is a page that gives kids an opportunity to write their funky food combinations with the ability to draw them, too. It’s really important to me that the experience with the book doesn’t end when they’re finished reading it. 

WHAT HE HOPES FOR READERS TO TAKE FROM HIS BOOK

I want young Asian readers to be able to see themselves as a main character in a story.

According to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin (2022) you are nearly as likely (39% BIPOC/37% Animal/Object) to see a children’s story about an animal or object than you are to see a story depicting a character from a diverse background. I see that as a problem. 

I want all children to be exposed to various cultures. The child who doesn’t often get to see characters who look like them will hopefully feel confident and have more self-worth. My hope is other children will be exposed to other cultures and develop an appreciation for experiences different from their own.  

CONNECT WITH MIKE YAM

Instagram: @Mike_Yam

Twitter: @Mike_Yam

Threads: @Mike_Yam

Anise Health is on a mission to improve mental healthcare for Asian Americans.

Recognizing the lack of health equity in the existing mental healthcare system, especially for people of color, Anise Health aims to create a positive change by offering culturally-responsive care.

Anise Health wants to make mental health care accessible and affordable for everyone. They work with different health plans and offer affordable plans for those who pay themselves. They have big plans to reach more people of color and support them in their mental health journey. 

Anise Health believes that everyone deserves the care and support they need to live a happier and healthier life. Read through the inspiring insights from Anise Health in an interview with Asian Hustle Network.

ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THE ASIAN COMMUNITY

Anise Health is building the gold standard of mental healthcare for Asian Americans because there is an urgent need to advance health equity.

People of color are extremely underserved by the existing mental health care system, with 50% dropping out of therapy after just the first session. Specifically, 41% of Asian Americans experience current symptoms of depression and anxiety, yet only 30% report feeling supported today. The sharp increase in anti-Asian hate crimes compounded with the model minority myth means that the Asian community often suffers in silence, leading to devastating consequences such as Asian young adults being the only ethnic group with suicide as the leading cause of death.

Anise is on a mission to change these trends by creating a culturally-responsive digital mental health platform built by and for the Asian community. We’re humbled by the incredible results our clients achieve on our platform, including:

• 97% completion rate of the first 4 weekly sessions, which far exceeds the industry benchmark of outsized dropouts after the first session
• 95% of our clients report feeling heard or understood by their provider, demonstrating a strong therapeutic alliance between providers and clients
• Net promoter score of 84 (46 points above the industry average), indicating unparalleled satisfaction with our provider curation and training

SPECIFIC CHALLENGES THAT INDIVIDUALS FACE WHEN SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Asian Americans experience unique stressors such as collectivistic family dynamics, bicultural tension living as a minority in a majority culture, pressure to achieve and perfectionism from reinforced narratives of self-sacrifice, intergenerational trauma from unhealed historical wounds, excessive shame and guilt leading to internalized self-criticism, rigid gender norms and relationship expectations, to name a few. 

Our clinical advisory board comprises pioneering experts in the field who are leading evidence-based research to address these stressors and empower the well-being of the Asian community. We infuse their expertise into our care models and translate this information into digestible educational formats which are curated in our digital resource library.

DESTIGMATIZING MENTAL HEALTH

Anise normalizes mental health by delivering psychoeducational webinars and interactive workshops tailored to Asian Americans. Our clinicians lead these group services across a diverse range of topics for a variety of enterprise partners and schools, including Netflix, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and many more. We also host free community engagement programming with a large network of over two dozen nonprofit partners, as well as speaking at multicultural conferences and celebratory events.

For individuals seeking 1-on-1 services, Anise has developed care models that are clinically validated and culturally tailored, which research shows to be ~5x more effective than one-size-fits-all offerings. We are the only platform providing a holistic suite of services that integrate individual teletherapy, behavioral coaching, peer support groups, alternative medicine, and a curated library of self-service digital resources. Furthermore, our approach enables the accurate assessment of cultural stressors and personalization of care using machine learning technology. Anise’s proprietary clinical care model incorporates cultural adaptation along every step of the client’s journey from intake to blended treatment plans.

THE CULTURALLY-RESPONSIVE CARE MODEL

At Anise, culturally-responsive care means seeing a client as more than just a set of symptoms and diagnoses. Clients are seen as unique individuals whose racial and cultural contexts shape how they experience the world and how their needs are not being met.

Our providers are recruited for their deep expertise in culturally-responsive care and extensive experience supporting Asian clients. Once hired, providers are trained in our proprietary curriculum to explore clients’ intersecting identities and empowered in monthly consultation sessions, which offer providers their own space for connection and continued learning. In fact, our providers are diverse and maintain a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, language capabilities, and therapy approaches.

Therapists and coaches work together as a dedicated team for clients, where the therapist helps the client navigate through psychological history and set concrete therapy goals, while the coach works with the client to achieve these goals. This empowers Asian clients to achieve lasting outcomes.

TESTIMONIALS

• Anise Client – “Therapy had not worked for me before, but after meeting my Anise clinician I have regained confidence in the process and am excited to continue working with my therapist.”
• Anise Clinician – “I found Anise’s clinical model to be such a culturally effective way to provide mental health services for clients and clinicians. Especially the way it incorporated coaching with therapy.”
• Enterprise Partner – “I had never thought about burnout through the lens of cultural identity and how that may impact me. This session helped me understand deeper elements of what I was dealing with.”

ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY

Anise is in-network with Managed Health Network and Optum, and is in the process of contracting with several large health plans, in addition to accepting HSA and FSA benefits. For self-pay clients, Anise is affordable with subscription plans averaging $200 per month, nearly 1/4 the cost of average private practice rates in New York and California. For clients who want to supplement their holistic health, Anise offers clinician-led peer support circles along a variety of diverse themes at only $25 per week.

LOOKING IN THE FUTURE

We have ambitious growth plans to support the Asian community and people of color more broadly, which include expanding to more states, partnering with universities to support students, and offering our services as covered employee benefits for businesses. We are open to feedback and love piloting solutions with our community. Contact Anise Health’s Head of Growth, Angel Wang, for ideas at angel@anisehealth.co

CONNECT WITH ANISE HEALTH

Website: anisehealth.co

Instagram: @anisehealth

Linkedin: Anise Health

TikTok: @anisehealth

Facebook: Anise Health