Photos: Let’s Talk About Filipino Mental Health (and Do Karaoke)

Moderator Ada Tseng of The Times, left, with panelists Agnes Constante, Christine Catipon, Tess Paras, Joel Relampagos and Anthony Ocampo in conversation in L.A.’s Historic Filipinotown on Sunday.  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

The event, “Let’s Talk About Filipino American Mental Health (and Do Karaoke),” was a collaboration between The Times and Sunday Jump, an open mic series that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Panelists Anthony Ocampo, Joel Relampagos, Tess Paras, Christine Catipon were interviewees and sources in Agnes Constante’s yearlong series on Filipino American mental health, supported by the Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Stanford staff psychologist Christine Catipon spoke about how it can be difficult for Filipino Americans to talk about mental health. She finds her Filipino American clients find it helpful when she talks about Filipino values like hiya, kapwa, pakikisama and utang na loob — and how that affected them growing up.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Director and actor Tess Paras spoke about her short film “The Patients,” an autobiographical story about her experience with inimate partner violence — and how she realized the need for this type of conversation in the community when young Filipina Americans started reaching out to her and wanting to talk to her about similar struggles.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

TV producer Joel Relampagos explained how he started the mental health platform Change Your Algorithm, wanting to give back to the community after rehab saved his life. He also got the crowd laughing with an analogy comparing layers of halo-halo to the layers of emotions we all have.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Professor Anthony Ocampo brought a sociological perspective, asking the crowd to think about how families, organizations, churches, countries and societies affect an individual’s mental health. He also emphasized the importance of highlighting stories that are often less visible, including the experiences of queer and trans, undocumented, working-class and disabled Filipino Americans.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

The panel was held at the Pilipino Workers Center.  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Panelist Relampagos led the crowd in a gratitude-focused grounding exercise, as a transition between the conversation about Filipino American mental health and karaoke.  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Maddy Dimayuga — musician and marketing coordinator for SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) — sings Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Record On” at the Nov. 13 L.A. Times and Sunday Jump karaoke competition.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Stanford staff psychologist Christine Catipon is also the vice president of the Asian American Psychological Assn. She chose to sing Journey’s “Open Arms,” as a tribute to Arnel Pineda.

  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Joel Relampagos performs “She Bangs,” by Ricky Martin, on behalf of Change Your Algorithm, a free mental health support program that offers classes taught by volunteer therapists from around the world.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Isha Sakhalkar, singer and mental health clinician for Pacific Asian Counseling Services, performs “I Want to Break Free” by Queen.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Helen Garcia, a therapist from Yellow Chair Collective, sings Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” Lean on your therapists when you’re not strong, she told the crowd.
  (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) clinical supervisor Yun Park performs Adele’s “Lovesong,” with the help of some dance accompaniment.   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)

Rafael Hernandez, Little Tokyo Service Center‘s development and event coordinator, was the day’s karaoke winner — performing Tevin Campbell’s “I2I (Eye to Eye)” from “A Goofy Movie.”   (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)