“Bahala ka sa buhay mo”
This Filipino phrase is often used by parents in a frustrated or dismissive way, more like “Fine, do whatever you want — but the consequences, and there will be consequences, you’ll have to deal with yourself.”
However, literally translated, it means “Your life is up to you.” Rasarea believes in breaking down generational and cultural messages—like this phrase—and transforming them into sources of strength, reclaiming even harsh or normalized expressions of care as pathways to healing and connection. Bahala ka sa buhay mo.
Languages I speak:
English
Tagalog
Spanish
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Rasarea Chan graduated from UC Berkeley in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology. She brings persistence and a passion for creating equal opportunities to her academic and community work. Outside of research, she volunteers as a mentor for teens and with inclusive theater programs for children with special needs. Rasarea plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and joins the Kaizen Lab with curiosity and excitement to learn both from others in the lab as well as from the research itself.
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Rasarea is broadly interested in the intersection of mental health and immigration, with a particular focus on the immigrant paradox among second-generation Asian Americans. As a first-generation college graduate, raised in Oakland, CA by a Filipino immigrant and Cambodian refugee, she is passionate about addressing barriers that prevent lower-socioeconomic and immigrant families from receiving proper mental health care—whether circumstantial, systemic, or cultural. Her first research experience was with the Zhou Family and Culture Lab at UC Berkeley, working on the Language, Emotion, and Development Project (LEAD) with Dr. Qing Zhou and Dr. Williams.
Rasarea aspires to contribute to the growing need for culturally diverse mental health providers. She is particularly interested in how cultural connection and familiarity between providers and clients can serve as the foundation for effective care and healing.
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Immigration