#DiabeticAAPI Experiences Entry Form

Aloha and thank you for your interest in advocating as someone caring for or living with any type of insulin dependent diabetes of any Asian American and/or Pacific Islander descent much like ourselves. Over the years, through progressive social movements such as BLM and #stopAAPIhate, we’ve come across another obstacle while advocating for our daughter’s Type 1 diabetes specifically as AAPI. It’s especially challenging within our culture to battle stigma surrounding diabetes because we are often looked down upon or gaslighted into thinking we caused it ourselves. However, that carries a deeper meaning as a multi-ethnic Native Hawaiian [bloodline – not geographical], Native American, Chinese, Okinawan born and raised in Hawai’i like my family and self.

We’d love the general population and diabetes community to know that our experiences are real. We want to feel validated and supported as we’ve also tried our best to advocate for anyone of any age from any background with any type of insulin-dependent diabetes in previous years. Please help us feel heard in a sea of white and black. Where being “outspoken” in all Asian cultures is forbidden and/or “unlady like.” We have been taught through many generations that Asian women should be docile and submissive. Let’s break that toxic cycle! Afterall, this is “America” – one of the wealthiest countries in the world [sarcasm intended for my mental health].

Note: Please know we have no malicious intentions. We’re just tired of being gaslit even within the diabetes community across BIPOC and white folks both in real-life and online. If you’ve been fortunate enough to have more “positive” experiences than ours, then please help share our struggles instead of dismissing them while we aim for inclusion and truly advocate for #insulin4all.

Tell us of your experiences as AAPI

In an effort to help share ours and your experiences of stigma, access and affordability of insulin, will you kindly answer this brief questionnaire please? Please select the option below if you would like to remain anonymous. I’m all too aware and have experienced many racist remarks as an “opinionated” [yet facts to back it up] main caregiver to my T1d child in recent years and want you to know that I’m trying my best to keep my peace and online spaces safe for fellow advocates with strong boundaries in respect for self and others.

Please complete the form below

Please kindly fill out the form below to submit your entry. All entries will be made public on my social media platforms – not Facebook. You must be following @type1diabetic_life on Instagram and Twitter @t1diabetic_life if you would like us to see, tag and reshare your photo(s). Mahalo for your support! You may also email me directly with a (one) clear photo and details requested below to typeonediabeticlife@gmail.com. Your answers will help shape the latest infoblog post I have drafted and are very much appreciated!

Your name if living with insulin dependent diabetes(required)

Name of Parent or Caregiver (if applicable)

State of Residence (optional)

Name/Nickname of Child with diabetes (if applicable)

Email(required)

Social Media handle @username (optional)

What ethnicity are you? Individuality is as important as sharing your unique experiences especially if that of lesser represented Native Hawaiian and/or Pacific Islander.

What stigma have you endured living with diabetes?(required)

Does your culture support those living with diabetes? Please elaborate if able.

Do you have access to life-saving insulin & diabetes supplies (ex: test strips, glucose meter, CGM, pump supplies, etc)?

Anything else you want to share regarding living as AAPI with diabetes? (optional – make it personal)

Full Disclosure: By completing this form, you release all liability from Shelsea, founder of the T1dLife blog, a single proprietorship – not a corporation (no other employees). Your privacy is of utmost importance and will not be sold to any other entity for profit or any other personal gains. This is purely to spread awareness, educate, and encourage others to help make positive changes in our “minority” communities.

Mahalo!

We hope to continue supporting those who’ve genuinely supported us all these years. Thank you for your entry! We must keep pushing forward with strength, wisdom, and greatness. Or, as we say in ‘Olelo Hawaiian, “Imua” [e-moo-ah]! As much as we strive to advocate for each of our fellow Asians and Native Hawaiians, we hope they can also do the same and pay it forward to somebody in some way one day. We hope our efforts will help rebuild our communities like that of our ancestors who fought so hard to gain our freedoms and place in this messed up world. We must do it for our children and future generations.

Malama pono [live well],

Shelsea & Coral

Examples of #diabeticAAPI experiences on Instagram

Each of your stories will be shared on our Instagram and possibly on twitter for easy resharing to your own social media. I will also contact you via DM with the post and original graphics once it’s done. Any mention [@type1diabetic_life] is much appreciated especially since it takes days for me to complete the background and layout of the original graphics and edit the text as appropriate for each individual. Mahalo nui loa [thank you very much, in Hawaiian] for your patience, time, and allyship. Any constructive criticism or feedback is much appreciated.

Anonymous experiences shown below: