Perspectives

Perspectives: Cynthia

The “power of community” is what inspires retired schoolteacher, Cynthia Yee, to volunteer as a committee member on the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling’s “Asian Problem Gambling Taskforce.”

Yee’s volunteer participation on the Taskforce has allowed her to share her ideas, contacts and experience at committee meetings; help to staff educational tables at health fairs; serve as a translator during focus groups; and answer Council Helpline calls, assisting people who speak Cantonese and/or Hoisanese to find resources for gambling disorders.

Passionate about her Asian American heritage, and the Boston Chinatown community where she grew up, Yee feels that ‘effort’ is important for a healthy community. “As a community we can do more. I think it is nice when people give what they can of their energy, time, skills and experience. I want to give back where I can to make life a little better for other people.”

Yee has a special place in her heart for causes that help families, especially children. “Gambling addiction has a destructive effect on family life. It has a great economic and emotional impact on children, marriages, mothers and fathers,” she said.

She knows many people who have been affected by gambling problems. “My friend’s father was a compulsive gambler. It has affected her deeply. Even now she is afraid to trust others. When she was a little girl every gift she received was taken away. She moved from place to place because her father was trying to run away from his debtors. When her father died, one friend and I were the only other people at his funeral. It was sad and strange for me. Chinese funerals are usually huge, but it was telling. Gambling addicts often alienate people.”

Yee tells of a childhood friend whose father’s body was found in the Charles River. He was rumored to have jumped off the bridge because of his gambling debts. When she goes into a Chinese bakery for her milk tea, she often sees a young man who frequently tells the older gentlemen from the neighborhood that he lost again and that he is going to have to rent a room at the casino and commit suicide. She knows of a woman who is now lost to her family because she is hiding from them after taking money from the family restaurant business. The woman also told many lies to get money from friends none of which she has repaid. It became an escalating and vicious cycle.

“Gambling is common in Chinatown. There are backroom mahjong games and constant bus trips to the casinos,” stated Yee. Many Chinese believe in luck and superstition. The underlying unpredictability of gambling fits into the underlying unpredictability of the wars, revolutions, disease, famines, and droughts that many Asians have historically experienced. Gambling is an accepted and common form of entertainment. Many Chinese believe fortunes can come and go, so why not give “Luck” a chance.

Yet while Yee feels that problem gambling is prevalent among Asian Americans, she also feels that it’s a challenging topic to address. “Chinese immigrants, fearful of reprisals, tend to mind their own business. They are afraid to get involved in other people’s business. They are hesitant about getting help outside the family. There is a lot of gossip that takes place in the community, and people worry about the shame of it. There is also Chinese patriarchy to contend with. Many Chinese men don’t admit to problems. They see it as a sign of weakness or stupidity,” she said.

When asked why these many reasons don’t deter her from doing what she can to address gambling problems in the Asian community Yee said, “ It is important work. Together we can make a difference. I just want to make a small contribution towards helping the problem.”