BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Sometimes traumatic events in a family can be passed down from generation to generation. Experts call this generational trauma, or intergenerational trauma and it can come from things like war, discrimination, immigration and more.

The North Dakota Asian-American Arts and Cultural Initiative hosted its first of several events planned to combine art and health.

This event focused on art therapy as a treatment and a way to explore generational trauma. A panel of experts from different organizations, such as the Sacred Pipe Resource Center and Art From The Heart, came to discuss the subject.

“Generational trauma is just part of you know, what we deal with in therapy, and so the art part, we want to see how we can use that,” said Joan Klein, co-founder of the North Dakota Asian American Arts and Cultural Initiative.

Studies have shown that art can help individuals cope and heal from various traumatic experiences and serve as an expression of feelings that could be caused by generational trauma.

“Art is what helps Joan Klein express herself.“It’s a form of self-expression, I use it to kind of communicate to myself, to my kids, to everyone, how I’m feeling and how I see the world,” said Klein.

The organization wanted this event to start conversations about generational trauma stemming from immigration.

Klein immigrated with her family to the United States from the Philippines when she was 14, a change that impacted her parents’ and hers.

“I was a teenager,” said Klein. “Not knowing a lot of people and thrown into a totally different culture, setting, new environment, so that to me was traumatic itself.”

She said she came to the event in hopes of learning more about the generational trauma that might’ve been passed down to her, and any she could potentially pass down to her children.

Upcoming events can be found on the North Dakota Asian-American Arts and Cultural Initiative Facebook.

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