Opo Yeye - Mental Well-being and Cultural Identity of the Afro-Surinamese: A Slavery- Informed Answer to Living in the Twenty-first Century

How unique is the experience of mental well-being in the African Diaspora? This paper presents the application of an emic model of mental well-being of one African Diaspora population on another African Diaspora population. Specifically, an emic model of Afro- Surinamese mental well-being was used to work with African refugees in the state of Kentucky in the USA. The concept of 'mental wellbeing' was used as an expanded sense of 'mental health' to indicate a broader holistic approach.