Resources

At its heart, respect for diversity in our workplace is respect for humanity. While we strive to find ways to incorporate anti-racism in our daily lives, we are constantly reminded of the  presence of racism in our society, most recently through the rise of anti-AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) violence in our country.  From the horrific fatal shootings in Atlanta to the unthinkable violent attacks against elders in our own Bay Area, we are saddened and sickened by these displays of hate.  

We have been deeply affected by the stories we have heard. The pain of the recent attacks runs deep, directly impacting members of our department and instilling fear in the broader AAPI community.  

Unfortunately, anti-AAPI racism is not new, and these attacks remind communities of past traumas and a lifetime of being targeted because of who they are. Our country has long tolerated anti-Asian biases, which have been exacerbated recently by the irresponsible rhetoric of some people in positions of power, as documented by a 2000% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the last year alone.

We both know this pain. On the national stage, we have also witnessed the dehumanizing mistreatment, beating, and killing of people who look like us. We stand with our colleagues in these painful moments, hoping that we can all move together toward a state where common respect for the humanity in each of us helps us see the “other” as “us.” The pandemic has revealed many painful realities but underscoring it all is our deep interconnectedness. To our AAPI colleagues: we see you, we hear you, and we support you.

We thank our colleagues who have spoken up and shared their stories: Joy Wu, Joseph Wu, Sean Wu, Linda Nguyen, Stephanie Harman and many others, and hope you all have an opportunity to join our department in a Grand Rounds on April 14, 2021 to hear Michael Lu, MD, MS, MPH  Dean of UC Berkeley School of Public Health speaking on taking a stand against Anti-Asian Racism. Below is an excerpt of a statement that Joy Wu, Joseph Wu, Sean Wu have already shared with the cardiovascular institute:

“As we became a part of the medical and research profession, the sense of alienation was reinforced by being told constantly by our patients, our professors, our classmates, our colleagues: “You all look alike,” “you are too quiet,” “your English is pretty good,” - reminders that we never fully belong. These near-universal experiences of racism by us and our AAPI peers growing up in the US have unfortunately remained for far longer than they should.

For all of AAPI students, staff, faculty, we want you to know that we are here for you and to support you during this most difficulty time. We understand your fears and your frustrations and want you to know that you have allies here at Stanford who will help you with what you need. For our non-Asian colleagues who are willing to take a stand against anti-Asian hate and violence, we ask that you reach out to your friends in the AAPI community and let them know that you are thinking about them and are willing to help with their needs, contact your government officials and ask them what they are doing to support the AAPI community right now, and to call out racism and stop it anytime you see it happening to make it known that anti-Asian racism is not tolerated by anyone, whether or not s/he is a member of the AAPI community.”

Please be on the lookout for a fireside chat to further discuss the events in the AAPI community.

And as always, a list of resources:

Report a hate crime

         Off-Campus:

        https://stopaapihate.org/

        https://stopaapihate.org/

        On-Campus: Acts of Intolerance

Counseling:

            CAPS – Talk with a Psychologist

            Well-Being @Stanford – Talk with a well-being coach

            Bridge Peer Counseling – 24/7 peer support counseling and support on the phone

            Grieving at Stanford

Sexual Harassment/Assault Response  Education – Talk with staff members who are professionally trained in matters related to sexual violence, stalking, sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, positive sexuality and health relationships.

General Resources:

Harassment & Hate towards Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders during COVID-19

President Biden’s Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism and Xenophobia, and Intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Anti-Asian Violence Resources

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Hate Crime Resources

Movement Hub: Created to amplify on-the-ground activism and organizing within the AAPI communities across the country

Stanford Medicine Stop Asian Hate Town Hall

Stand with Asian Americans: A commitment from Asian American business leaders to donate $10M to combat Anti-Asian violence and racism

Wendy Caceres and Tamara Dunn

Associate Chairs – Diversity and Inclusion

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February 2, 2021

Happy Black History Month! As we acknowledge that Black history is important to our nation’s narrative on a daily basis, we also want to celebrate during this month (established in 1976) that commemorates the many African-American stories and voices that have enriched our country’s history. Too often these stories and voices have been stifled or silenced by the structural racism that is a direct consequence of slavery. We want to give voice to the Black community that has been marginalized and create an anti-racist community.

Please join us for February Grand Rounds where we will honor Black History Month by welcoming all Black speakers. This month we are thrilled to have Michelle Albert, Quinn Capers, Carla Pugh (along with panelists), and Rhea Boyd presenting. This is the perfect segue to our yearlong commitment to diversity, and only the beginning of our efforts; we are not limiting Black speakers to February alone. As Bob mentioned in his recent message our department’s diversity and inclusion efforts will be showcased year round. So stay tuned!

Part of the journey to anti-racism involves educating ourselves about our real history. The history most of us learned growing up was incomplete, and unfortunately even in medical school there are often glaring omissions. To begin to remedy this, we invite you to educate yourself. Last month we recommended Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. If you haven’t had a chance to read this important book, put it on your list! And this month, we’d like to share a few more resources:

·      1619 is a podcast that looks at our country’s history through the context of slavery and reports on the many contributions of Black Americans.

·      The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a powerful book that investigates the ethics of race and class in medical research.

·      The Stanford Center for Racial Justice hosts Tuesday Race Talks, a presentation that explores current issues related to race and racism. View upcoming events here.

·      Finally, we encourage you to join the Department of Radiology’s four-month Racial Equity Challenge. Participants will be provided with a list of resources on topics like implicit bias and systemic racism and will be challenged to engage with several of these sources each month. They will then share what they’ve learned in a monthly discussion group. You can sign up to join here and you can view the monthly discussion group schedule below.

• • Friday, March 5, 12-1pm – Groundwork: Defining “Racism;” How to Talk About Race and Racism
  • Friday, April 2, 12-1pm — Race and Power in our Individual Interactions: Microaggressions & Tone Policing
  • Friday, April 30, 12-1pm – Race in Society: Police Brutality, Affirmative Action, & the School-to-Prison Pipeline

o   Zoom information: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/99434596610?pwd=VWFYcG5BQlp3S3R6aElvWVJpV2dOQT09

Meeting ID: 994 3459 6610 

Password: 506779

Thank you, and we hope you have a great February!

- Wendy & Tamara

January 19, 2021

Colleagues - 

As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy this week, we thought it would be a perfect time to introduce ourselves and this corner to you, and to reflect on the America Dr. King envisioned. I’m Tamara Dunn, an Assistant Clinical Professor and Program Director of the Hematology Fellowship, and I’m Wendy Caceres, an Assistant Clinical Professor and Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency. We are the newly appointed Associate Chairs for Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine and together we are committed to ensuring that our community remains supportive and inclusive. We also want to be intentional about helping establish an anti-racist environment.

We know many of you were horrified, appalled, and galvanized to action after witnessing yet more murders of unarmed Black people in our country this past year, as well as the stark disparities in COVID-19 mortality rates. We also know that the insurrection at the capitol on January 6th was a devastating blow to our democracy and further exposed the deep divisions in our country. We are part of a profession that is committed to the health of all our patients and to do no harm or injustice. In the spirit of lifelong learning, we will regularly share recommendations on readings and events so you can join us and others in the conversations that will help propel us towards the goals of equity and inclusion.

With that in mind, we welcome you to explore the resources at the Martin Luther King Jr Research and Education Institute right here at Stanford. There you will find The King Papers among other initiatives and research supported by the Institute. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/

We also invite you to read Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, which provides an important analysis that contextualizes the current plight of Black people in our country, including the role of slavery. Ms. Wilkerson will be coming to Stanford on January 28, 2021. https://cardinalservice.stanford.edu/opportunities/transcending-caste-isabel-wilkerson

Also on January 28, 2021, Stanford will host the 14th Annual Clinical Excellence Summit with the theme of “Bridging for Health Equity” led by our very own Megan Mahoney, Chief of Staff at Stanford Health Care. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH, (@RheaBoydMD) who is a former Stanford trainee, adjunct faculty, and active social justice scholar as the Director of Equity and Justice at The California Children’s Trust. She will discuss the “The Antiracist Imperative for Clinical Excellence.” You can register here: https://stanford.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?p=3000&eid=39125&autosend=true

We choose to focus on the hope that this week brings, including the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this Wednesday – the first time a Black/South Asian woman will hold the office of Vice President. We choose to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the tremendous contributions he made to the country and the entire world and continue his legacy. Please join us.

Tamara Dunn and Wendy Caceres