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COVID-19 Through the Eyes of an AsianAmerican Daughter and Medical Student
IT MAY TAKE GENERATIONS TO OVERCOME."
COVID-19 THROUGH THE EYES OF AN ASIAN-AMERICAN DAUGHTER AND MEDICAL STUDENT
By Hanh Duong, MS4, Ross University School of Medicine As the fear of COVID-19 grew back in March 2019, many medical students were removed from their clinical rotations, I included. Soon after, I received an email from Prometric and USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) stating that my STEP 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) exam had been canceled until further notice. I decided to return home to San Jose — one of the few spots in California that had large numbers of COVID cases. Both of my parents were older and in high-risk groups; however, they did not believe in the severity of COVID at that time. Despite medical advice, my parents, 70-year-old Vietnamese Americans with multiple comorbidities, stubbornly continued to frequent grocery stores, restaurants, and church gatherings without facial covering. Not until significant numbers of deaths and cases rose, and the local church was forced to shut down did they finally acknowledge its seriousness. Among the Asian community most continued to believe that COVID was part of a political agenda started by foreign enemies. In other words, that it was a flu-like illness that was blown out of portion to cripple the American economy. Even despite over 200,000 deaths now due to COVID, people continue to cling to this conspiracy theory, my parents included. California has always been a diverse state, home to people of all ethnicities, and San Jose— specifically East San Jose — was composed of mostly Chinese and Vietnamese families. However, due to the circulating theory that COVID had been produced by China, hate crimes began to rise. My neighborhood became a target as it was the center of the Asian community. Many homes were vandalized and a few older Asian folks were victims of burglary and assaults. Online, there were multiple threats of organized looting and rioting by autonomous, extreme and militant political groups. I remember getting a text from my friend with a screenshot from an online Facebook group listing different Asian populated areas that were targeted for vandalism — our neighborhood was listed. Between worrying about my parent’s safety, exams, and clinical rotations, my anxiety peaked. I had to protect my family, not just from this highly infectious virus, but also another invisible virus: racism. Other than carrying pepper spray and installing security cameras and extra locks, what more can a person do to protect themselves? Yes, these tangible barriers are adequate in preventing bodily harm, but what about the mind? Racism is a deep-rooted disease that is highly infectious and spread via prejudice and xenophobia. Treatment is difficult as it requires the patient to have an open mind and be receptive to information. It may take generations to overcome. COVID-19 has brought to the surface many issues in America, ranging from racism to healthcare disparities. I wish I could say there have been improvements since six months ago, but unfortunately, from where I am at, things remain much the same. My hospital still has an unstable supply of PPEs. Nurses continue to weekly ration their N95 masks. My parents and their neighbors still live in fear of the possibility they may be the next victim of hate crime. I believe that through this pandemic, people will become more aware of the many issues that surround them. Only then, can we grow and emerge as a stronger community and nation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hanh Duong is an MS4 from Ross University School of Medicine and an aspiring emergency medicine physician.
