Dr. Jerry Garcia is a professor at Texas Christian University with expertise in teaching Chicano/Latino Studies, US History, and Mexican History. He was previously the Vice President for Educational Programs at Sea Mar Museum, where he curated the new Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture in Seattle, WA. His deep commitment to promoting education, diversity, and inclusion has made a positive impact on the educational landscape and beyond. Daniel Joaquin Padron is a Community Health Educator in Spokane, WA. As a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Public Health, he is passionate about promoting health equity and social justice for underserved communities. He has experience working with low socioeconomic status populations and resettling refugees. After listening to this episode you will be able to:Explain the experience of growing up in a small town and the challenges of navigating identityDescribe the historical roots of the terms Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, and Chicano and how they evolved over timeList the different factors that contribute to the use of certain terminology, including politics, culture, and personal preferenceReview how the terms reflect self-determination and autonomy in defining one's own identityExplore the intersectionality of identity and the importance of recognizing and respecting diverse experiences within the Hispanic/Latinx communityDiscuss the implications of using certain terminology in society and the importance of staying informed and culturally sensitive.Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities betterFollow Raj on Twitter

Born and raised predominantly in San Diego, California, Dr. Denise Yu completed undergraduate and medical degrees in her hometown. After graduating, she was eager to start her career in family medicine and found her home in the Pacific Northwest after moving to Seattle.Her passion for medicine stems from a personal experience as a child when she fell ill and was hospitalized. Unfortunately, the medical professionals failed to communicate with her parents in a language they could understand, leaving them feeling lost and confused. This experience instilled in Dr. Denise Yu the importance of clear and effective communication in healthcare, and now she is dedicated to providing her patients and their families with the information they need to make informed healthcare decisions.After listening to this, you will be able toExplain the origins and historical context of the model minority mythDescribe the problematic components of the model minority myth, including the ways in which it perpetuates harmful stereotypes and erases the experiences of marginalized Asian American communitiesList the impacts of the model minority myth, including its role in upholding systems of oppression and hindering efforts toward achieving equity and justice for Asian AmericansUnderstand how the model minority myth has affected the mental health of individuals such as Dr. Denise Yu, who have experienced the pressure to conform to the myth's expectations, and how this has led to feelings of anxiety, depression, and disconnection from their cultural identityReview how the perpetuation of the model minority myth can affect the health of Asian American patients, including how it can impact their access to care, their perceptions of their own health, and the quality of care they receive.Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Ron Chew is an activist and changemaker. Since the mid-1970s, he has worked as editor of the International Examiner, director of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Experience, and as the executive director of the International Community Health Services Foundation (ICHS) for Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID). He is currently the head of Ron Chew Communications.Tessa Chu is a community organizer and healthcare administrator. She serves on the board of ICHS and the Asian Healthcare Leaders Community – Puget Sound chapter. Tessa is a second generation Taiwanese American and Seattle transplant from Southern California. She received her MPH in Healthcare Management at Yale and BS in Chemistry from UC Berkeley. After listening to this, you will be able toExplain the idea of “immigrant sorrow”Describe immigrant experiences that generate feelings of exclusionList ways navigating dual identities (ie immigrant and American) can be distressful and how generations of immigrants hide in the “shadows” due to fearName ways to build community resiliency and support community health by building a sense of belonging Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities betterFollow Raj on Twitter

Ruolan Liu is a primary care physician who was born in Chengdu, China and immigrated to Portland, Oregon, with her parents when she was 9 years old. She spent the next two decades falling in love with the community, the people, and the rhythms of the Pacific Northwest. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.After listening to this, you will be able to: Explain the different types of Chinese cuisineDescribe the idea of “food as medicine”Specify how you can incorporate patients' community knowledge into the care planList ways patient expectations differ due to their experience with healthcare in their home country Identify how Chinese culture can impact care recommendations Name ways to incorporate traditional Chinese medicine into your care planNext Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Dr. Connie So joins us today to talk about the history of the Chinese American history.  Dr. Connie So, an immigrant from Hong Kong, grew up in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood.  She has taught at UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Princeton University and the University of Washington.  Since 1992, she has taught at the University of Washington’s American Ethnic Studies Department where she is a Professor of Teaching and the Supervisor of the Department’s Community Practicum and Internship.  She is active with the Seattle Asian Pacific American community and currently serving as the President of OCA (formerly the Organization of Chinese Americans) – Greater SeattleIn this conversation, you will  Identify where most Chinese Americans are from (ie. what part of China)List the reasons why the Chinese community immigrated to the USExplain how the model minority is problematic for Chinese Americans and the ways US discriminated through policies and laws against the Chinese AmericansDefine what acculturation means for the Chinese communityHear how traditional medicine can heal better than western medicine at timesNext Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities betterFollow Raj on Twitter

This is Part II of our conversation on the Cambodian community with Jennifer Huong, a DSHS-certified Khmer interpreter and one of the founders of the Khmer Health Board Member. She was born in Kampong Cham, raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, escaped to Thailand refugee camps in 1981 and resettled in Salem, Oregon in mid-July 1983.  She has been advocating for the community for the last 30 years as a Cultural Mediator/Caseworker and Medical Interpreter. In this conversation, you will  Understand how unprocessed trauma manifestsHear how the lack of community spaces can lead to further isolationLearn how a complex healthcare system can undermine the care that clinicians are trying to provide and what it means to listen and ask about items not on the initial “agenda” Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Part I of our conversation on the Cambodian community with James Heng, a DSHS-certified Khmer interpreter and Khmer Health Board Member. In his free time, he organizes concerts and entertains the Khmer community in WA state.In this conversation, you will  Understand the trauma many Khmer hold that you likely never think aboutLearn the perils of using a family or staff for interpreting without thinking twiceHear why there's such a stigma around mental health or being open to a diagnosis of mental health disorderWe also  cover food, substance use and traditional practiceNext Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

This is part II of our conversation with Dr. Avantika Waring.  Avantika is an Endocrinologist focusing on caring for people living with diabetes. She has worked with patients in various clinical settings for over 15 years and is currently the Chief Medical Officer at 9amHealth. Her clinical passion is the development of technology-enabled care delivery models that are equitable and culturally inclusive. She is originally from New Jersey but has lived on the west coast since 2009 and currently resides in Seattle, Washington. When she’s not at work, you can find her on the soccer sidelines watching her three kids, running and hiking the nearby trails, and skiing local mountains in the winter.In part II, we dig deeper into several topics:Important aspects of nutrition counseling: rice, lentils, gheeThe extremely uncertain science of glycemic index when it comes to riceNot focusing on specific components of food but highlighting what people are eating and rebalancing rather than replacing food Beliefs around healthDecision-making with familyThe importance of assertiveness when giving health recommendations, shared decision making healthThe stigma around mental health, how to approach thatNext Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Amy Bhatt, Ph.D. is a writer, educator, and content creator. She received her B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Emory University and her Ph.D. in Feminist Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She is the author of High-Tech Housewives: Indian IT Workers, Gendered Labor, and Transmigration (University of Washington Press, 2018) and co-author of Roots and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest (University of Washington Press, 2013) with Dr. Nalini Iyer. As a public historian, she coordinated the South Asian Oral History Project at UW and currently serves on the South Asian American Digital Archive’s Board of Directors.  She was a researcher and guest curator at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) from 2018-2021, where she co-curated the traveling Smithsonian exhibit Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation (2019-20) Currently, she and her writing partner, Shiwani Srivastava, have an animated feature film in development with ReelFX and a television pilot in development with Gunpowder & Sky.In today's conversation, we talk about:Definition of IndiaCastesThe History of IndiaThe History of Indian Immigration to IndiaFirst wave: 1800s to 1920s, Sikh and Punjabi immigrants (1917-1952: dead period immigration)Second Wave: 1965-1980, educated, higher-income immigrantsThird Wave: 1980-1990s, diverse backgrounds, including small businesses owners Fourth Wave: 1990s, immigration to work in the tech industryPrejudice and DiscriminationThe case of Bhagad ThindThe Model Minority MythHow the co-existence of culture with historical, economic, and social advantages contributes to the model minority mythNext Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

This is part II of our conversation with Joseph Seia.  Joseph is the Co-Executive Director of the National Association of Pasifika Organizations (NAOPO) and the founder of PICA-WA (Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington). To hear the introduction to this topic and the full guest intro, please listen to the previous episode. In part II, we dig deeper into several topics: decades of erasure and policy that have led to health disparities like the high rate of police killings ad homelessnesshis focus on organizing and gaining the power to make changes in governmental policyprograms that PICA-WA offers, such as the cultural weavers program to support their elders and offer a space of dignity and connection, and the youth wayfinders program that offers an intergenerational space that helps youth thriveJoseph's identity as fa' fa fine and what we can learn about gender identity from the Samoan culture The importance of the messenger as well as the message when communicating about health to the communitythe consequences of viewing someone as just a fat body that needs to lose weight and not acknowledging their humanity Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Joseph Seia is the Co-Executive Director of the National Association of Pasifika Organizations (NAOPO) and the founder of PICA-WA (Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington). He has 15 years of experience in direct service, youth development work, and nonprofit leadership & administration. He labors against the political erasure of Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (NH/PI) communities in data and policy by re-envisioning what it means for Pasifikans to feel cultural belonging in the U.S. Diaspora. In Part 1 of this conversation, we talk aboutMelanesiahow unhealthy food is dumped in pacific island market, affecting their healththe idea that pacific islanders are primarily a black race and how anti-blackness has infiltrated the communityMicronesiathe harms of Japanese and us colonialism and COFA, Compact of Free Associationsthe targeted recruitment of Pacific Islanders for food factories to avoid immigration barriersthe poisoning of the environment through nuclear waste plants and climate justice champions fighting this violation Polynesiathe concern of viewing islands' existence as entertainment for Asian and American touristshow Christianity was Samoanized when it arrived, emphasizing the idea of holding multiple beliefs in contrast to western society's belief that things can’t coexistJoseph’s favorite food Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

This is part II of our conversation with Ahmed Ali about Somalis in Washington. To hear the introduction to this topic and the full guest intro, please listen to the previous episode. Ahmed Ali is a pharmacist by profession and the executive director of the Somali Health Board. In Part II of this conversation, we talk about what to be aware of during a patient encounter like naming and traditional clothingcounseling about nutrition in a culturally appropriate wayreview a common supplement used in the community being careful about complimenting too much and bringing on the evil eye the numerous programs that the Somali Health Board runs to care for the community. Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Ahmed Ali is a pharmacist by profession, one of the founders and the current executive director of the Somali Health Board (SHB), a nonprofit organization that works to address health disparities within the Somali/East African community. He is an active member within the Somali community, with emphasis on immigrant/refugee health issues both locally and abroad.Today, in Part 1 of this conversation, we talk about the history of Somalia including the Somali Bantu population the importance of understanding important holidays in Islam like Ramadan and how to counsel patients during this timethe idea Ayuuto/Hagbad, sometimes translated as mutual aid, and how it has helped the Somali community thrive in Washington. Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

This is part II of our conversation with Dr. Maile Taualii about Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Please listen to the previous episode to hear the introduction to this topic and the entire guest intro. Dr. Maile Taulalii is an assistant clinical investigator for Hawaii Permanente Medical GroupIn Part II of this conversation, we talk about cultural values such as aloha and Ha’aha’ahow to communicate about health in a way that matters to the patientreconnecting with your peopletalking about land trauma Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Today, we will hear from Dr. Maile Tauali'i about Native Hawaiian history and culture. Dr. Maile Tauali‘i is an assistant clinical investigator for Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. She is a Washington native. She received her PhD in Health Services and MPH from the University of Washington.  She's an innovator and national leader. In Hawaii, she established the world’s first global Indigenous MPH program and was awarded the University of Hawaii Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching AwardIn this episode, we talk about the categorization of NH/PI Community and how it came to bethe history of Hawaii and the history of Native Hawaiians in Washington how that history has led to a distrust of healthcare systemswhat we mean when we say nourishing foodavoiding a common mistake that many providers make with people from Hawaii.Next Steps:Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter

Rahel Schwartz was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and lived in Kenya and Arkansas before making her way to Seattle in 1994. She's currently the Program Executive for Health Equity at the YMCA of Greater Seattle and helps design and implement culturally and linguistically tailored chronic disease prevention programs. In this episode, we talk about the history of Ethiopian immigration in Washington,the problem of brain wastemaking a traditional Ethiopian diet healthierthe role of religion in culture the complexity of living in a multi-generational householdgaining trust before providing health education.Next Steps: Sign up on Healthcare for Humans website to join our communitySubscribe and share this episode to help clinicians care for diverse communities better Follow Raj on Twitter