May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

On a personal level, coming from a South Asian background, it is humbling to know that there is a meaningful recognition of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. As an academic neurosurgeon belonging to the AAPI community, this historic month offers a time for me to reflect and express my gratitude to those AAPI providers who have advanced neurosurgery to its current state and paved the way for me.

Why do you believe AAPI Heritage Month is important?

In the US, the AAPI community, albeit growing, still represents a minority group. However, the contributions and innovation from this community are vital in many fields, including the health and sciences. Recognition of this is of course warranted, but more importantly, this month serves to condemn and advocate against xenophobia, bias, and Asian-oriented violence. 

Does your heritage influence your work? If so, how?

I would say my heritage definitely influences my work in neurosurgery. I come from an Indian background, where family, education, and work ethic mean everything. The following quote on my faculty profile exemplifies these values: “I care for my patients akin to how I care for my family – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 

Why do you think it is important for people with an AAPI heritage to be involved in the medical field?

There absolutely needs to be more representation of the AAPI community in medicine. Having providers of AAPI heritage in medicine can help address healthcare disparities and make patients of an AAPI heritage feel more comfortable. Most importantly, seeing more providers of AAPI heritage can influence the next generation to pursue a career in medicine. 

What is your best piece of advice for people with an AAPI heritage who are pursuing a career in the medical field?

Always be available, affable, and accountable. I attribute my success in medicine to my sponsors and my strong adherence to these “three A’s”.

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What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

I’m a 4th-generation Japanese-American (“yonsei”) born and raised in Hawaii, so both Asian American and Pacific Islander culture shaped a lot of my culture and heritage growing up, through family, classmates, and friends. For me growing up, the AAPI population was the majority of minorities. It was not until I moved to the Midwest for college and medical school that I realized the importance of celebrating, observing, and preserving the culture that I was surrounded by on a daily basis growing up. 

Why do you believe AAPI Heritage Month is important?

I think the most important part about celebrating AAPI Heritage Month is highlighting the unique contributions, customs, and cultures of the diverse groups that represent the AAPI population. It can provide a platform to celebrate the customs and traditions of different communities. For instance, events could be organized to celebrate cultural holidays and festivals and provide opportunities for cultural workshops, such as cooking classes, language lessons, or cultural dance lessons. These gatherings can help to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the customs and traditions of different AAPI communities. 

More recently, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing perspectives of AAPI individuals, AAPI Heritage months can serve as a means of promoting greater understanding and appreciation of AAPI cultures among non-AAPI individuals. By raising awareness of AAPI cultures and history, AAPI Heritage Month can help to combat stereotypes and prejudices that AAPI individuals may face in society. 

Does your heritage influence your work? If so, how?

As a virtualist primary care physician and researcher on telehealth and digital empathy, I lean heavily on my early cultural experiences. Growing up on an island 5000 miles away from the next nearest land mass, unknowingly at the time, set me up to always think globally. I was inspired by stories about how the earliest Hawaiians navigated and sailed from Polynesia using just the stars, and my earliest aspirations were to be an astronaut. While my career has a more terrestrial focus now, this sense of exploration and adventure continues to drive me. In my daily work, I’ve realized both Japanese and Hawaiian cultures have a focus on holistic health, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. This sense of balance helps me address all aspects of a patient's health, including mental and emotional wellbeing, in addition to physical health. Additionally, in both Japanese and Hawaiian cultures, there is an emphasis on the impact nature and our surroundings have on our health and happiness. To me this is a clear parallel to the impacts of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) on our patients health and happiness. 

Why do you think it is important for people with an AAPI heritage to be involved in the medical field?

Representation matters. There is an increasing influx of patients from Micronesia, the Philippines, sub-regions of China, and other countries who are not currently represented in our clinical workforce. Language and cultural concordance is so important to building patient trust and rapport. Additionally for research in health disparities and analyzing the digital divide, it is important to have representation on the research team from someone who can understand the unique cultural context of subgroups beyond the single broad category of “Asian/Pacific Islander.” 

What is your best piece of advice for people with an AAPI heritage who are pursuing a career in the medical field?

It’s hard to pick a single piece of advice, but I can pass along wisdom from mentors and role models that I have worked with over the years. 1) Be an advocate for diversity and inclusion: Use your position in the medical field to advocate for greater diversity and inclusion, both within the healthcare industry and in society at large. Work to promote cultural competency and understanding among your colleagues and patients, and speak out against discrimination and bias. 2) Take care of your own health and wellbeing: The medical field can be demanding and stressful, so it is important to prioritize your own health and wellbeing. Make time for self-care activities, seek support when needed, and maintain a healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout. 3) Embrace your cultural identity, but still be yourself: Your cultural identity can be a strength in the medical field. Don’t be afraid to stand out and embrace and celebrate your heritage and use it to connect with patients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds.

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What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

To be honest, until recently, I didn't pay too much attention, and maybe part of that was trying to suppress my "otherness." But I think as I have progressed in my career, I have begun to see how my heritage impacts the work that I do, and I suspect many others may feel this way too over time.

Why do you believe AAPI Heritage Month is important?

These days it seems to me we are all aware of our individual differences and how our past informs our present and our future. My own values came in large part from my family -- who originate from Taiwan, Japan and China -- and their collective past experiences, and of course were shaped further by my own life experiences. As an individual who identifies as AAPI, I celebrate my uniqueness, and proud of the positive things I am able to share with many.

Does your heritage influence your work? If so, how?

My interpretation is that I inherited a strong work ethic, a strong sense of fairness, and a desire to contribute to societal good. When I am having trouble or am weighing decisions, I fall back on these pillars, and hope that my actions reflect what I value.

Why do you think it is important for people with an AAPI heritage to be involved in the medical field?

Human health is a basic right. There is so much work to do, and everyone can contribute, with so many complementary roles to play. From science to policy to care to advocacy and education, all hands are needed on deck.

What is your best piece of advice for people with an AAPI heritage who are pursuing a career in the medical field?

Focus on acquiring skills. Be humble and embrace your inner novice. Seek out those who model something you think is special and calls to you, and figure out how you can do that too. Pick off little parts of the problem that can be solved, but keep your focus long-term on the hard problems, because if you don't, who will?

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What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

When I think about this question, I think back to my parents when they arrived here from Taiwan. My mom was originally in Canada and then she came to Chicago and trained as a classical pianist. My dad was an engineer who first arrived in the U.S. in 1968 at the height of the civil rights movement, and he arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, and during a hotbed of a lot of activity in a lot of places in the U.S.

And one story that comes to mind during his arrival is something that's just so unique to me and something that I recounted when I was speaking about him at his funeral a number of years ago. And that's when he arrived with only the money in his wallet and was boarding a bus or got on a bus with his suitcase, got up at his stop and had taken his suitcase and the bus began to go on when it all of a sudden stopped. And there was a person who called out from the bus who actually had his wallet. He had left his wallet on his seat on the bus. So this person stopped the bus and gave him back his wallet. And he went on his way. And it sort of speaks to the amazing sort of quality of human beings anywhere at any time.

And certainly, at that point, he only had what he had in his wallet and was able to finish out his schooling at the university and have actually had all of this and then come up to Chicago and was able to really settle down and have a family. I was born in Chicago, and so since then, you know, times have changed and maybe they haven't in certain parts, depending on your perspective. But we all have arrived with our families to this country by land, by sea, by air, and made our lives and generations of lives at this point. So we all have a background and heritage to come from. And I think it's just important to realize each of our characteristics and for this month, our AAPI brothers and sisters, it's great to great to see you and great to see all your success stories.

Why do you believe AAPI Heritage Month is important?

Well, when I think about this question, I think that everyone's heritage is important, and this is a great month to celebrate all of our colleagues who have Asian American heritage in their lineage. There have been lots of contributions to history and science and civic contributions over many, many years, and I'm just so proud of everything that we've accomplished in time and those who have received recognition, worthy recognition, but more importantly, I think it speaks to all those who have not been recognized for their contributions and it's those heroes that we continue to celebrate as well.

I think that it's important to take pause and realize that we're all in this race together and I'm reminded of a an excellent quote by our former main journal’s editor in chief Robert Goldwyn, who was a former chief of my hospital, who had a lot of great and very insightful and sage quips over his lifetime, one of which was “Everyone is someone” and I've oftentimes quoted him as saying that, saying in particular. So because it really speaks to how he saw everyone in the world and he was an amazing humanitarian and always will be remembered that way.

But to recap: This AAPI Heritage Month is really important and I'm so happy to be a part of it.

Does your heritage influence your work? If so, how? 

Well, I think that in our heritage of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, I think that there is this tendency for us collectively to be viewed a certain way after certain stereotypes. And certainly that's not the case for each and every particular person. We are considered in the press some sort of model minority, at times.

Though at the same time, we're not lumped into any category. We are, you know, we are minorities, but we're not in classic minorities as folks would think of as with other ethnic categories. And yet we are sort of almost lumped within the majority. But certainly we we're not the majority and we don't look like the majority. So we're sort of in this gray zone of existence in this country, carving out our own way through hard work. Many people work hard, and everyone wants to provide for their families.

But it affects me because in my work I see a cross-section of a lot of different kinds of people from people that look like me and people that don't look like me, and different backgrounds and people who have recently arrived and people who've been here for many, many years and several generations. So I approach this by thinking about how I can relate to each and every person, regardless of what they look like and whatever, regardless of how they see me, either in terms of trying to find a personal connection with each and every patient.

Why do you think it's important for people with an AAPI heritage to be involved in the medical field?

Well, as with other ethnicities and minorities I think it's always important to continue to serve the greater good and serve people, help people, and these are all cliches or very things that are easy to say, but I relate it speaks to the truth of what it means to look at your occupation not as a job, but as a mission and not as a job.

And I think that looking like the people that you're going to serve is very much an important part of what has, I think, happened in this country recently and in other minorities as well. But it's also important, I think, to remember that one doesn't have to always look like the person that they're taking care of. Just as long as you are the best that what you can be and that's all you can do. It doesn't matter what you look like, honestly and as long as you can be the best, whatever that occupation person is, the people I think will come to see and come to trust you.

On the other hand, you know, being a role model for younger generations of people that look like you is super important. And I think that's why it's going to continue to be important for folks with an AAPI heritage to be continually involved in not only the medical field but across all fields.

What is your best piece of advice for people with an AAPI heritage or pursuing a career in the medical field?

Well, this is a great question and I think that it's, you know, in a word or phrase, just go for it. Follow your dreams. This is the, I think, the best country in the world. And there's lots of opportunities to make this happen. If one wants to work hard. And I think it's amazing that there are so many opportunities and so many people from diverse backgrounds and origins that you could draw upon. And it really exists here and everywhere. So really go out, meet people, take advantage and lots of programs, and especially in this day and age, with the advent of all these virtual platforms, it's more than easy, more than easier than ever to connect with people near and far to further your dreams.

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