Supporting our Asian community at the VCU School of Dentistry
Over the six weeks that I have been your interim dean, I feel we have made great strides in moving our school’s culture to one of positivity and hope.
But it saddens me personally that, as a country, we do not seem to recognize the richness and value that our diverse culture brings to our nation.
Here at the school, my goal is for us to celebrate our differences yet come together as a team and work toward a common goal of making the VCU School of Dentistry the BEST. To me and I hope to each of you, that is not an unrealistic expectation. When I say the BEST, that is exactly what I mean.
But to be the best, we must start with the basics. By the “basics” I mean how we treat each other and our patients on a day-to-day basis. My dad Joe Robert Spatafore had several sayings that he used to drive everyone crazy by repeating, but one is apropos to this situation: “A little respect goes a long way.”
Today that is what I am asking each of you to do:
- respect each other
- respect our differences
- respect our opinions
- respect our rights as individuals
But remember, we are a team, and of course we are here for selfish reasons – a diploma, a paycheck, etc., – but if we are not here for the greater good, to help patients, to educate students, or to gain an excellent education, we need to reassess our motives and rethink our paths.
I have asked Dr. Carlos Smith, our director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to share his thoughts about recent violence against Asian women.
I hope his excellent essay sparks conversations where we need to express our feelings on these issues.
Speaking out against Asian hate
Carlos Smith, D.D.S., M.Div.; director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; director, Ethics Curriculum; associate professor
Here we are again, as a community of learners, healers and educators, steeped in the aftermath of more senseless violence rooted in discrimination and racism.
On Tuesday March 16th, the same day Stop AAPI Hate released a report documenting 3,800 anti-Asian incidents of hate during the pandemic with nearly 70% against Asian women, tragedy strikes our country in Atlanta, Georgia.
Believed to be targeted due to its nature as a primarily Asian day spa, eight people were killed, six of whom were women of Asian descent. While the suspect is in custody and states the attacks were not racially motivated, we do know that amidst the continuing global pandemic, there has been a massive increase in Anti Asian hate crimes.
The American Dental Association recently posted an excellent article by Brian Shue, D.D.S., associate editor for the Journal of the California Dental Association and the president of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists. Be sure to read The Disease of Microaggressions to learn more about sending the right messages to your students, patients and fellow humans.
As the School of Dentistry continues to renew our commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, I invite you to:
- Examine stereotypes you may hold or be familiar with about our fellow members of humanity from Asian ethnicities
- Do the work to dismantle that within yourself
- Raise your voice anywhere that anti-Asian sentiment is present
- Normalize calling it out in your community, online, and when biases may present within health care settings
We must do the work to honor and protect our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
In the words of entrepreneur, cofounder of Wong Fu Productions, and recent ADEA keynote speaker Philip Wang, “a rising tide lifts all boats!” The lifting up of one of us, is the lifting up of all of us.
As we continue to leverage our diversity for the optimal good of all, let us be mindful of the unique challenges faced by our students, faculty, colleagues, patients and friends of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.
Categories Deans blog, schoolwide news, Uncategorized