5 Top Doctors Speak Out in Support of #StopAsianHate

“Asian-Americans have always been a very silent minority throughout American history, and the prejudice against my group has not ever really been taken very seriously. I grew up in a time when racial slurs were thrown at me almost on a daily level when I was a young child. Even recently, I have had patients cast rude innuendos and outright insults at me for being of Asian ancestry. It does not matter that I was born here, raised here, that my first language is English, that I am as American as the rest of them, and that I have had more years of education and training than most. I am still reduced to a racial slur. Unfortunately, the prejudice against Asian-Americans—as well as the other ethnicities and religions—is coming to a critical impasse, where lives are being lost. I am hoping that through public education and legislation, we will as Americans be able to impart change, enlightenment, and peace among all of us, and that we can be once again unified. After all, our strength as Americans is our melting pot of different peoples. Our country is based on the strength of our diversity.”
—Bloomfield Hills, MI dermatologist Linda C. Honet, MD

“I came over as an immigrant, and through dedication and hard work, was fortunate enough to attend one of the best hospitals, as a plastic surgeon, in the U.S. I have worked in different communities throughout the country and interacted with different ethnicities, and in all places my experience has always been warm and welcoming. What happened recently has shocked me. Over the past year, the Asian-American community has already suffered a series of violent, racist attacks. Now with the recent rise in hate attacks, some of our patients and staff are concerned for their own well-being when going about their daily lives. Even though nowadays should be a relatively safe and fair society, that is not the case. I never realized things can get so bad. Most of the population is kind and respectful to each other, and it is only a small percentage committing these acts, but it still needs to stop. In California, the Asian-American community contributes a lot to society—we hold a wide variety of jobs and are very hardworking. With California on the road to recovery from COVID, people want to look beautiful and get back to their daily lives. How are they supposed to do that if they are even afraid to go to the grocery store? This has got to end. The hate has got to stop. #stopasianhate”
—Arcadia, CA plastic surgeon Arthur Y. Yu, MD

“The recent disturbing trend of violence against Asian-Americans has triggered a cloud of dark thoughts and emotions in me. I am angry to be targeted for something I had nothing to do with. I am fearful for my loved ones, especially my elderly mother who lives alone. I am sad for my teenage kids who have to grapple with this bigotry. In recent years, I’ve tried to embrace mindfulness, trying not to become too reactive to negative thoughts and feelings, but it is hard to find inner calm with this specter of hatred out there. I do believe that most Americans do not share the views of the minority who are acting out against the Asian community. Unfortunately there is latent racism and hatred in some. And people have become emboldened by the words and rhetoric of others to act out, sometimes violently. I hope we as a country can respond with growing awareness and empathy. I encourage all of you to be active in the condemnation of this hatred.” 
—San Francisco facial plastic surgeon David W. Kim, MD

“I’ve never been subject to violence because I am Asian, but I have been called racial epithets on occasion. I’ve never let it bother me as I’m comfortable in my skin, as a Korean-American immigrant surgeon. I do worry that racist people feel more empowered now, to express their hatred through violent ways. A return to pre-pandemic life with an emphasis on civility would help immensely. Thankfully, the medical community is quite enlightened, so I’ve never seen overt racism in my profession. Frankly, there are a lot of great Asian doctors, so if you don’t like Asian doctors, your loss.” —Westborough, MA facial plastic surgeon Min S. Ahn, MD

“I feel for the victims. Racism toward Asians unfortunately has been a pervasive and often overlooked issue in American culture. I hope the most recent events brings the needed changes and moves us towards more unity.”
 —New York facial plastic surgeon Edward S. Kwak, MD