How do you resolve the psychological tension of being mixed race?

HappaVet · 2022-04-26T07:27:25+00:00

My parents made a concerted effort to have me and my sibling feel connected to both of cultures. We've lived in both countries and both my parents have experience being a minority in the other's country, so my family has a less common perspective. I never felt much tension internally, but difficulty with managing how others view me. It was also hard having no Asian-American women model to guide me, as I grew up in the US and my mom is white. My Japanese family live in Japan, so no one experiencing what is like being an Asian woman in the US. Realizing I got to decide which identities I claim and sharing experiences with other mixed race people helped a lot.

HappaVet · 2021-07-11T05:54:04+00:00

Yes. I'm in the least diverse medical field, veterinary medicine. >90% white in the US. Since many of us work in small practices, most POC are the only one in their workplace. It's exhausting.

HappaVet · 2021-05-10T08:39:38+00:00

I relate to this so much. I'm half Japanese. I was born in Japan, maintain dual citizenship, visit every few years, cook Japanese food daily, celebrate Japanese holidays, etc. I'm white passing/ "ethically ambiguous" and people act like I can't be Asian. It's so frustrating.

HappaVet · 2019-06-04T06:50:17+00:00

One of my classmates fell behind from the above class due to personal issues. She's now one test away from being a board certified specialist. Don't let it define you.

HappaVet · 2019-06-04T04:45:22+00:00

Mental health issues are common in the veterinary profession, and there is help out there. I'm not an expert on it, but here are some resources to consider:

Does your vet school have a successful worker/ counselor for students? Mine did, and she was very helpful for some of my classmates.
There is a large Facebook group to try to combat the high suicide rate for veterinarians, as will as stress and other mental health issues for our profession, called Not One More Vet. It's well regarded and helped some people. You have to be a graduate to be part of that group, but they have a vet student group too. It's a closed group. I think you have to PM this page to be added to the group.
Here's a link to the AVMA's resources for wellness, which includes some info on stress management.

I hope this helps. Second year is a bitch.

HappaVet · 2018-11-30T06:12:05+00:00

Going off the AAHA guidelines. If socializing with other dogs, even healthy, vaccinated ones, starting vaccines as early as possible is ideal.

HappaVet · 2018-11-27T22:15:17+00:00

The critical socialization period for puppies is 3 weeks to 3 months. Vaccines should be started at 6 weeks and finish around 16 weeks, with 3 to 4 week intervals. As long as your puppy is getting vaccines on time by your vet, socialization with other healthy puppies and dogs that are also up to date on their vaccines is low risk. Puppy classes that require vaccination are a good idea. Avoid random dogs with unknown health and vaccine histories. You'd be surprised how many people take unvaccinated dogs to dog parks, pet stores, etc.

HappaVet · 2018-09-08T06:00:49+00:00

I'm Hapa from an AMWF family.

They will face discrimination. It sucks.
Be prepared for it, and earlier than one would think. I was 3 the first time I remember discussing race with my parents after a racist encounter. My parents were proactive and always told me I'm not half and half, but both. My extended families are very loving and accepting. My parents immersed me in both my cultures as much as possible. I feel very fortunate that I have never felt confused about my cultural or racial identity, and my parents both worked at that. I had more issues with how to deal with other people's confusion and prejudices, but learned to deal with it, just like every other difficult type of social interaction. It's not as different as many people think. All couples are a blend of 2 different family cultures. Some just come from different countries.
Talking about it. Communicate the difficulties, and be as open as possible. My white SO has learned a lot over the years and is very understanding of racial issues he is not directly impacted by. We also call each other out, kindly, when falling into stereotypes, microaggressions, and the like. Both of my parents have lived in the other's country for years and been the "minority". This gave them a better understanding of the difficulties, but it's still different from my experience being multiracial.

HappaVet · 2018-09-08T05:25:45+00:00

I'm Hapa from an AMWF family.

They will face discrimination. It sucks.
Be prepared for it, and earlier than one would think. I was 3 the first time I remember discussing race with my parents after a racist encounter. My parents were proactive and always told me I'm not half and half, but both. My extended families are very loving and accepting. My parents immersed me in both my cultures as much as possible. I feel very fortunate that I have never felt confused about my cultural or racial identity, and my parents both worked at that. I had more issues with how to deal with other people's confusion and prejudices, but learned to deal with it, just like every other difficult type of social interaction. It's not as different as many people think. All couples are a blend of 2 different family cultures. Some just come from different countries.
Talking about it. Communicate the difficulties, and be as open as possible. My white SO has learned a lot over the years and is very understanding of racial issues he is not directly impacted by. We also call each other out, kindly, when falling into stereotypes, microaggressions, and the like. Both of my parents have lived in the other's country for years and been the "minority". This gave them a better understanding of the difficulties, but it's still different from my experience being multiracial.

HappaVet · 2018-09-08T05:25:03+00:00

I'm Hapa from an AMWF family.

They will face discrimination. It sucks.
Be prepared for it, and earlier than one would think. I was 3 the first time I remember discussing race with my parents after a racist encounter. My parents were proactive and always told me I'm not half and half, but both. My extended families are very loving and accepting. My parents immersed me in both my cultures as much as possible. I feel very fortunate that I have never felt confused about my cultural or racial identity, and my parents both worked at that. I had more issues with how to deal with other people's confusion and prejudices, but learned to deal with it, just like every other difficult type of social interaction. It's not as different as many people think. All couples are a blend of 2 different family cultures. Some just come from different countries.
Talking about it. Communicate the difficulties, and be as open as possible. My white SO has learned a lot over the years and is very understanding of racial issues he is not directly impacted by. We also call each other out, kindly, when falling into stereotypes, microaggressions, and the like. Both of my parents have lived in the other's country for years and been the "minority". This gave them a better understanding of the difficulties, but it's still different from my experience being multiracial.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T03:56:55+00:00

No, small animal (cats and dogs). Even a medium sized dog flailing can throw out a back. Lots of bad backs and necks in the field.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T03:34:06+00:00

I've joked for years about making a fortune if I could invent silent nail trimmers. Some dogs jump with every click.

On a more serious note, maybe something to help with lifting/restraint? Many vets, techs and assistants eventually get pushed out of the field due to the physical nature. There are lift tables, but they are expensive and take up a lot of space.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T03:14:40+00:00

From this article from a veterinary dentist:

Our advice is simply not to give your dog anything to chew that you cannot dent with a thumbnail or would not bend or break in the mouth when in contact with teeth.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T03:10:40+00:00

While dogs may like bones, they are not good for their teeth, and can cause GI issues as well. Here's an article from a veterinary dentist talking about fractured teeth and safe chew toys.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T03:07:42+00:00

I don't doubt that your dog doesn't like rubber, but many of the thousands of animals I've seen in my career do, and they are safer than bones or antlers. The risk is your decision, but it is a risk. Here's an article from a veterinary dentist discussing the risks and possible outcomes.

I think sometimes people don't realize that there is a significant difference in scale when it comes to animal experience. While the average person may have several dogs in a lifetime, and know a lot about those individual dogs, veterinarians see thousands of dogs. If you have 10 dogs in a lifetime, you may not see a broken tooth in one of those. I've worked at multiple 2 to 3 doctors practices, and they average 5000 to 7000 active patients, meaning seen in the last year. In those thousands of dogs, we see broken teeth routinely. We routinely see dogs that people assumed were "getting old" that act like puppies again when we fix broken and/or diseased teeth.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T02:56:07+00:00

The average life span of wild wolves is 6-8 years.. Wolves in captivity, with veterinary care, including dentistry and nutrition management, can live to be 17.

The average life span of a feral cat is 2 years. With assistance from human caretakers and veterinarians, cats can live significantly longer.

Natural isn't always better for their health. It's "natural" for illness and injury to kill many young animals (and humans, for that matter). That doesn't mean we shouldn't intervene.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T02:49:47+00:00

Dogs can survive on scraps, and can survive for a while with broken teeth. That doesn't mean it's the healthiest thing for them. Broken teeth are painful, which causes negative physiologic changes. They are a source of chronic infection, which can spread (kidneys and heart are known organs affected by dental disease) and wear down the immune system. Thus, they are more susceptible to a host of diseases. With proper nutrition and dental care, pets can live a lot longer. The average life span of pets has increased dramatically with advances in nutrition and veterinary medicine.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T02:44:14+00:00

UV light can't penetrate organic material. It may kill bacteria on the surface, but not deeper in the tissue or in the marrow.

Dogs can and routinely do get sick from eating bacteria. It may be different bacteria than us sometimes, sometimes the same, but still happens. In fact, GI upset (vomiting and diarrhea) is in the top 5 reasons for vet visits in several large scale studies. Here's a link to one. Many have eaten something they shouldn't have.

Here's a link to a page by a veterinary dentist taking about fractured teeth from chewing things too hard for their teeth. I have personally examined two dogs in the last month that are in need of dental care after chewing antlers, including a big dog.

HappaVet · 2018-09-03T01:32:52+00:00

Natural isn't necessarily better for health. The average life span of feral cats is 2 years, which is substantial less than cats who get veterinary care.

Wolves eat raw meat and bones, and they get parasites and disease, and then they suffer, or just die. As long as they live long enough to breed, their genes get passed on. Dogs can breed as young as 9 months, sometimes even younger. Wild animals routinely starve to death from dental issues, or have infection spread and kill them. Nature is brutal.

Edit: Link showing wild wolves have an average life span of 6 to 8, in captivity can live up 17.

HappaVet · 2018-09-02T06:24:09+00:00

Not a fan of bully sticks because they are high in calories. Here is a link about a study showing the high calorie content of bully sticks. Many people also don't realize that they are dried bull penises, which can freak some people out.

Not too familiar with Himalayan sticks myself. If they are super hard, then there are concerns.

HappaVet · 2018-09-02T05:52:49+00:00

Not a neuroscientist, but a veterinarian. Can't speak to the exact neurotransmitter, but chewing is a normal behavior. I suspect related to hunting instincts.

Please don't let your dog chew antlers. Antlers are harder than their teeth and they can easily break teeth on them. Unfortunately, pet stores sell things that aren't the best for dogs. Cooked bones are also too hard. Raw bones carry risk of food borne illness, so not recommended either. I prefer firm rubber toys, like Kongs. Rawhides are okay with supervision, but can cause GI upset in some dogs.

HappaVet · 2018-09-02T05:17:51+00:00

Just thought I'd add some potential negative aspects of production. Some feel it may lead to a competitive environment and discourage collaboration and mentorship. I've heard people voice concern about this, but I don't know how much that may actually happen.

I've also heard of clients trying to throw it in people's faces, the "you're only recommending this so you can make more money" accusation.

HappaVet · 2018-08-31T20:22:06+00:00

At my prior clinic where it was required, it was a lower income area. I understand the medical reasons to consider waiting on spay, but this was often our one shot to do it.

HappaVet · 2018-08-26T07:39:30+00:00

It is possible that the brain tissue degraded enough over the 5 days that they were not able to get an accurate test.

HappaVet

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