Racism is defined as the assumption that some races have distinct cultural characteristics that are determined by genetic influences, making certain races inherently superior to others. The belief that one race is naturally superior to others led to discrimination against members of other races.

Sadly, racism still exists to this day - if not even more prevalent although seemingly discreet. Even in the world of medicine, racism and discrimination are inevitable. It’s astounding - in a negative way - how people basically formulate their own judgment against their fellowmen.

Our episode today features three special guests: Chloe Sales, Walter Lee, and Monica Barajas, who will be sharing with us their personal experiences, lessons learned, and how immigrants, their sons, and daughters helped shape American culture, and conversely, how the American culture has shaped them.

Skin color will be discussed in the context of race, culture, and country of origin and we will discuss more the push and pull factors that affect the movement of people to, and from their countries of origin, how different cultures, different settings affect the development of a person, significance of social history, and many more. Together, let us work on professionalism, ethics, and an honest, respectful attitude to continue the quest for humanity.

Memorable Quotes:

• Being able to capture a patient's story is not only about seeing them on a chart but also understanding the context of their culture within their health. - Chloe Sales
• The thing that hit me so hard along the way is to make the effort to really understand the backstories because so much of that backstory implicates how our response is going to be. - Walter Lee
• Know that we are all different and we need to be understanding and patient towards each other especially with everything that's been going on.- Monica Barajas

About the Guests:

Walter Lee immigrated with his parents from Taiwan when he was 12 years old. He has been in the US for over 50 years. He started as a premed at Stanford and due to lack of financial support then switched to Economics. He frequently guests lectures at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and he used his skills in science and economics to help high-tech start-ups for over 30 years now. Now he is involved with his first love, not his wife but his love for medicine. 

Monica Barajas, a first-generation Mexican American, raised in Northern California. She was born at Stanford, the youngest of 4 children whose entire family migrated from Jalisco Mexico. She is an animal lover, an adventurer who loves to travel and she works at Stanford University Health care systems and in school for her RN.

Chloe Sales was born and raised in the SF Bay Area to a Spanish -Filipino father and a Chinese Filipina mother. Growing up at the intersection of multiple cultures, Chloe hopes to enter the world of medicine to help bridge the gap between Western physicians and immigrant patients. Her interest includes narrative medicine, documentary making, and writing. She hopes to combine her love for the humanities and medicine to help advance culturally tailored health care.

About the Host:

Dr. Jette is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the President & CEO of ABCs for Global Health. Click here for her full profile or read her full interview here.

About ABC's for Global Health:

ABCs for Global Health is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding practical​ solutions to health problems of disadvantaged and underserved communities. Their programs include telemedicine, research on nutrition and healthcare, and disaster response.

Visit these links if you'd like to support either by volunteering or sharing your resources:

• Get Involved
• Donate



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