Dear UCGHI community,
We are nearly a month into the new year and only a few days into the Lunar New Year. Many of us start the year by reflecting on the one that has passed and setting a few resolutions for the year ahead. Unfortunately, this time of reflection has been tragically disrupted by the two shootings that took place only days apart in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, CA, this past weekend. It is with a heavy heart and a fed up mind that we at UCGHI condemn these hateful acts of violence and the unjust loss of life.
Lately, I have been reading about the idea of setting intentions instead of resolutions. A resolution is defined as a firm decision to do or not to do something. In medicine, intention is defined as the healing process of a wound. There is no question that we are collectively wounded by the ongoing acts of violence and hate in this country, so an ongoing healing process must take place in order for us to move toward change and progress.
Right now, I am setting intentions to find a word or two that we at UCGHI might use as guideposts to help make day to day decisions. Specifically, the word transformation has been resonating with me. How do we move away from performative changes and move toward transformational change? I am curious if a first step is to ask questions - something as simple as “how can I learn more?” or “how did this new learning challenge my beliefs?,” and as bold as “what are actionable ways to support trauma-informed care to address issues of gun violence and mental health?”
Questions lead to answers in ways we expect and in ways we don’t expect. So, I am curious to know: what questions can you ask to help us move towards humility and transformational change with all that is going on around us? Please don’t hesitate to reply to this email with your questions, answers, thoughts and feelings as you process.
When trauma after trauma piles up, we all need different tools to cope like taking a moment to rest the body, mind and attention from the chaos that the world can bring. And if coping requires you to act in more tangible ways in response to the horrendous acts of continuous anti-Asian hate and in the context of multiple traumas that took place this past weekend, please check the links below.
For now, I urge you to take care of yourself and each other. We can only get through hard times like this together.
Sincerely,
Madhavi Dandu, MD
Director
UC Global Health Institute
A few ways you can take action:
- Help Monterey Park Shooting Victims
- Help farmworker families displaced from Half Moon Bay shootings
- Stop Asian Hate
Support for the UC community: