#plus!! a lot of Asians actually ARE NOT doing well and racism still affects them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

akatsvmu · 3 years

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ok hot take — but also because I’m genuinely curious — I’ve seen a lot of discussion about the anti - Asian racism in shadow and bone and how it was unnecessary + obvious that the writers were white, etc.

*this ended up being long so I put the rest under the cut*

before I begin I just want to say that im just putting this out here to hear what others have to say !! I’m open to whatever u have to say legit I just want to talk to others about this hahah. I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but if I do then I apologize and if you feel like it, to let me know why exactly so I can be more aware next timee

okk so, reading what everyone else had to say after finishing the season made me question myself BIG TIMEEEE because tbh ..... I didn’t really see what the problem was as I was watching the show 😭

I didnt watch any trailers or promo vids before the show bc I didnt want to expect anything. so the first time I heard about Alina being half - shu was when she said it in the show — and TBHHH I was actually so happy (since I’m South East Asian) it was a pleasant surprise, I was like “omg I can relate to uu !! <33” kind of thing ya know.

After i watched it, I read the discussions on how they handled it and everything and I was worried bc I was still having such a hard time seeing what was so wrong about it,, I genuinely felt really bad at this point bc I was thinking like ... am I racist ?? Or am I actually contributing to racism and all that ?? soo I wanted to just share some of my thoughts here and if you actually finish reading this maybe like share some of your thoughts too ??

okok so hear we go — Alina being changed into half - shu didnt bother me at all, as I said earlier it was a nice surprise since it allowed me to relate to her more, i remember i even texted my friend bc i was so happy lmaooo (plus I thought it fit well since Jessie is actually half chinese).

About how the racism was ‘unnecessary’ since it’s a fictional world and all >> I get how they technically didn’t need to add it in — BUT... I kind of liked that they did add it ?? since it showed me that, oh you know she went through all of that, was discriminated against, etc. but was still able to do all the things she did and she didn’t let any of that stop her (I've finished the trilogy so I know how her story ends, assuming they stick to the books in later seasons lmao).

I mean tbh I even felt kinda better ? Hopeful even ?? My line of thinking was like “even the sun summoner faced some racism yet she was able to push through her journey !!” and all that ++ plus how she didn’t let it affect her — she even said, “don’t change my eyes” in that one scene which made me feel really proud for some reason.

about how they only centered the racism around Alina >> like how Jesper or Inej didn't really have to face any racism ++ and how it was all anti shu ..... again that didn’t rly bother me bc like ..... she’s kind of the main character ????? Not to say that the other characters stories don’t matter (lmao im not done w crooked kingdom yet but I already prefer their duology over the trilogy 😭🤚🏼) but given the fact that this particular adaptation of the story (or even season) is about Alina and Her experiences,, it’s kind of a given that the story will literally revolve around her and the challenges she faces ?????

the books obviously talked about what inej and the others went through + but that was because they had two books and individual chapters to flesh out their characters, plus we learned about their origins through a flashback type thing, it wasn’t a linear storyline.

This season had 8 episodes, so I really didn’t expect them to focus on their backstories since it's established that they’ve been working together for a while (the three crows, not Nina and Matthias). In the show, Alina has just discovered her powers = meaning her arc has just started.

lastly, about how it was unnecessary that Zoya was racist to Alina >> This one confused me a lot im ngl, because in the first book zoya does act like a lil bitch to Alina and everyone in the little palace — Marie and Nadia constantly talked shit abt her behind her back — bro even Genya didn’t like her lol — ALSO she even admitted to this in the second or third book right ?? So considering where her arc goes — I thought that this was obvious ?? she was meant to be disliked at first bc she literally has a redemption arc (AHHH don’t get me wrong here I loved zoya in the end pls shes so snarky ahidhshshs she a lil bitch but she owns it 😌😌 as she should)

I know she wasn’t outright racist to Alina in the books — but she was mean to her — *if I’m not wrong doesn’t she also whisper to Alina in front of the king about how she was an orphan peasant?* given the changes in the show, I thought it was understandable for her to treat her that way (not that it’s ok for anyone to be treated that way but you get the point right...) also idk if this counts but she does correct that one lady saying that Inej was suli and not whatever she originally said.

okk that’s all I can think of now, if you made it this far I wanna say thank uuu so much ily 🥰 ,, I know this was long I didnt think I had this much to say.

if you want then pleaseee share some of your thoughts 🤲🏼🤲🏼 i don’t want to subconsciously be a racist apologist or anything 😭😭 so I’m open to hearing what u have to say ++ also I’m really just wondering why I saw this so differently compared to everyone else ahshsjhdhs.

edit: ive only read the trilogy and six of crows so far. i havent had the time to start crooked kingdom or nikolai's books bc school :/ soo if youre gonna comment, please dont mention anything about crooked kingdom and anything after that !! huhu shhshshsa

SECOND EDIT: someone commented on this but i posted it accidentally and deleted the old one and didnt see their comment im gonna cry aaaaaa

#alina #shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #shadow and bone spoilers #shadow and bone racism #anti asian discrimination #asian #shu han #grishaverse #tw racism #tw anti Asian hate #racism #s&b #Alina starkov

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watchinglikeafangirl · 3 years

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The falcon and winter soldier episode 2 - analysis

Of course, I am not only watching Asian BLs, I'm also watching Marvel and to be honest I was a huge fan but since Endgame was over, I had no motivation to keep track of what's been going on and I probably won't return to the cinema for phase 4 and 5. But I still love "the old generation", so I watch Falcon and the Winter Soldier like everyone else and also to be able to talk with my friends about it cause they are all watching it. So, here' a short analysis...

Kind of at the beginning, we see John Walker as the new Captain America giving an interview during a huge ceremony only held for him. Before I say anything further, I have a question: Did Steve also attend this kind of publicity in the present? Because they never said anything about such things before...

Like I said Captain America was Steve's identity. If he wouldn't've been Cap, he would've been nothing, no one. He build up his image, fonding on Captain America because he was everything that defined him but he had a personality before, only Bucky knows of. This shield and this suit remind Bucky so much of Steve, it hurts and to see some other guy wear it and make jokes is even more painful. Wearing the clothes of a lost one is not cool and I don't believe people need a new Captain America because they are totally fine, but the government saw cash, so they brought up a new one. It literally seems like this was the only reason and they cover up their true motivation by saying the people need someone to bring them hope. They have hope with or without him, it's just a cult...

Moving on, we see Bucky watching the interview on TV. He looks really mad and sad because some random guy not only pops up out of nowhere and took over the role his best friend was always filling, no, this guy also pretends like he has known Steve, the person behind Captain America and that's like an insult against the dead. Bucky has always been and will always be the one who knew Steve right from the beginning until the inevitable end and knew the Steve behind the mask.

Captain America was Steve but Steve wasn't Captain America, if you know what I mean.

Of course, Captain America defined Steve and was his identity but there was more to him than only fighting for his justice. And John Walker talks like he knows all of this. Like he knew Steve in person. No wonder Bucky and Sam don't like him...

But if you want to stick to the idea of hope, you can see it as Steve bringing hope to the poeple during a very hard time (WW2) and Sam as Cap would bring hope for the dream of equality actually coming true.

Talking about equality, they address the problem of racism in the US in a, I supposed, relatively realistic manner. It starts right at the beginning and is mentioned more than once. It begins with Sam rejecting the shield, it goes on in the bank and later with the police officers and it's not gonna stop. Sam doesn't feel worthy of the shield. He is part of the black communjty which is not respected as it should be and was confronted with racism all his life. It would be ironic to carry a shield of a man who represents the state and its society which was not kind to the people of color. It is something he can't do. His pride would suffer and he doesn't want to relie on his reputation. He already does and hates it very, very much. The officer didn't arrest him because he's Falcon and Sam hates this kind of mindset. He detests it and Bucky is no help. Sam really struggles with that and I'm glad they address that matter properly and send out the signal that even though you might be famous, you can very much still be a victim of racism and nothing changed for you. And that's just extremely sad.

For Sam, being Captain America is not an option right now because it wouldn't change anything, it wouldn't mean anything and he can just let it be.

Bucky is working through his trauma on his own, so he doesn't even try to understand Sam. The death of the only person who could remind him of his old self really affects him and he's lost. Losing Steve meant a loss of identity for him and Bucky has a hard time processing it plus coming clean with his past - which he clearly hasn't - and punishes himself for all the time. He is in denial. He is grieving. He seeks redemption. And maybe Sam can help him find it.

The color scheme is not that special or something but it's used to underline their differences. This is pretty clear at the end when Sam and Bucky are walking on the streets and talk about what they are going tk do now. The light is devided into a blue and yellow one. The half of the screen where Bucky is shown, is blue, showing his trauma and how much it defines him right now. He is lost, sad and looking for meaning. He still holds on to the past and first needs to let go. As for the other part of the screen is in yellow light, showing that Sam has a great journey to face and will be the new Captain America once he gets over what is holding him back.

I have to say, this show surprised me a lot. Sam and Bucky finally have character traits tnat go deeper than before and the show is well made. I know, it's just for fanservice, but it's good fanservice, so I'm gonna keep watching until the end.

What I really like is how they implie that Bucky and Sam form their unity and their own side because John Walker doesn't seem like one of the bad guys but is also not on their side. So, they are more or less their own side which is a really powerful metaphor for two people who have been so close to Steve. They are an alligance against the new Captain America that still tries to find his way. Bucky as the old best friend of Steve and Sam as the new Cap form a unity in memory of Steve and continue his legacy. It's a great dedication to Steve and they honour him in the best way possible.

Their friendship will go deeper and will help both of them to accept themselves. It will all be solved but until then, we're surely gonna see some more bickering and grumpy Bucky and I will love it from beginning until end.

#tfatws #black lives matter #sam and bucky #sam x bucky

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aliencrybby · 7 years

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Anxiety got on top of me this weekend and it was the first time in a while for me experiencing that in a public space, so there’s a few misplaced feelings of shame/embarrassment to work through rn. But I’m also really pissed.

I was out for an old pal’s birthday in the area I spent my childhood in Australia, a nice old beachside place I now try to avoid like a plague apart from seeing school friends or going for swims.

I moved at age 7 from the Philippines, where my mother’s family live in pretty harsh circumstances - and my dad, by then a self made rich man, would visit on trips away from his other family in Hong Kong. That itself was a tricky one already, especially at the time, when ideas of white-centric nuclear families with firm gendered roles was being gleefully plugged into the social consciousness. In other words, post colonial ideas ruled my world and there was a lot in mine that didn’t add up. I don’t mean to imply those attitudes are gone by any means - but the visible conversations of dissent weren’t as accessible back then and plus I was a child.

So I came to this country off the back of a kidnapping threat (I couldn’t elaborate on that if I wanted, it’s strangely murky in my parents’ stories) with all kinds of jumbled ideas about class and race to add to the prevailing shitty attitudes about class and race of the time. Mama and I were plopped in the middle of an assimilation-loving, model minority myth-believing, proudly xenophobic area with no relatives and no friends, right as Pauline Hanson’s anti Asian ship was reaching full sail. I don’t know how my mother soldiered on like she did, but she did with softness in her spine as well as steel.

My dad was determined I go to a richy poo primary school. He thought it was the best education I could get and education is access— and I guess he thought I’d be able to form relationships that could help me work for that access. Due to a class intersect and in the rosy promise of early 90s globalisation, there was actually a bit of diversity at that school - and the idea that someone could be different to you and still be a real live human being wasn’t as much of a trippy, new thing there.

But there were still external factors everywhere. I remember a few times thinking how cool it would be to switch with whoever white girl in my class - just for an hour or two. I think I wanted to see how life treated you as one of them. It didn’t help I only really saw myself represented as a sidekick or an afterthought. Insidiously, I got the idea my only role was of comedic relief or antithesis to whatever bland mashup of cultures people presumed ‘Asian’ to be. I was one of the only non white or non white passing person at my high school - def in my year, apart from another SE Asian boy (he bailed in year 10 and we weren’t friends anyway, sad); a First Nations enrolled in the year below for a few terms and left soon after.

Sidenote, my mama did a fucking brill job in never letting me believe I was less. She never slut shamed or body shamed me, though culturally, a lot of titas made a Eurovision week special out of it, espesh at the time. But I always knew there was something about me that people saw as ‘less’. It took me ages to consciously realise it was my Asianness that was the subtracting factor, the thing that took points off me for full benefit of humanness. On top of regular teenage angst and hormonal identity crises, I couldn’t make sense of a lot of this shit, or didn’t want to think about because I didn’t know how.

My early twenties was a slow process of learning and unlearning and it got me angry. Becoming conscious is a raw hot stripping back of the mental skin you spent years putting on. Nothing changes but everything changes. And there was other stuff going on that got me slipping back into old habits, not dealing with how I was feeling properly, but ofc i didn’t know that at the time. It wasn’t always bad but that’s partly why it was so confusing. Lately I’ve been feeling like a fog is being lifted and some things have happened to allow for other things to take place. Things like healing.

Anyway back to this night - what’s been on my mind is that in a way it was part of a process. Nothing really happened. There was the usual white girls going out of their way to walk in my way. One white dude said some bs then aggressively called my friend and I aggressive. Standard. Esp with this particular friend, it’s like people can’t stand to just let us live when we’re together! But nothing out of the usual fuckery happened. No one was physically hurt, which is obviously a cute positive. But it’s always so much more insidious that way isn’t it. I wasn’t born in those parts, my earliest memories are from an ocean away from there. With the exception of the few babes who saw me properly and were my friends, that place never really welcomed me. Not without a caveat, not without proving proximity to whiteness, or more to the point, separation from non whiteness. Not without the cost of the balance. Maybe that was what shook me. I’ve been in that situation so many times, that situation is my goddamn life. I’ve moved around a bit since, some time in the inner city, now in a suburb with heaps of immigrant workers & real diversity - so I don’t go back to the beaches too much anymore. Mama moved too so there’s no home there for me. But it got me that I was back in the place I’d spent time growing up in and I was finding it completely unchanged when in so many ways I saw everything differently. It wasn’t like I expected anything else but at some point, it got to me. I don’t even know what happened, one second I was all ‘leggo peeps, let’s relocate upstairs’ and next thing coming outpour of my mouth is I need to engage in a SWIFT AND TIMELY BAIL and I’m crying. I know I was tired, severely underslept and anxieties kept peaking throughout the night. So rationality is not the game and delirium is. But it was more than that too. It was the sad but inevitable confirmation that I do - not - want - any - part - of that shit any longer. Ever.

I was v v lucky to have pals there that get it. I had my lil moment and they didn’t make me try to explain or drill me about it, just were supportive babes. ILY.

There’s always the assumption you’ll get backlash, that speaking on something will just compound everything and make things worse. Even if you’re literally just responding to something right in front of you. Isn’t that just calling a cunt a cunt? I get so sick of watching the glaze or unmistakable trace defiance flash in people’s eyes at having to hear about “racism” One More Time™, not understanding that it is every millisecond of people’s realities. Not a concept or a debate, our reality. It’s not hypothetical lives being affected, it’s actual real live people. When I hear people say ‘stop talking about it’, I would fucking LOVE to. We would all love to stop having to talk about it. Do something about it on your part so we can PLOISE.

————

#aliencrybby #racism #anxiety #social anxiety #woc #not your chinadoll #exhausted not exotic #wip #colonialism and race #fuck your shitty post colonial gaze #vent #daily dissent #resist! resist! resist!

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just-seheun · 6 years

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bye 2017, hey 2018

I feel like I always get around to writing an end of the year post on tumblr even if i never really even get to use this site during the year.

well I guess it’s that time of the year (or new year I should say) where I try and look back as well as look forward.

let’s see what happened in 2017...

- let’s say, for one, ‘Murica as a whole kinda went through a lot of bullshit (still is honestly) - we’re getting rid of DACA, the tax cut bill was passed (holla @ the rich 10% and say bye to the other 90%), we’re slowly trying to get rid of/fuck up the EPA despite climate change being very real (if category 4-5 hurricanes occurring back to back is what we’d call “real”), and ya know just the firing of members of the HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention council in the government - to name a few (not to mention, continued police brutality, racial discrimination/injustice (tbh just racism as a whole), and dumb ass fucking people who - ugh

well, moving on to maybe more lighthearted moments...

- I tried to infiltrate the Asian community a little more with (mixed, mostly unsuccessful) efforts. Idk man I tried. I think I did make stronger relationships with the Asian friends I started out with so, I think that’s definitely a major plus. (*insert thumbs up here*)

- also, kinda along with that one, I think I dived into more adventurous food/hangout spots in terms of finding kinda Asian hubs and places I vibe with (an accomplishment of last year too that I think worked and flourished even more in 2017).

- Kind of cooled down with the whole going out scene. I still go out occasionally and have a pretty good time but it’s definitely dwindled down. We definitely started the year going out more but like I said, definitely calmed down a lot.

- Went to my first Terp Thon FTK! Started my TTPT journey with the 1 million dollar year - pretty crazy and amazing. It was truly and unreal experience for all those kids and wouldn’t have changed it for anything. Super sad I won’t be there for Terp Thon 2018 though.

- oh! successfully (kinda) resurrected my GPA from a sad 2.7 (result of getting a 1.7 from failing calc2 and getting a D in bio) to a nice and solid 3.23 which I am tbh very proud of. A 3.8 and 3.88 (technically straight As - woo hooooo) these last two semesters - yay! Just also improving in school as a whole. I’m really starting to enjoy what I’m doing. yeah, spring ‘17 sem was more chill and fall ‘17 sem was more like hell but, overall I’m pretty excited about the work and studies I get to do. (like hell as in 3 2900-3200-word papers in the span of like 2 weeks)

- Another academic thing, I added Art History (officially) as a Double Major which probably means a winter term here or there but still very exciting. I also feel like I’ve really learned a lot about the fundamentals of art history that I really felt like I was missing this whole time. Just like the basic timeline of movements and key artists from Burgundian Netherlands to Venice to Rococo to Realism to Cubism (and all its various forms) to Der Blauer Reiter to Contemporary and everything in between. All cool stuff - definitely makes you pay attention more to dates and stuff when visiting galleries and museums and just makes me feel more in the know if nothing else.

- Again, another academic thing, I’m officially in the English Honors Program - woo hoo! This does, however, mean I’ll be writing a 25-page thesis but honestly it’ll be fine, I’m fine, it’s all fine... I mean I don’t really know what I’m gonna write about and I have to skype my professor for like 2 months in the summer but hey, it’s all good and if it’s not I’ll just figure it out (*insert nervous sheepish grin here*)

- Kind of started the process of cutting off 아빠 which take that with a grain of salt. It’s a mess tbh, I don’t even know what to say honestly.

- Finally left Slaveway for good. It really tbh started becoming too much of a risk and just uncomfortable for me to stay. Not an awful job (despite the shit customers a lot of the time) but I just couldn’t stay longer.

- I feel like there was also definitely a more solidifying of sustained relationships and a distancing in others. I don’t know definitely still a lot just up in the air and a lot of familiar faces but a lot of new things and stronger bonds in 2017.

(now, post looking at my snapchat memories from the year and realizing how much shit I did this year... lol)

- I went to 2 concerts (kinda); one being 2 Chainz and all of the many acts that came before him at Art Attack 2017 and the other being Khalid’s bomb American Teen Tour concert at the Filmore that I initially just went to because Sam wanted to go and Anh had an extra ticket that ended up being real lit.

- Had like a little fame after writing an Odyssey Online article about Moco which was kinda cool and kinda ridiculous lol. I also just stopped writing for them all together after like less than one sem rip.

- Also realizing I went to a lot of really cool exhibits and art-related things this past year which I’m really happy about actually. Yayoi Kusama’s exhibit was crazy amazing and well worth the wait. Artec house was really cool and just visiting the NGA, the PMA, the Hirshorn, the Freer/Sackler with a fresh and more knowledgeable outlook was really nice. Also starting those solo museum trips during the sem was really nice no matter how short-lived they were.

Honestly this year was very different from 2016 in many many ways. I think there’s been a lot more growth in this past year but I and the community around me definitely went through a lot.

- Something I realized this past year in unfortunate circumstances, was the prevalence of loss and losing individuals close to your community. I never thought things like death, loss, grief, and suicide were things that I would ever come across (let alone, this often) at this age. We really did lose a lot of young lives that were filled with so much potential and hope this past year especially in this community, including an old classmate. Things that we always thought to be intangible and far away landed right in front of us and I don’t think a lot of us including myself still know how to grasp all of that. It’s hard to see the people around you, the ones you grew up with and always had by your side whether you knew them well or not, lead such a tragic fate. This year made us think about mental health more and more. You realize in the most unfortunate circumstances that everyone has there own demons that they’re fighting. No one is free from them. Even in regards to Jonghyun, it affects everyone in the darkest of ways.

This past year really made me think more about how fragile life truly is. I’ve dealt with and still deal with my own demons and the dark thoughts of my past and truly wonder especially in light of all the tragic events from this past year, what things would be like. It would be a lie if I said that they didn’t make me wonder about past thoughts of my own more.

I think it’s sad to think that even as I wonder about all this, I still feel empty about it in the midst of being unable to process it all. I feel like in a way, whether as a result from school distracting me and my own self protecting or shielding itself, I’ve grown numb. I feel like my own mind is trying to avoid emotions at all cost in a way that’s pushing away emotion and problems by just not dealing with them (which by no means is the right way to deal with things at all bc you’re not dealing with anything). I don’t know, I guess I’m getting by and I’m not as broody as I was in the past but I wouldn’t say I’ve improved, I’ve just kind of paused in a way I guess.

I want to end this post with a brighter look toward the future though. I think 2018 has a lot of potential waiting to happen with lots of things to look forward to that I think should be highlighted in this post. After all, a new year means moving forward, not burying your past necessarily but, using the past to cast light on the future.

So with that, things to look forward to in 2018...

- First things first, STUDY ABROAD IN ROME for Spring ‘18 sem! I mean it doesn’t get more exciting and new than this honestly. Yes, I am super stressed and there’s so much stuff to do besides the fact that I’m paranoid and don’t know what to expect at all. I’ve never traveled abroad in my life, let alone lived away from home (ever) so this is just gonna be absolutely nuts tbh. I have lots of hopes though. Do I want a fairytale, movie-like experience? Lowkey, of course. But I also try to be a harsh realist when I can so, we’re staying generally tame about our study abroad fantasies lol. Still, I’m hoping this will be a chance to make new friends and hopefully make some of them in my art history classes as well as in the school in general. It’s been a hard few years in the whole making friends department seeing as how all my past roommates are very antisocial. Yes, I myself am also very much like this but that doesn’t mean my internal self doesn’t want a lot of friends lol. I’m excited to take a class with Evelyn and just experience the city while hopefully staying safe and smart. It’ll be a crazy and hopefully amazing semester with a lot of travel and just a lot of fun before my senior year. I could go on and on about all my thoughts and hopes for this coming semester but, I’ll just leave it at that (your girl really needs to sort her life out/figure out what to pack/pack/schedule the rest of my home excursions/get her documents together/everything else. Bottom line: we’re a mess lol.

- Hopefully a summer internship. Forreal forreal like actually. Your girl was stuck at safeway again this past year and we’re not having that shit again. Nope nuh-uh, not happening. Not this year mm mm, no. We’re gonna find one. We have to - it’s gonna happen. Trust and believe. Trust and believe!

- Also turning 21 this year (although, this probs won’t be exciting seeing as how I’ll be legal all semester while I’m abroad, then come home and be nonlegal for another like 2 months and then be legal again). Look, I’m just looking forward to getting mimosas and going to bars without memorizing random identity information from Illinois.

- Also 2018 is really gonna be a year for me to REALLY think about me. In all contexts, really. Academically; figuring out what it is I really want from my education and working toward making the most out of it, finding a real path for myself in terms of grad school and other things school-related. Lifewise; gauging how I’m going to continue my life. Graduation is coming faster than I can think and by this time next year, I’ll be gearing up for my last semester as an undergrad. That is so wild. 2018 is really gonna be me trying to buckle down, I suppose. Trying to cloud out my peers and their success/failures/paths and really try to hone in on myself. It’ll be a challenge but we’ve got to start somewhere, right?

All in all a lot was thrown onto the table in 2017 in a lot of different ways. It’s been a different kind of roller-coaster with much much more to come after this year (my favorite number year really, 2017). 2018 will be a test of time and one of the biggest challenges but, also hopefully a year with a lot of hope and potential for success. Wishing everyone the brightest new year with health, opportunities, growth, and burgeoning happiness! Cheers to all 2018 has to offer all of us and to all the things 2017 gave us!

#new year's #new year #bye 2017 #hello 2018 #2018 #2017 #일기 #새해 #새해 많이 받아랏 #thoughts #new year new challenges

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gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years

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Readers And Tweeters Ponder Racism, Public Health Threats And COVID’s Cost

Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.

Rising Above Racism

I want to compliment writer Anna Almendrala on her article “Masked or Not, Asians Are Still Attacked” in the Los Angeles Times (“Hate Unmasked In America, May 29). I was deeply moved by her eloquent prose and her compassionate voice. During this difficult time, after being cruelly attacked by a neighbor, she was still able to respond to an egregious insult with an impressive amount of empathy. I hope that readers learn from her example. I have.

— Jayne Muñoz, Santa Ana, California

Journalist @annaalmendrala shares a recent experience that broke my heart. We must work to #StopHate Hate Unmasked In America https://t.co/Pu8SUM2OQ5 via @khnews

— Barbara Glickstein (@BGlickstein) May 29, 2020

— Barbara Glickstein, New York City

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Threats Against Public Health Workers

Thank you for publishing the story describing the dire threats that public health professionals have received (“Public Health Officials Face Wave Of Threats, Pressure Amid Coronavirus Response,” June 12). I left an academic career in public health, as the former director of prevention and control for the Cancer Center of Hawaii, because of institutional racism. But that pales in comparison to what these professionals are being subjected to.

— Dr. Brian Martin, Portland, Oregon

I would have liked the authors of this article to also have mentioned what percentage of the officials who quit or were fired were female. I have noticed since the beginning that most state and local health officials are female. (Noticed it is the same in Canada.) And did they investigate/consider whether that fact has also played a part in the hostility and threats?

— Ann-Marie Tate, Phoenix

Editor’s note: Please be on the lookout for follow-up stories, produced in partnership with The Associated Press, which will include more data.

Being a public health worker is like being Batman, but w/o the funding. Everyone's happy you're out there when things are good. But when shit hits fan, they set the dogs on you.

Public Health Officials Face Wave Of Threats Amid Coronavirus https://t.co/0xs96gN1vz via @khnews

— Faiz Kidwai, DO, MPH (@KidwaiFaiz) June 14, 2020

— Dr. Faiz Kidwai, Syracuse, New York

Lessons In Holistic Healing

The long history of mistreatment and distrust between Native Americans and the federal government is no secret (“Returning to Roots, Indian Health Service Seeks Traditional Healers,” May 14), but I find that myself and many of my peers in medical school have limited knowledge when it comes to the health care of Native Americans. This article provides an enriching example of the importance of cultural diversity and holistic medicine.

In the era of medicine where chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease are the most common cause of death, there are no treatments that “cure” conditions as there are with many infectious diseases. As such, treatment relies on addressing risk factors, lifestyle changes, and the social environment. While the advancement of modern medicine is nothing short of remarkable, there is something to be learned from the traditional healers of the Native American reservations. They seek not only to treat physical conditions, but also to address the “mental, emotional, and spiritual needs” of the community, as so elegantly stated in the article. This comprehensive approach to medicine is perhaps more suitable to the chronic diseases we see today, where cardiovascular disease is intertwined with risk factors such as poor diet, low income, distrust of medicine, etc.

The recruitment of traditional healers by the Indian Health Service, a federally funded organization, gives me hope that not only is the government starting to accept the importance of cultural diversity, but that it is beginning to acknowledge a more holistic approach to medicine.

— Brandon Jocher, St. Louis

“When an elder dies there’s a whole history, a whole line of information that we lose. It’s like the library burning down” says Stewart-Peregoy of the Crow

Elders are a living link to our history—not too far distant in 2020 if you consider long lifespanshttps://t.co/7nU8u9q8Vt

— Brett Chapman (@brettachapman) June 6, 2020

— Brett Chapman, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Their Lives Did Count

I watched Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal on CNN and related to her story “First-Person Perspective: My Mother Died Of The Coronavirus. It’s Time She Was Counted,” May 27). I lost two parents. Ten hours apart. In two different New York City hospitals. One came from a skilled nursing facility. One came from an independent living facility. 92 and 93 years old. Neither of them “counted.” It’s a terrible feeling. Their lives surely counted, but not their deaths.

— Robin Tolkoff Levy, Owings Mills, Maryland

On Dentists Cleaning Up

I saw your article on increased dental fees (“Open (Your Wallet) Wide: Dentists Charge Extra For Infection Control,” June 3). It is very true. I am a private practice dentist and am facing increased “disposable goods” costs, as well as additional trash collection fees, and have hired an additional staff member whose sole task is cross-contamination prevention. I am forced to pass these charges along to the patients.

To the patients interviewed in your article who were “shocked” by the added fees, you can look for a dentist who will not have to increase his or her fees — but you likely won’t find one. I have had a few patients refuse to pay the charge and they are dismissed from my practice. When they realize that our charges are reasonable and call to try and get an appointment (and 80% do), we won’t make them an appointment. “But there isn’t another dentist in 200 miles who takes my insurance,” they complain. Shouldn’t have complained.

Several local dentists have retired completely because they couldn’t (or chose not to) keep up with the changes. We are booked into November. On the plus side, my existing patients are thrilled to be able to be seen and arrive early, don’t balk at having to wait in the parking lot and are extremely pleased with our efforts to avoid cross-contamination. My rate of “missed appointments” is way down.

Dentistry now outpaces logging and fishing as the most hazardous job on the planet. We went from being the brunt of jokes to valued members of the health care community.

In 1962, there were 100,000 dentists, 100,000 physicians and 70,000 attorneys. Today there are about 190,000 dentists, 950,000 physicians and 1.1 million lawyers. Earning a dental degree requires more than a quarter of a million dollars. There is a reason modern dental care is so expensive — because it is worth it.

— Dr. William Hartel, Bristol, Tennessee

In case you needed more proof that universal healthcare also should mean a single-payer system for dental and vision care, not just major medical, mental health and prescription plans. https://t.co/iHQuxokByY

— Jennifer S. Hyk (@JenHyk) June 3, 2020

— Jennifer Hyk, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Not only am I disturbed by the inflammatory title, but also by the tone of this article. I am waiting for one journalist to actually do some research and find out exactly the level of expense related to all the new (and ever-changing) rules and regulations related to patient safety because of COVID-19. These additional measures are costly and ongoing. Add to that the fact that many suppliers are acting like black-market profiteers by escalating their costs. It’s almost like Martin Shkreli bought out all the supply chains that provide PPE.

The dental offices you covered in your article all handled this exactly how the CDC, OSHA, ADA and almost every state dental organization has recommended. This is not a routine “cost of doing business.” For offices contracted with the dental “insurance” companies, the offices are contractually forbidden to charge above the usual, customary and reasonable (UCR) cost dictated by the companies. In short, if the dentist tries to bundle the fee into the cost of a procedure, he/she will not be reimbursed by the insurance companies. Bottom line: The dentist is expected to eat the cost.

In contrast to what the general public may think, the great majority of dentists are not millionaires. They are hardworking men and women who sacrificed eight additional years of their early adulthood to learn their specialty. Many graduate from dental school with loans in excess of $250,000, which is close to what the average American spends to buy a home. Once in practice, they are pushed around by the dental “insurance” Goliaths that have not increased their average annual “benefit” maximum since the 1960s. Oh, and let’s not discount this increasingly litigious society that directly affects annual malpractice premiums.

These dentists endure all of this. They carry the responsibility of usually being a solo business owner, leader of a team and responsible for them and their families, having to deal with constantly changing local, state and national regulations, ever-increasing license and business costs, and possibly being exposed to a deadly disease on a daily basis. (By the way, I’m not lumping COVID in with “deadly disease” — I’m talking about deadly diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV, etc.).

I don’t know of any dentist who has gotten one red cent in “unemployment benefits” during the past three months. Yes, they may have received PPP money, but guess what? That goes straight to expenses or must be paid back. This is quite different from the unemployment benefits that millions of American employees have received since the middle of March.

Lastly, for those patients who are complaining about the $10 PPE fee, I wonder how many of them drop at least that much within two days of going to their local Starbucks? I’m willing to bet it’s a pretty high percentage of them. It’s almost as if those people value their full-fat, whipped-cream, half-caf, double shot, venti mochaccino more than they do their oral and general health.

— Dr. Gerilyn Alfe, Chicago

‘Lost on the Frontline’: Beyond The Statistics

Not sure why this is a story (“Lost on the Frontline: Exclusive: Nearly 600 — And Counting — US Health Workers Have Died Of COVID-19,” June 6). The ratio of COVID deaths in health care workers to the number of health care workers (about 600 of 16 million) is the same as the national rate (about 11,000 of 328 million) and is virtually the same as the world rate (about 400,000 of 7.8 billion). Presenting the death toll in that light would show that health care workers are contracting COVID at the same rate as everyone else. We’re not special (in the eyes of disease). Who’d a thunk?

— John Coburn, Atascadero, California

No one else counting as accurately. Includes all—janitors, aides, RNs, MDs, housekeepers, etc. Read bios & know they were not protected enough. Exclusive: Nearly 600 — And Counting — US Health Workers Have Died Of COVID-19 https://t.co/IizC1KDWEy via @khnews

— Julie Fairman (@fairmanjulie) June 6, 2020

— Julie Fairman, Philadelphia

This is a wonderful service. Thank you for doing it. They are the heroes in this world and should be memorialized. I’m a retired surgeon and have nothing but awe for every single one of these people and their efforts on our behalf.

One request: Dr. Atul Gawande and others have indicated that “properly protected” health care workers have a very low risk of infection with SARS CoV-2. It would be beneficial to all of us if you could perhaps publish weekly a tally of those who have passed and how many of those were wearing adequate PPE. I’m particularly interested in how well surgical masks protect people (as opposed to N95, which we know work but don’t have enough of), so having that tidbit of information would be great. Thanks again so much for your work and dedication.

— Dr. Robert Ley, Aptos, California

I read the article and sent it to family and friends. Everyone was very pleased and also saddened. Once people see all the faces and the different occupations, it seems to be a collective gasp. Thank you again for reaching out to me so that I could be a part of this expression of love, knowledge, informative journalism and dedication.

— Barbara Abernathy, Chicago, mother of Michelle Abernathy, a residential services supervisor who died of COVID-19 on April 13

As a spouse of a healthcare worker, I find it obscene that police are funded to be armed to the teeth to beat protestors, but healthcare workers don’t have enough PPE. I worry everyday that my husband will contract this deadly virus. https://t.co/qTe2iuAQl5

— Laura Elena Belmonte, Ph.D. (@educadaxicana) June 13, 2020

— Laura Elena Belmonte, Albuquerque, New Mexico

I just wanted to drop you a note of thanks for your ongoing documentation of medical workers killed by COVID-19 in the line of duty. Our charity is dedicated to providing recognition and support for both medical services personnel who become casualties, and their families who suffer loss, as a result of the providers’ care for patients in the fight against COVID-19 and infectious disease. So we’re very appreciative of your efforts and hope that we can do more to support these incredible people.

— Kevin Higgins, president of The Fallen Providers Project Inc., Lebanon, Ohio

Go ahead and dismiss these lives because you are not personally affected. Go ahead and make this your political hill and for f*cks sake definitely make your personal limited discomfort more "Constitutionally Protected" than another's right to life.https://t.co/BKXfptSrzf

— Nancy Quinn (@nancysquinn) June 7, 2020

— Nancy Quinn, Concho, Arizona

In your “Lost on the Frontline” series, respiratory therapists are not mentioned as health care providers. They intubate and place patients who have difficulty breathing on life support. They make up an important front-line team that manages the ventilators and helps with transport while patients are on life support. Respiratory therapists work with COVID-19 patients and many have been exposed — in the ICU. The doctors, nurses — and respiratory therapists — are the main people in the COVID-19 rooms!

— Barb Homberger, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Steer Clear Of ‘Painkillers’

While I appreciate the info and public education on the need to be prepared (“Asking Never Hurts: Society Is Reopening. Prepare To Hunker Down At Home Again,” June 9), I think using the term “painkillers” in this article was not the best choice of words. If your point is to educate people to have medications that help relieve body aches from the virus, using a different term such as OTC pain relievers (Tylenol, etc.) is more appropriate.

Many people think the term painkiller means opioids/narcotics. We are in the middle of an opioid crisis, so using that term should be avoided if we are encouraging people to make sure they are prepared for the coronavirus.

— Amy Krajec, Oceanside, California

A Missed Opportunity To Educate

You are missing an important opportunity with this story (“A Teen’s Death From COVID,” June 15). You glossed over the importance of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and focused mainly on the positive COVID test. This boy died from something that, if caught early enough, Type 1 diabetes, is entirely manageable. There are many groups and families trying to work and raise awareness about DKA and the warning signs of Type 1 diabetes. This story could have helped these efforts. If more had been known, that child may not have died. His symptoms were normal for advanced DKA and coma associated with that. Organizations like Beyond Type 1, Project Blue November and Kisses for Kycie have been trying to raise awareness of the symptoms of DKA and need help from the media. Too many children die needlessly in this country and around the world each year from undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes. Not to undermine the reporting and seriousness of COVID-19, but we are fighting an uphill battle to raise awareness and save lives.

— Carrie Berry, Austin, Texas

As a parent, articles like this one scare the hell out of me. https://t.co/4IdSn4DoUH

— Rob Szczerba (@RJSzczerba) June 19, 2020

— Rob Szczerba, Pittsburgh

I was overwhelmed by the story about Andre Guest’s battle with COVID-19 and his passing. I can’t get it out of my head. Cry every time I think about that sweet, beautiful child devastated by this thing. Is there a way to let the parents know my thoughts are with them?

— Kevin Orton, Newcastle, Washington

While this is a tragic story, the reporting is not thorough and the stated facts are concerning, indicating possible negligence of care.

Despite this teen’s age, obesity is a known and well-reported underlying condition associated with higher mortality in those who are infected with the coronavirus. And, for still unknown reasons, so is being Black. Although the article does not mention in the text either contributing factor, the accompanying photos show them clearly.

The article states: “Although Andre had no underlying medical conditions, the first thing doctors discovered was that he had developed Type 1 diabetes. …” It is also well known that obesity and diabetes are comorbidities. While a recent COVID-19 finding is a possible potential for the development of acute diabetes, this teen’s obesity should have alerted health care professionals to the potential for diabetes and prior monitoring, especially considering it “was the first thing doctors discovered” in this case.

It is also known that autoimmune disease is associated with autism, although the precise etiology remains unknown. Diabetes is an autoimmune disease associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients.

The actual facts of this boy’s health and that the mother is a nurse and that this article originates from a major hospital system seems to imply ignorance and potential negligence of care. The bizarre inclusion of quotes about bedtime peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and video games implies further evidence of questionable lifestyle choices contributing to childhood obesity.

While this case does highlight the fact that young people can die from COVID-19, that this particular boy’s death would be publicized as an example that “perfectly healthy” young people are dying of COVID-19 is inaccurate. The real takeaway of this tragic story should be a focus on the fact that young people can and do have multiple underlying health concerns and that parents need to be informed and proactive in the health care of their children.

— Barbara Tefft, Newfield, New York

It Happened To Me

When I read your article about unusual symptoms in the elderly, it sounded like my experience (“Seniors With COVID-19 Show Unusual Symptoms, Doctors Say,” April 24). I am 77 and on the evening of March 2 something clicked off in my brain. When speaking, all that came out of my mouth was gibberish. I went to bed but don’t remember doing that. My alarm went off at 6 a.m. — I had an appointment at 9 a.m. for chemotherapy and my daughter was coming to pick me up for that appointment. When I got up at 6, I could not figure out what I was supposed to do. I could not figure out how to get dressed, so I went back to bed. The doorbell rang at 8 a.m. I got up but was in some kind of fog.

We live in a two-story house. I went to the top of the stairs and kept walking. I fell facedown and bounced down the stairs. My daughter called 911. I do not remember the paramedics coming or the 18 hours I spent in the ER. My daughter said I never spoke a word during that time. When spoken to, she said, I would get a confused look on my face but never spoke. I did not have a stroke. An MRI showed no clots or bleeds. I woke up the next morning and was able to speak and answer questions.

I was in the hospital for 10 days due to my injuries related to the fall. I am doing fine now. The doctors were never able to come up with a reason for what happened. He said we’ll just call it a TIA (transient ischemic attack) because we don’t know what else to call it. But my symptoms were not those caused by a TIA. I am wondering if what happened could have been caused by COVID 19. The symptoms were so bizarre. It frustrates me not to know the cause. I only hope that reliable antibody tests might eventually provide an answer.

— Kathy Oldershaw, Visalia, California

Don't let ageism or apathy interfere with access to timely testing. Changes to eating or sleeping patterns, withdrawal, confusion, disorientation & dizziness may be signs of COVID-19 in older adults: https://t.co/DymTUEwXfZ via @khnews #coronavirus #ageism #healthcare #geriatrics

— Amy Abrams (@amyreneeabrams) April 25, 2020

— Amy Abrams, San Diego

Cutting Through The Confusion

The article “Antibody Tests Were Hailed As Way To End Lockdowns. Instead, They Cause Confusion” (May 28) is misleading and reflects incomplete reporting.

Both the FDA and the CDC have suggested doing two independent antibody tests to confirm a positive finding in low prevalence areas. The FDA has had those data pertaining to test accuracy posted for a long time.

This story ignores the many other places in the USA and abroad that have done seroprevalence studies.

There is an indication for using antibody testing: the large number of people who had classic COVID-19 symptoms and clinical course but who were told to stay home and were never tested. It’s too late to do antigen studies on them. They need antibody testing to confirm the diagnosis.

People with symptoms shed antigen for perhaps 10-14 days or even longer. But testing for antigen later in the disease can yield negative findings and antibody testing can be useful.

The “gold standard” antigen test can be falsely negative 30-40% of the time.

Then there is the problem of the large numbers of asymptomatic persons with the disease. Antigen testing can be misleading, too. Antibody testing plays a role.

Given the complex nature of the disease, the timing of testing both for antigen and antibodies is critical. That’s why the instructions for use (IFUs) for antibody tests break down test results in terms of days since symptom onset.

Just because the disease is complex does not mean that testing should not be done. What is needed is a better understanding and less media bashing of manufacturers and labs.

Why don’t you interview some of the professors who have done seroprevalence testing and who have the required academic credentials you approve of?

This report sounds like the ones that were written weeks ago. Nothing new here.

Those of us who participate in the weekly live FDA town hall webinars have heard these issues discussed for weeks and seen them reported also.

— Dr. Brant Mittler, San Antonio, Texas

Antibody tests got all the buzz in the last month, but was that just a flash in the pan? Or do we just have to wait a little more until the tests are perfected? @KHNews https://t.co/gJPzkinSnJ

— Carmel Shachar (@CarmelShachar) May 28, 2020

— Carmel Shachar, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Emergency Care’s Most Urgent Problem

The extortionate costs of ambulance services in California is worse than that ER bill (“Bill Of The Month: COVID-Like Cough Sent Him To ER — Where He Got A $3,278 Bill,” May 25). My daughter experienced a medical emergency while traveling in California. The first hospital where she received care arranged to transfer her to another hospital. The ambulance service selected by hospital A was outside her network. She has been hit with an $8,000 bill, which includes a $4,600 base rate and $2,645.50 for mileage (37 miles from hospital A to hospital B).

The selection of ambulance service was completely outside her control. Of course, a reasonable rate is appropriate, but this amount is extortionate and bears no relationship to the cost or value of the transport.

This should not be allowed to occur to anyone, but especially not to someone who is not in a position to select their own provider. Apparently, the hospital staff arranging the transfer confirmed that hospital B was within the insurance network, but did not confirm the status of the ambulance service.

I am outraged by the impact of this incident on my family and suspect others have also been treated this way. This is price gouging at its worst! This practice should also be exposed by KHN.

— Bobbie Gregg, Dallas

One thing that's impeding our ability to control the virus is that people are frightened of our healthcare system. Because it can be extremely predatory:https://t.co/0F6qsCfjsp

— Mededitor (@Mededitor) May 27, 2020

— Daniel Sosnoski, Jacksonville, Florida

I was a nurse contractor in San Jose, California, when I started getting short of breath and experiencing chest pain. I went to the Valley Health emergency room, the one closest to me, and I received an $8,000 ER bill. I can’t afford to pay this bill and our insurance didn’t pay. I’m trying to negotiate the bill, but I was never tested for COVID-19 while there, which I found out I had after I returned home to Houston. Ridiculous charge for a non-traumatic ER visit.

— Kelly Lenz, Houston

COVID-Like Cough Sent Him To ER — He Got A $3,278 Bill. This is so infuriating! I've had many experiences just like this. Ever wonder why many sick people don't show up for health care until it is almost too late? This is exactly why! https://t.co/lO6iWtOPgB

— Gunner 😷🇺🇸🇭🇰😷 光復香港 😷 時代革命 😷🇭🇰🇺🇸😷 (@AgeCosmos) May 30, 2020

— Devon Seeley, Salt Lake City

Perhaps the most important takeaway is not that his bill was coded incorrectly, but that we need low-cost urgent care facilities that are open 24/7, so that we are not billed thousands of dollars for simple tests or a couple of stitches. How many people go into debt or go untreated because basic services are simply not available?

— Isabel Cabanne, Glencoe, Illinois

Getting The COVID Code Right

I am a certified professional medical coder, and love your podcast, as I am also a grad student majoring in epidemiology. I listened to the episode in which Phil Galewitz suggested patients should tell their health care providers to code “possible COVID-19” in order to avoid the bill for services (“KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Still Seeking A Federal Coronavirus Strategy,” May 28).

This is incorrect; national coding guidelines prohibit coders to code “suspected, possible or rule-out diagnoses.” Health care providers as well are not able to document such conditions until confirmed by a test, study or another diagnostic means, described as “gold standard” for that specific condition. This rule is described in “ICD-10-CM Professional for Physicians” manual, 2020.

What UnitedHealthcare stated was correct: It is unable to recognize a claim for COVID-19 when an ICD-10 diagnosis for it (U07.1) was not reported. The proper procedure would have been to get the patient tested, defer the claim processing until the results came back, and then report the U07.1 as the reason for the encounter. When a patient is not tested, the proper coding initiative would be to report symptoms only, which of course would not suffice for the copay reduction initiative. However, a patient would have the option to request that Denver Health appeal the claim with proof of documentation, which would require them to submit a provider’s note from the visit and prompt UHC to manually review the claim and have it reprocessed.

Overall, this is a common reason certain claims are not covered by payers, but there are multiple stipulations in terms of coding guidelines that limit what can be coded for any particular encounter.

— Ksenia Brewster, Poquoson, Virginia

Readers And Tweeters Ponder Racism, Public Health Threats And COVID’s Cost published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

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stephenmccull · 4 years