♪ MUSIC REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

>>LORENE: HELLO, I AM LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

OUR GUEST TODAY IS DR. DORA-LINDA WANG.

SHE IS AN MD, PSYCHIATRIST, YOU WERE A PROFESSOR AT THE UNM MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR HOW LONG?

>>DORA: I WAS THE HISTORIAN FOR THE SCHOOL FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.

SO I WAS A PSYCHIATRIST AT UNM FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, FOUR OF THEM I WAS IN CHARGE OF PSYCHIATRY AT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL HOSPITAL.

>>LORENE: SO SHE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF TWO BOOKS THAT I HAVE LOVED AND INTERVIEWED HER ABOUT BEFORE.

ONE IS CALLED, THE KITCHEN SHRINK, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THIS BOOK.

>>DORA: WELL IT IS BASICALLY ABOUT HOW PSYCHIATRY AND MEDICINE WERE NOBLE PROFESSIONS AND HOW THEY BECAME ABOUT BUSINESS AND HOW THAT HAS AFFECTED PATIENTS, EXPLAINS THINGS LIKE WHY YOUR DOCTOR DOESN'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU BECAUSE THE DOCTOR IS SO BUSY, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF THE BILLING.

ANYWAY, IT IS HISTORY THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY WHO HAS MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND RELIES ON THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

>>LORENE: WHICH WE ALL DO.

YEAH AND IT IS NOT GETTING ANY BETTER SINCE YOU WROTE THIS BOOK EITHER MORE OR LESS.

>>DORA: NOTHING HAS GOTTEN BETTER.

>>LORENE: YOU HAVE WRITTEN A MAGNUS OPUS, I MEAN IF THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK IS CALLED, THE DAILY PRACTICE OF COMPASSION AND IT IS A HISTORY OF THE UNM SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THIS IS, CONGRATULATIONS.

>>DORA: IT WAS A TREMENDOUS HONOR, LORENE, TO WRITE THE HISTORY OF THE UNM SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

IT IS A SMALL SCHOOL THAT CHANGED MEDICAL EDUCATION AROUND THE WORLD BECAUSE IT GAVE US A WAY FOR STUDENTS TO START SEEING PATIENTS FROM THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL INSTEAD OF WAITING A WHOLE TWO YEARS OF BASIC SCIENCE CLASSES AND THEN NOT SEEING ANY PATIENTS UNTIL THE THIRD YEAR.

SO IT HAS HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT FOR THE CARE OF NEW MEXICANS AS WELL AS THE CARE OF PEOPLE IN AFRICA, ASIA, AND THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS TO NOT HAVE TO SIT IN LECTURE HALLS FOR A WHOLE TWO YEARS BEFORE TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS.

>>LORENE: I THINK IT IS BRILLIANT AND WHOSE IDEA WAS IT?

>>DORA: WELL, IT CAME TO, UNM SCHOOL OF MEDICINE WAS GOING TO BE 50 YEARS OLD AND LEONARD NAPOLITANO AND SOME OF THE PROFESSORS WHO WERE SO IMPORTANT TO THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, THEY WERE GETTING OLDER AND SO WE THOUGHT THERE SHOULD BE A HISTORY WRITTEN.

IT IS REALLY PAUL ROTH, DR. PAUL ROTH, WHO HAD THE VISION TO BRING ME ON AND DR. ELLEN COSGROVE.

>>LORENE: WELL ONE OF YOUR HIDDEN TALENTS BESIDES ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL BACKGROUND IS THAT YOU HAVE GOT A MASTERS IN ENGLISH LIT.

YOU WRITE BEAUTIFULLY, YOU ABSOLUTELY WRITE BEAUTIFULLY.

>>DORA: THANK YOU.

>>LORENE: SO TELL US WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE BANCROFT LIBRARY AT UC BERKELEY?

>>DORA: WELL, I WENT TO COLLEGE AT UC BERKELEY AND THEN I WENT TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AT YALE.

I THINK MY PARENTS REALLY WANTED ME TO BE A DOCTOR, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A WRITER INSIDE OF ME.

SO WHILE I WAS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, I DID A GRADUATE DEGREE IN ENGLISH AT UC BERKELEY AND AT THE BANCROFT LIBRARY, WE COLLECT RARE BOOKS AND SO THE BANCROFT LIBRARY AT UC BERKELEY HAS A COUNCIL OF FRIENDS WHO HAVE A LOT OF LEADERSHIP OVER THE LIBRARY AND THEY ASKED ME TO BE ON THE COUNCIL.

AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE TRYING TO ACQUIRE MAXINE HONG KINGSTON'S ARCHIVES.

THE LIBRARY OF AMERICA...

YES, YES.

SHE IS A WONDERFUL AUTHOR AND THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN AUTHOR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LIBRARY OF AMERICAS, WHICH IS THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF AMERICAN WRITING AND SO FINALLY WE WILL HAVE AN ASIAN AMERICAN AUTHOR INCLUDED.

>>LORENE: I AM JUST SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, I LOVE HER BOOKS.

YOU ARE ALSO, TALK TO ME ABOUT THE CAUCUS OF ASIAN AMERICAN, THE BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION THAT YOU ARE REPRESENTING, TELL US ABOUT THAT.

>>DORA: THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF PSYCHIATRISTS THAT IS OLDER THAN THE COUNTRY AND IT HAS MEMBERSHIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

A LOT OF ASIAN AMERICANS PSYCHIATRISTS AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CAUCUS OF ASIAN AMERICAN PSYCHIATRISTS FOR THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIST ASSOCIATION.

WE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE ABOUT THE ANTI-ASIAN ACTIVITY THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING DURING THE PANDEMIC.

I THINK TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC THERE WAS A LOT OF BLAMING OF ASIA, THERE WAS A LOT OF ACCUSATIONS CALLING IT "THE CHINA VIRUS," THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE CHINA HAS BEEN VERY VICTIMIZED BY IT AND HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE SOARED.

AND JUST THIS YEAR ALONE, THERE WAS A RISE OF 300 PERCENT IN HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS, SO IT IS VERY SAD.

>>LORENE: AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CELEBRATING THE OBSERVATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER'S HERITAGE MONTH AND TO START OUT WITH MAXINE, TELL ME HER WHOLE NAME AGAIN.

>>DORA: MAXINE HONG KINGSTON.

>>LORENE: YES.

WELL, JUST SO MANY WONDERFUL WRITERS AND SUCH A HIGH CULTURAL BAR AND YET, WE HAVE THIS ANTI-ASIAN HATE THAT IS EPIDEMIC, I THINK IN NEW YORK, IN ONE YEAR, IT WENT UP 395 PERCENT OF INCIDENCES OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE.

AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN NEW YORK IN PARTICULAR, THERE YOU ARE LIVING THERE, THERE WAS CHRISTINA LEE AND I SAY THEIR NAMES BECAUSE IT IS LIKE BLACK LIVES MATTER, I HAVE TO SAY THEIR NAMES.

CHRISTINA LEE WHO WAS FOLLOWED INTO HER APARTMENT AND STABBED AND MICHELLE GO WHO WAS SHOVED IN FRONT OF A SUBWAY TRAIN, ESTHER LEE WHO WAS CALLED A CARRIER OF THE VIRUS AND SPIT ON, A KOREAN DIPLOMAT WHO WAS PUNCHED IN THE FACE AND ONE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WHO WAS HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A ROCK AND DIED.

AND IT SAID THAT 75 PERCENT OF ASIAN SENIORS HAVE FEAR ABOUT LEAVING THEIR HOUSES BECAUSE OF THESE RACIST, SENSELESS ATTACKS.

>>DORA: YES, THERE WAS A THAI AMERICAN MAN IN HIS 80S WHO WAS IN HIS DRIVEWAY, HE WAS SHOVED AND HE DIED.

AND A GROUP OF CITIZENS IN OAKLAND OFFERED TO HELP ASIAN AMERICAN ELDERS GO OUTSIDE AND WALK AND TO ESCORT THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE, SO THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPENING, TOO.

BUT, YES, IT IS BASICALLY TARGETED AGAINST THE VULNERABLE, ELDERLY WOMEN HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED FAR MORE THAN MEN AND SOMETHING THAT IS KIND OF DISTURBING IS THAT IT IS NOT LIKE THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE KU KLUX KLAN OR THERE IS NOT JUST ONE ORGANIZATION THAT IS PERPETRATING THIS ACTIVITY AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS, THESE ARE ISOLATED INCIDENTS.

>>LORENE: THESE ARE FREELANCE RACISTS, YOU KNOW.

>>DORA: THEY ARE FREELANCERS, THEY ARE FREELANCING.

>>LORENE: SO THERE WAS ONE MEDICAL STUDENT IN BROOKLYN, I THINK, WHO, SHE STARTED SOMETHING CALLED SOAR OVER HATE AND SHE HAS GIVEN OUT IN NEW YORK OVER 25,000 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE DEVICES TO PEOPLE.

THEY ARE PERSONAL ALARMS AND THE SHRILL SOUND THAT EVERYONE, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE WILL COME RUNNING TO YOUR HELP.

>>DORA: I GOT ONE OF HER WHISTLES, I DID.

I DID GET ONE OF HER WHISTLES.

>>LORENE: OH YOU DID.

I WAS SO PROUD OF HER AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, THERE IS A GROUP CALLED STOPAAPIHATE.ORG.

>>DORA: YES.

>>LORENE: WHICH OFFERS SELF-DEFENSE CLASSES, HOW TO DE-ESCALATE A SITUATION AND THEN THERAPY AFTER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED AND SOMETHING CALLED BYSTANDER TRAINING.

ONE OF THE BASIC THINGS THAT WE ARE UP AGAINST IS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED.

>>DORA: YES.

>>LORENE: AND THE VICTIMS ARE USUALLY ELDERLY AND DEFENSELESS, I MEAN EVERYONE SHOULD STEP UP.

>>DORA: YES.

>>LORENE: THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH.

>>DORA: BYSTANDERS NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE BUT OFTEN TIMES THEY'RE IN THE POSITION OF BEING ABLE TO CALL THE POLICE, BUT ALSO BYSTANDERS ARE IN A VERY UNIQUE POSITION OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL BEING ATTACKED BECAUSE THEY BECOME PART OF THE MEMORY AND SO WHEN SOMEBODY GETS TRAUMATIZED AFTER AN ATTACK, YOU KNOW TO FEEL EMOTIONALLY TRAUMATIZED, IF A BYSTANDER IS KIND TO THEM, THAT BECOMES PART OF THE MEMORY.

AND SO BYSTANDERS CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE BUT FIRST MAKING SURE THAT THAT THEY ARE SAFE.

>>LORENE: I HADN'T REALIZED, THAT'S A LOVELY ASPECT THAT SOMEBODY WAS THERE FOR ME, SOMEBODY HAD MY BACK.

YOU KNOW, YOU ARE RIGHT, THAT BECOMES PART OF THE MEMORY.

THAT'S A LOVELY THING.

SO HERE YOU ARE A PSYCHIATRIST, WELL SKILLED IN ALL THIS AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACISM AND MENTAL ILLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE THE ASIANS WHO ARE AFRAID TO GO OUT THEY ARE PARANOID WITH GOOD REASON.

AND THEN, WHAT ABOUT THE MENTAL ILLNESS OF THE PEOPLE WHO THINK IT IS OKAY TO BASH SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE.

HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT TRAJECTORY?

>>DORA: WELL SO THE FIRST HOSPITAL STARTED IN THE UNITED STATES WAS PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL, IT WAS FOUNDED BY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ACTUALLY.

AND THE PURPOSE WAS TO TAKE CARE OF THE SICK, POOR AND INSANE, WONDERING THE STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA, THAT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO A QUOTE.

SO BASICALLY EVEN BEFORE THEY COULD GET A CONSTITUTION, A BILL OF RIGHTS, AND START THE NATION, THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE MENTALLY ILL WHO WERE WANDERING THE STREETS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE COULD PROCEED.

AND SO THEY STARTED THE FIRST HOSPITAL, BASICALLY TO TAKE CARE OF THE MENTALLY ILL AND TO GIVE THEM A PLACE TO GO SO THAT PEOPLE COULD BE SAFE ON THE STREETS.

BECAUSE IT IS HARD FOR ANYTHING TO PROCEED WHEN THESE RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE ARE OCCURRING.

I THINK RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IS SOMEWHAT DYSFUNCTIONAL.

IT IS VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE, HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE REALLY SHORT AND SO THE HOMELESS AND MANY OF WHOM ARE MENTALLY ILL ARE OUT THERE ON THE STREETS.

>>LORENE: WELL I WAS JUST GOING TOSAY WE ARE SAFER NEW MEXICO.

BUT FIRST LET ME REMIND OUR VIEWERS THAT OUR GUEST TODAY IS DR. DORA-LINDA WANG AND I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE LIVED AND TAUGHT IN NEW MEXICO AND RAISED A CHILD IN NEW MEXICO.

>>DORA: I DID, I DID, I RAISED A NEW MEXICAN CHILD.

>>LORENE: YES AND SO THERE IS A WHOLE OTHER ELEMENT I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT, RACIST HISTORY IN ALBUQUERQUE AND SOMETHING CALLED THE ALIEN LAND LAW.

I REMEMBER LARRY BARKER HAD DONE A SEGMENT CALLED "ALBUQUERQUE'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS," SO TELL US ABOUT THAT AND THEN WHAT YOU AND SOME FRIENDS DID TO CHANGE THAT, THANK YOU.

>>DORA: YES.

I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT UP UNTIL 2006, THE NEW MEXICO CONSTITUTION BASICALLY STATED THAT ASIANS COULD NOT OWN LAND IN NEW MEXICO AND ACTUALLY IT WASN'T JUST ASIANS, IT EXTENDED TO ANY PERSON OF COLOR, BLACKS AND EVEN NATIVE AMERICANS AND MEXICAN AMERICANS.

SO BASICALLY, ANYBODY WHO WAS NOT WHITE COULD NOT OWN LAND IN NEW MEXICO AND THIS WAS IN THE STATE'S CONSTITUTION AND THAT IS WHY IT WAS SO HARD TO CHANGE.

AND THEN IN 2006, IT WAS MYSELF, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO LAW SCHOOL PROFESSOR, CAROL SUZUKI, LOBBYIST NATASHA NING, WE WENT AT THIS, GOT IT ON THE NEW MEXICO BALLOT AND GOT OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE VOTES AND GOT THIS REMOVED FROM THE CONSTITUTION, BECAUSE A CHANGE IN THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.

AT SOME POINT THE SOUTHWEST LAW CAUCUS TRIED TO DO THIS AND THEY ACTUALLY FAILED BECAUSE THE BAR IS SO HIGH, YOU HAVE TO GET 50% OF THE VOTE.

AND SO THAT IS WHY THIS STAYED ON THE BOOKS FOR SO LONG.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS NOT ENFORCED, BUT THEN THIS YEAR, HIGH COUNTRY NEWS REPORTER, WUFEI YU, PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ABOUT A FAMILY WHO OWNED FREEMONT FOODS IN DOWNTOWN ALBUQUERQUE WHEN THERE WAS A CHINATOWN.

BUT THEN BECAUSE OF THIS LAW FORBIDDING ASIANS FROM OWNING LAND, THEY WERE DISCOURAGED FROM BUYING THEIR BUILDING AND NOW THE CHINATOWN IS NO LONGER THERE.

SO IN OTHER CITIES WITH REALLY THRIVING ECONOMIES LIKE NEW YORK CITY, LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, EVEN HAVANA, CUBA, THERE IS A CHINATOWN.

ALBUQUERQUE NO LONGER HAS A CHINATOWN.

ALSO AFTER THE WAR, YEAH, GO AHEAD.

>>LORENE: I JUST WANT TO REFERENCE THAT ARTICLE FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WANT TO FIND IT.

IT IS CALLED, IT IS FROM THE HIGH COUNTRY NEWS , APRIL 1, 2022, THIS YEAR.

IT IS CALLED, "HOW A CALIFORNIA ARCHIVE RECONNECTED A NEW MEXICO FAMILY WITH ITS CHINESE ROOTS."

BECAUSE THE HISTORY HAD BEEN THAT GRANDPA AND DAD DID NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED, THEY SUFFERED TREMENDOUSLY.

>>DORA: EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED.

>>LORENE: IT WAS UNDER THE TABLE, NOBODY TALKED ABOUT IT.

AND THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN GOING BACK AND FINDING OUT THE HISTORY OF THEIR GROCERY STORE AND WHAT HAPPENED.

GO AHEAD, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU BUT I THINK PEOPLE WILL WANT TO GO FIND THAT ARTICLE.

>>DORA: YES, YES.

SO YES, A REALLY WONDERFUL ARTICLE BY WUFIA YU, A REPORTER WHO DUG INTO THIS AND HE ALSO FOUND THAT A LOT OF PROPERTY DEEDS IN NEW MEXICO AS LARRY BARKER, IT WAS LARRY BARKER WHO I THINK LOOKED AT THOUSANDS OF DEEDS, FOUND THOUSANDS OF DEEDS THAT ARE STILL EXISTING IN NEW MEXICO THAT SAY THINGS LIKE, "PEOPLE OF ORIENTAL OR AFRICAN DESCENT CANNOT LIVE ON THIS PROPERTY EXCEPT AS SERVANTS."

THERE ARE DEEDS SAYING, "NO NATIVE AMERICANS OR FENCES ON THIS PROPERTY.

NO JEWISH PEOPLE."

THESE ARE STILL ALL OVER NEW MEXICO.

SO LARRY BARKER DID HIS EXPOSE, THEN WUFIA YU DID AN ARTICLE FOR HIGH COUNTRY NEWS AND THEN THE NEW YORK TIMES ACTUALLY DID AN ARTICLE ON HOW THESE DEEDS EXIST IN CALIFORNIA STILL, IN SAN DIEGO.

SO YOU CAN CHANGE THE LAWS BUT INDIVIDUAL DEEDS ARE REALLY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE.

>>LORENE: ONE OF THE POINTS THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO BRING FORTH WAS THAT DIVERSITY IN NEW MEXICO IS NOT AS DIVERSE AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE BECAUSE IT ONLY CONSIDERS ONE OR TWO GROUPS AND IT DOESN'T LOOK AT THE WHOLE MULTICULTURAL, THE WHOLE GLOBAL PICTURE RIGHT NOW.

SO TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WE ARE SO PROUD DIVERSITY.

WE HAVE GOT NATIVE AMERICAN, HISPANIC, BUT THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE.

TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW DIVERSE IS NEW MEXICO.

>>DORA: THAT'S A GOOD WAY OF PUTTING IT, LORENE, THAT THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE.

SO MY MOTHER CAME TO VISIT ALBUQUERQUE AND WE WENT TO DINNER AT THE SAW MILL WHERE THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE AND SHE SAID, "WELL, WHERE ARE THE BLACK PEOPLE?"

AND THEN SHE SAID, "WHERE ARE THE ASIAN PEOPLE?"

AND SO SHE DID NOT SEE THE DIVERSITY THAT SHE IS USED TO IN LOS ANGELES WHERE SHE LIVES.

AND THE IMPLICATION OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT, IS THAT IT IS A GLOBAL ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONNECTED ECONOMICALLY.

GOODS ARE MANUFACTURED IN ASIA, THERE IS YOU KNOW WE ARE ALL JUST CONNECTED.

AND SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSITY, YOU ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS.

BUT WHAT REALLY CONCERNS ME MOST OF ALL, IS WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER CARING FOR NEW MEXICANS, AS A PSYCHIATRIST AT UNM I SPENT A GOOD PART OF MY CAREER UNDERSTANDING NEW MEXICANS, KNOWING THEIR INNER LIVES AND TRYING TO HEAL THEM AND CARING FOR THEM.

CONCERNED ABOUT THE HIGH RATES OF SUICIDE, HIGH RATES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE DEATH, ALCOHOL AND RELATED DEATHS, LOW RATES OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS, GENERAL LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND NOT DOING WELL.

AND I THINK THIS KIND OF RACISM HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT BECAUSE PEOPLE GET SO PROUD THAT THEY ARE SPANISH, I.E.

EUROPEAN, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS PURELY SPANISH.

I MEAN I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO TAKE PRIDE IN BEING SPANISH ARE ACTUALLY MIXED RACE IN NEW MEXICO ANYWAY AND THEY ARE, THEY PROBABLY HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN BLOOD, MEXICAN, CAUCASIAN BLOOD FROM OUTSIDE OF NEW MEXICO NOT JUST SPANISH.

AND SO JUST BEING PROUD OF THE SPANISH PART MEANS THAT YOU ARE NOT PROUD OF THE OTHER PARTS OF YOU.

LIKE THE PART OF YOU THAT IS NOT SPANISH THAT IS NOT WHITE AND I THINK THERE IS PROBABLY A LOT OF SELF-HATRED, SELF-RACISM, FEELING BAD ABOUT ONE'S SELF AND I THINK THAT LEADS TO LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND THESE HIGH RATES OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE NEW MEXICANS BE PROUD OF BEING MIXED RACE NOT JUST SPANISH.

>>LORENE: I THINK THAT IS SO PROFOUND AND SO NECESSARY AND WHERE DOES THAT START?

I MEAN HOW DO WE START BALANCING, INCLUDING THE WHOLE BEING ALL THE HEREDITARY LEADS THAT LEAD INTO WHO YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR AS A CHILD ARE, AND TO EMBRACE IT ALL.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IS SUCH THAT AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE THEMSELVES ARE NOT SO HUNG UP THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE LANDED ON THE MAYFLOWER THAT THEY ACCEPT EACH OTHER AS WHO THEY ARE ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW VERY, VERY MIXED HERITAGES NOW.

SO HOW DO WE SUPPORT THAT EMBRACING, PARTICULARLY IN KIDS AS A WHOLE CHILD?

>>DORA: I WOULD LOVE TO SEE LEADERS IN NEW MEXICO, LIKE POLITICAL LEADERS, TALK ABOUT THEIR OWN MIXED RACE HERITAGE THAT THEY MAY BE SPANISH BUT THEY ARE ALSO NATIVE AMERICAN, MAYBE THEY ARE ALSO MEXICAN SO JUST SETTING THE EXAMPLE.

I THINK THAT WOULD FEEL SO GOOD TO A LOT OF NEW MEXICANS WHO ARE MIXED RACE.

I ALSO THINK A LOT ABOUT NEW MEXICO AND HOW LIFE CAN BE BETTER FOR PEOPLE.

I THINK LOOKING BACKWARDS TO THE GLORY DAYS OF OLD SPAIN THAT IS A VERY, AMONG ALL THE MOTTOS THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE OR ALL THE LIKE EVERY COMPANY HAS A MISSION STATEMENT THAT KIND OF DRIVES THE COMPANY FORWARD, AND PLACES HAVE LIKE MOTTOS OR FOUNDING STORIES LIKE, "ROME WAS FOUNDED BY TWINS, RAISED BY WOLVES AND THEY ROSE FROM THAT."

OR, "NEW YORK IS A CITY THAT DOESN'T SLEEP."

AND THE WHOLE MOTTO OF, "WE ARE DESCENDED FROM OLD SPANISH CONQUISTADORS," THAT IS A REALLY BACKWARD LOOKING AND REALLY NON-INCLUSIVE WAY OF SEEING THINGS.

AND I WOULD LOVE FOR NEW MEXICO TO HAVE A MORE INCLUSIVE WAY OF SEEING ITSELF SUCH AS, "YES, WE GO BACK TO OLD SPAIN BUT ALSO NATIVE AMERICAN," AND THAT IS IN EACH OF US.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT JUST IS MORE INCLUSIVE THAT INCLUDES ME, TOO, THAT WOULD HELP ME FEEL THAT I CAN BE A NEW MEXICAN AND THAT IS A KEY QUESTION, CAN I BE A NEW MEXICAN?

>>LORENE: ACTUALLY, SO WE WILL HAVE TO, THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT WORKS ON SOME LEVEL BUT A WAY TO REALLY FEATURE AND HEADLINE OUR MULTICULTURALISM.

BUT NOT THE OLD TRIPARTITE MULTICULTURALISM OF NATIVE AMERICAN, HISPANIC AND ANGLO, BUT A VAST MORE GLOBAL AND DYNAMIC MULTICULTURALISM.

>>DORA: YES, YOU NEED THAT, YOU NEED THAT IN ORDER FOR THE STATE TO THRIVE IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD.

>>LORENE: WELL, I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU CAME AND TALKED WITH US TODAY.

DO YOU HAVE A CALL OUT TO OUR AUDIENCE BECAUSE YOU HAVE RAISED SOME REALLY FASCINATING ELEMENTS AND LET'S JUST LOOK AT ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE AND, WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW AND CELEBRATE?

>>DORA: WELL I THINK ASIANS HAVE BEEN IN NEW MEXICO SINCE ITS VERY BEGINNING.

I WAS AT A TALK AT THE ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM ONCE AND THEY TALKED ABOUT THE LACK OF WHITE SPANISH TALAVERA TILES AS MAYBE BEING BROUGHT OVER BY ASIANS.

YOU KNOW IT IS VERY MUCH LIKE MING DYNASTY POTTERY AND SOME OF THE FIRST SPANISH WHO CAME OVER WERE ACTUALLY PROBABLY ASIAN.

YOU KNOW JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE ASIAN LABOR ON SHIPS AND BACK THEN THERE WERE ASIANS ON SPANISH GALLEONS, BY THE 1700S A LOT OF FILIPINOS JUMPED SPANISH GALLEONS AND FOUNDED A LITTLE FILIPINO TOWN IN LOUISIANA.

SO ASIANS HAVE BEEN IN NEW MEXICO SINCE THE SPANISH CAME OVER AND MANY OF THEM PROBABLYEVEN HIRED BY THE THE SPANISH, IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE ARE PROBABLY ASIAN AND YOU KNOW THERE NEEDS TO BE A NEW MEXICO THAT WELCOMES EVERYBODY AND YEAH.

>>LORENE: THAT'S THE PERFECT FINAL MESSAGE.

I THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS DR. DORA-LINDA WANG.

I THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH AND I HOPE THAT ALL-INCLUSIVE FUTURE UNFOLDS LIKE A LOTUS BLOSSOM AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHTS TODAY.

THANK YOU.

>>DORA: AND MORE DIVERSITY MEANS BETTER FOOD, TOO.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

OKAY.

I AM LORENE MILLS AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU OUR AUDIENCE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

♪ MUSIC