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President Obama recently reminded us about the persistence of racism when he commented that “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.” A black man wearing a hoodie might be enough to be confronted by what many perceive as a racist response.
In a commentary published in the New York Times (Jul 25, 2013), Dr. Pauline Chen reflects on her emotional response to a man she cared for in an emergency department following a motorcycle accident. When she examined his ribs for signs of injury, he shouted, raised his arms, and revealed a swastika tattoo. “I shuddered,” Dr. Chen wrote. When she discussed the encounter with a colleague, he said, “I'm sure it freaked [the patient] out to have an Asian woman taking charge of his care,” going on to sa…