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This first-person column was written by Justin Ho, a Canadian dental student living in Minneapolis. See for more information about first person stories Questions to be asked.
I was walking down the corridor of the dental clinic with my patient – a five-year-old boy with his mother – so that we could get x-rays to help create a dental plan. For the little boy, I could see that this was a fun adventure, but his mother’s face told another story. As she wore a face, her words as we waited showed how nervous she was.
“When we leave, I’m worried I might never see him again if we stop.”
My heart sank.
Unfortunately, it’s something I hear over and over again in Minnesota. Like the mother and her son, many of the patients at the community clinic where I work in Minneapolis are racially diverse. Although not a tracked statistic, many are likely undocumented.
The politics of health care
I was only two weeks into my new placement as a dental student from Canada studying in the United States. Renee Nicole Goode was shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. They are only a few kilometers away. Then last week, ICU nurse Alex Pretty was killed in another shooting by federal officers..
US government officials have said Alex Pretty, who was shot dead by ISA agents at a protest in Minneapolis because he had a gun on him, and US President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller, ‘could be deadly’. To get a sense of how accurate the government’s initial account is, Andrew Chang breaks down several video angles of the shooting, moment by moment. Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
As a future dentist, I learned to diagnose and treat oral diseases. Now I understand that it’s not easy – patient care is more than just keeping them healthy.
In the six years I’ve lived here, Minneapolis has gone from a quiet Midwestern town to a global center of political trauma. I moved here from Vancouver not too long ago. The killing of George Floyd. When I was a student at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, I witnessed firsthand the silence, the shock, that followed his death. High political murder And local heart failure after a A shooter opened fire on children in a church. Now, the targeted federal immigration crackdown has brought a new wave of fear to my neighbors.
These news headlines are unfortunately more than a backdrop to my daily life; They have changed the community I call home.
These last few weeks have brought politics into my workplace. An overpopulation of federal officers in the Twin Cities has become a significant community disruption that negatively impacts health care.
Our clinic is often very busy. It was common to see about 120 patients each day, with an additional 10 to 15 walk-in patients. My dental assistant tells us stories of days when student service providers like myself typically see eight patients in a light day. However, when ICE activities began in January, our patient volume decreased.
During my rotation, my fellow students and I were fortunate to see four patients a day. The director of the dental division told me that no event other than the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in patient volume in recent years.
Now, instead of keeping a full schedule, my colleagues and I wait for patients who are too scared to leave their homes until the pain of a sore tooth or a swollen face becomes unbearable.
As a provider, I find it exhausting to champion public health when the act of seeking care puts my patients at risk of federal incarceration.
The patients are not the only ones affected. Many of the health care team, including myself, are racially segregated. Now that ICE agents are showing up outside of our clinic and in our neighborhood, anyone who can work from home is doing so. They should be in the clinic We explored going to the parking garage together to prevent separate confrontations with ICE agents and to ensure our own safety. My international classmates and I started carrying our passports in case we encountered federal authorities.
At the beginning of this month Our clinic was evacuated due to a bomb threat..
I wasn’t at work when it happened, but I was incredibly worried about my colleagues and patients and felt like there wasn’t much I could do to help. It has become very difficult to focus on my studies and provide the care my patients need when I have to worry about my safety and well-being.
What I learned about society
As a Canadian currently living in what feels like one of the most politically volatile cities in the United States, he puts into perspective what it means to be an immigrant. It makes me angry. Why do the people in the community I am sworn to serve and heal feel the need to criminalize almost everything I am—my nationality, the color of my skin, or my race?
However, I know that many Americans do not share the same sentiments of their leader. Many have apologized to me for comments made against members of the racially divided community like myself. When I mention my citizenship, hearts and minds welcome me and encourage me to proudly express my connection to Canada. Multiracial communities have made Minnesota home, and its diversity is what has fueled Minneapolis’ growth.
In many ways, the people of Minnesota have empowered me to be proud of who I am and my nation. What makes this state unique is that it demonstrates the resilience of this community. Minnesotans have been through a lot this past year, but every day, they are willing to face overwhelming pressure and prove that there is still a voice of reason. They are willing to fight for equality, justice and acceptance of their neighbors.
In many ways, the people of Minnesota exemplified the same values that were instilled in me as a Canadian. As a nation of immigrants, we can learn a lot from how Minnesotans stand up to each other in a changing world.
As a health care worker, I will continue to advocate for what is best for the well-being of my patients. As an immigrant, I will continue to advocate for the acceptance of my neighbors regardless of their differences. As a Canadian, I will continue to promote what I believe Canada is: a country of reason, acceptance, and most importantly, a place to be you.
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