Pulse - June 2021 - 14

" Not long ago, somebody
wrote the N-word on
the back of our building,
which faces the parking
lot. That was very
unfortunate. It's probably
one of the worst things
that's happened at
the clinic. "
ropes and someone who comes from an immigrant family
where you don't have general knowledge of the way capitalism
works.
" This is not a blame game at all. It just takes a little extra
work for us to find out about these things. For me, it's about
filling in that gap and being able to speak Spanish is a major
plus, " he said. He has owned his practice four years.
RVT Ivonne Valdez lives in Moreno Valley and has a
40-minute commute to her job in Yucaipa - " a very white
place and a very conservative place. " But she doesn't see racism
in the younger whites who come to Oak Glen Animal
Hospital where she works.
" We have a lot more contact with clients out here - especially
with the Corona virus and all the hate that is going on
in recent years - than I did working in Orange County or
Los Angeles, " she said.
" But just the other day, I had a gentleman threaten one
of my young assistants and then say: 'I'd better get out of
here before I punch somebody.' She [the assistant] is a young
Latina technician just starting out.
" That kind of thing is unfortunate because it can scare a
lot of young people away from the veterinary field. Because
of all the hate crimes and everything that's gone on lately,
people are not afraid to speak their minds. Some of this seems
to be because of the color of your skin and the fact that your
background is not the same as theirs. "
One of the practice's doctors is a young black woman
from the Caribbean, who graduated from Tuskegee University
and is a very good doctor, she said. " Not long ago,
somebody wrote the N-word on the back of our building,
which faces the parking lot. That was very unfortunate.
It's probably one of the worst things that's happened at
the clinic. "
She added: " You can see racism in the faces " of some of
the older and even younger adults who come into the clinic.
" That mentality is very unfortunate, " she said. " I grew up in a
house where I didn't hear any racism directed at us. And my
parents didn't teach us that toward any race. When you see it
coming, it's hard to digest. I've never seen as much racism as
I have lately. "
Dr. Julio Lopez of Encino Veterinary Center said the one
time he has seen racism in the veterinary profession was as a
high school student in Los Angeles when he was working for
Dr. Edd Jordan, the Black owner of Melrose-La Brea Animal
Hospital and Clinic.
" A client happened to walk down the hallway and saw Dr.
Jordan. 'Is that the veterinarian?' he asked me. I said, 'yes.' The
client grabbed his stuff and walked out.
" That was the first time I experienced something like that.
I was more shocked than anything. "
raise her daughter. " After my second child
was born, I decided I would try a mobile
practice. A primary reason for the change
was to do in-home euthanasia. I found it to
be incredibly rewarding and incredibly necessary.
It was a very different experience for
the owners, the patients and me. "
She worked out of her car for close to
a decade before moving to Southern California
with her family and working in a
practice for five or six years. She is now
conducting a busy practice in Orange
County out of a veterinary-equipped van.
She sees herself as completely bicultural.
" Because of my background, I'm very
much a part of American culture. Hopefully,
I'm instilling Argentine values and
influence in my children, from food to traditions.
I'm very proud of my heritage. "
14
Dr. Georgina Marquez
is
owner
Hills
of
the
Canyon
Animal
Hospital
and Specialty
Center in Yorba
Linda. She took over
the practice last July.
A native of Mexico, she came to this
country 30 years ago.
" Yorba Linda is a very conservative
white community but they have embraced
me and that has given me the opportunity
to grow, " she said. Her staff has increased
from seven to 19 since she took over the
practice. Many earlier clients have followed
her to Yorba Linda, she said.
" I have Hispanic immigrants who work
for me. I work very closely with them. I
see this as the land of opportunity, a place
where I can pursue opportunities I could
her
new
not in Mexico. I could never have done
there what I have done here. "
She believes that the lives of Hispanic
immigrants have improved markedly in
this country in the last few years. " I help
the people of my community as much as I
can, " she said.
Dr. Victor Ramirez,
who owns the Los
Angeles Veterinary
Center in Boyle
Heights, was born in
Los Angeles to Mexican
immigrants.
" My mom was a
housewife forever, " he said. " She raised
eight kids. I don't know how she maintained
JUNE
2021
sanity. My dad worked in
PULSE
Pulse - June 2021

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