Pu Cheng, MD

is the Inpatient Director at Meridian Health Services and is a Volunteer Clinical Assisstant Professor in Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine.  

If you are interested in hearing more from Dr Cheng, you can read his recent article about racism in the Unites States 

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Frontline workers are being hailed as heroes, and while their bravery should be commended, we need to acknowledge them for what they are before their profession: people. 

Human Before Hero

Born and raised in China, I only came to the United States in adulthood to pursue my dream and freedom. Having not grown up in the United States, I lacked certain cultural experiences, and these became a significant barrier that preventedme from understanding the scope of US racial issues. Even in China, I did not have much exposure to racial issues. That is not to say China does not have any, I just wasn’t exposed to them often enough to realize it. I am Han, the main race in China (according to 2017 data, Han makes up 91% of the Chinese population). I lived in Shanghai, the biggest city in China, with population of 27 million per 2020 census, before coming here. This led to some degree of culture shock once I came to the United States with no knowledge of racism or experience of discrimination. I soon found out every great thing also has its dark side. 

I learned racism in the United States. I first arrived in Pittsburgh in the winter of 2000. I did not have a car at that time and needed to take 2 buses to go to work. If I missed the connecting bus, I needed to wait outside in freezing weather (about -5 °F) for 45 minutes for the next one. That is especially unbearable for someone coming from a city where they would issue a warning whenever temperature drops below 32 °F. One day I went to catch the first bus, and saw it leaving the stop even as I ran towards it. Thinking that the bus driver did not see me, I started running and beat the bus to the next stop, but the bus driver drove by me. Then I ran towards the 3rd stop. A passenger saw me and told the driver while pointing at me, but the bus drove past me again without stopping. I looked at the bus driver while she drove by. For the first time, I understood racism. 

Another time, I walked the street in early evening near University of Pittsburgh campus. A tall African American male stopped me and asked me if I had any change. I was on high alert right away as friends warned me about gun and robbery. I pretended that I did not know English and tried hard to calm myself down. But he only smiled at me and shook my hand,saying, “welcome and have a good day.” Then he walked away. I felt shock, relief, and a bit ashamed.

In the following years, I started to encounter many different races. This is certainly a different experience compared to China. While making friends with them, I also am learning the experience of being a minority in the United States. Officially, foreigners like me are still designated as “aliens.” Perhaps this disadvantaged position helped me to have a better perspective and allowed me to understand those being discriminated against. It also prompted me to choose psychiatry. Psychiatric patients face discrimination and stigma too. I took a fellowship in Community and Public Psychiatry so I can work with many brilliant and passionate colleagues from all races in order to help populations most in need, among which many are minorities.

The United States is a great country, that is why it attracts so many people from around the world to come and plant their roots. I do hope all races and cultures can stand together to fight racism and all other kinds of discriminations, and build a better, safer, fairer society for everyone. That is the American spirit I always long for.

is the Inpatient Director at Meridian Health Services and is a Volunteer Clinical Assisstant Professor in Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Articles

Dr Cheng shares his experience with racism in the hopes that we can join together to create a better country for everyone. 

Author | Pu Cheng, MD

Articles

Human Before Hero

Learning Racism: An “Alien” Experience