Pulse - June 2021 - 15

Dr. Jordan, he said, would tell him about growing up in
Alabama and his other experiences, including that, when
he was a young doctor, his white boss would see the clients
and he would stay in the back of the practice and
treat the patients.
Dr. Lopez is a graduate of Cornell's veterinary school.
When he arrived there, he noticed a lack of diversity among
the students. " Then I learned that Cornell was one of the
most diverse veterinary schools. That was also shocking. "
He said that, while his practice is located in an affluent area,
it is near poorer Latinx communities that bring their pets
to him. " Sometimes Spanish-speaking clients come in and
assume I don't speak their language. Initially I might struggle
with them a little bit. Then I ask them if Spanish is better for
them. And they just open right up.
" Usually, they request to see me again. It's very nice for me
and they feel really comfortable that they've found a veterinarian
who speaks the same language they do. You don't realize
until you're out in the working world how much of an
advantage it is to be bilingual. "
He noted that going to SCVMA meetings " the crowd is definitely
a lot different than when you go to some of the national
meetings. It's a lot more diverse in Southern California. "
Dr. Lopez recalled an incident as a student " that always has
resonated with me. When I was an undergrad, I had a test
coming up but I needed a haircut. I was at the barber shop
with my biology textbook and a Latino kid was sitting next
to me. He asked me what I was reading. I said I was studying
for my test. and he asked: 'Where do you go to school?' I said:
'UCLA.' His reply was, 'Wow, you made it!'
" This little kid saying that unfortunately shows you the
examples he'd had. He hadn't really had exposure to others
like him who were successes. " P
restaurants and, for the most part, in a
warehouse in Hollywood. He was lucky
enough to be in a union so we always had
a steady income and health insurance.
His parents groomed their children for
Melissa Garcia,
practice manager
at Bloomfield Veterinary
Hospital in
Lakewood,
is the
success. " We went to Catholic school for
elementary and high school. We got a lot
of financial aid. In high school, all of us had
jobs. For college, all of us took out loans. "
" Nobody in the community I grew up
in took their pets to a veterinarian. I joke
sometimes that I'm a little lax in recommending
dental cleaning because nobody
even looked at their dog's
teeth when
I was a kid, let alone get them cleaned.
There is still a large community, whether
Latinx or other, that doesn't feel the need
to take their pets to the vet. They can't do
it [financially]. "
PULSE
JUNE 2021
daughter of a mother
who immigrated to
the United States
from Guatemala and a father who came
here from Columbia.
Her father is an engineer who retired
from McDonnell Douglas and her mother
once worked as an accountant. They live in
Lakewood and Melissa has a home not far
from theirs.
" I'm really proud of my heritage, " she
said. " I'm really proud of where my parents
came from. I love my culture. I love
being an American as well. Even though
they weren't born here, my parents made
sure that we celebrated and understood
15
American holidays and also the Hispanic
holidays that they brought from back home.
" The political times have made things
difficult for Latinos in general - Some
people think of us as second-class citizens
rather than just plain old Americans. "
Melissa believes that there is opportunity
in the veterinary industry. " I see more
Hispanic women stepping up and getting
more leadership roles than when I first
started. " We're getting stronger and more
confident in ourselves. I do see change
coming and it's really nice. I see practices
getting more diverse and that's great. " P
Pulse - June 2021

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