Asian Americans in the Workplace

By Julia Woolley

 

Picture this: you are a studious, hardworking citizen in the United States. You have never lived outside of America, yet you are still perceived as a foreigner. You are expected to achieve greatness in all school subjects, but you are also expected to stay quiet and low on the corporate ladder. You are an Asian American.

 

Now picture this: once again, you are a studious, hardworking citizen in the United States. This time, you have just graduated medical school and are now looking for work. Hospitals, seeking to increase diversity among its employees, reject you repeatedly despite your grades and experience. My sister, for example, a who is a medical school graduate and member of the Asian minority, struggled to find work in a stereotypically White- and Asian-dominated field because of her race.

 

Asian Americans experience silent discrimination like this every day. Whether in the office or at university, people often unknowingly discriminate against Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Since the COVID pandemic, hate crimes, violence, and anti-Asian sentiments have dramatically increased in the United States. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, Asian hate crimes rose 146% since May 2021. Although such cruel actions may seem distant, “58% of Asian-American respondents [to a 2021 survey] say racism in the workplace has damaged their relationship with their employer.”¹

 

As the country navigates racism and inequality in the workplace, the AAPI community must be included in the discussion so both employees and employers can fully grasp the true meaning of diversity. To raise awareness, three points regarding AAPI discrimination must be discussed: the model minority myth, the impact in education and the workplace, and the potential solutions.

 

 

The Model Minority Myth

If you haven’t heard the term “model minority” before, allow me to expound. This label carries positive and negative connotations; however, like any stereotype, it forces diverse groups of people into limited classifications. In a New York Times article from the 1960s, a sociologist praised Japanese Americans for “overcoming the prejudice and internment they faced during World War II.”¹ They were applauded for their academic success and submissiveness to authority figures.¹

 

The Asian-American community was labeled as the model minority because of its perceived success in this regard after World War II. Racist individuals used the term “model minority” to belittle other minorities, like the Black Community with its battle for racial equality and for not rising to the same level of perceived success.² Model minorities arose solely to perpetuate racist views of other minorities in the U.S.

 

Although the initial stereotype seems to paint Asian Americans in a positive light, it misrepresents their unique and diverse experiences.  Here are two implications of the model minority myth:

 

First, many people perceive Asian Americans as well-educated and successful. They have an average household income of $78,000 a year, which is above the national average of $66,000.² These statistics, however, fail to represent the massive economic divide between the classes. A Pew research study from 2018 discovered that in the income distribution, Asians in the top 10% earned 10.7 times the salary of Asians in the bottom 10%.³ Although the averages are high, they do not accurately reflect the large number of Asian Americans who are in the low-income bracket as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Statistics from PEW Research Study³

 

Second, the model minority myth implies Asians lack leadership qualities like drive and creativity.¹ People of Asian descent represent 13% of the U.S. workforce while white people represent 69%. Of the senior-level roles, executives and upper-level management, Asians represent only 6% while whites represent 85%.¹ According to an Ascend research study, of all minorities in the U.S., “Asians were the most likely to be hired, but least likely to be promoted.”⁴ Employers perceive Asians as hardworking and intelligent through the lens of the model minority myth, but incapable of leadership.

 

The Workplace and Beyond

Anti-Asian discrimination begins even before entering the work field. In recent years, universities across American have taken measures to increase the diversity of their campuses. They have established outreach programs for the most prominent minorities, Black and Latinx students. Although these are incredible steps towards increased diversity and equality, Asian-American students are often overlooked.

 

In October 2020, Yale University faced a lawsuit for this very problem. To increase on-campus diversity, the university practiced “racial balancing [of] Asian-American applicants.”⁵ Furthermore, Asian Americans reportedly had only one-eighth to one-fourth of the chance of admission compared to African American applicants with similar academic records. Yale rejects countless Asian applicants based solely on their race. ⁵

 

To provide greater diversity for other minorities, Yale admits fewer Asian-American applicants.³ Thus, it unintentionally discriminates against the model minority. Unfortunately, this subtle racism follows Asian Americans as they enter the workforce.

 

Dr. Aurora Le, Assistant Professor of University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, recently reported on the emotional and physical strain racism has in the workplace. In her article “The Health Impacts of COVID19-Related Racial Discrimination of Asian Americans Extend into the Workplace,” Dr. Le emphasizes how Asian Americans are perceived as “essential, quiet, and hardworking but expendable.”⁶

 

This microaggression has led to “job strain, decreased job satisfaction, and turnover intention coupled with physiological deterioration.”⁷ As employers and employees disregard their Asian counterparts, members of the working Asian-American community become less satisfied with their jobs and experience more physiological stress.

 

Dr. Le’s studies found that discrimination and microaggression have increased since the pandemic.⁷ Incidents of scapegoating China for the coronavirus and racial slurs are on the incline. As of June 2021, the “Stop AAPI Hate National Report” indicates businesses are one of the most common sites of discrimination.⁶ As seen in Figure 2, while 31.6% of incidents of discrimination occur on public streets and sidewalks, businesses are a close second at 30.1%.⁶

Figure 2. Statistics from the Stop AAPI Hate National Report⁶

Please note this research considers both incidents of racism towards customers and employees. Decreased company loyalty due to racist comments and actions will only decrease productivity and profitability in the long run. As Dr. Le’s studies suggest, discriminatory acts affect job satisfaction and turnover intention. Thus, we need to turn our attention to bettering outreach programs and educating each other on matters of racism within the workplace.

 

Combat Asian-American Discrimination

As incidences of violence and discrimination increase, many Asian-American business leaders, like co-founder of Yahoo Jerry Yang, have taken action to “increase the [Asian] community’s influence and economic status.”⁸ Even politicians are noticing the increase in anti-Asian sentiments. In May, President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which condemns violence against Asian Americans.⁹

 

The question is “whether corporate America will do its part.”⁸ As racism and discrimination is navigated in the workplace, let us be cautious, curious, and caring. Learn how you can change your perception of your Asian-American co-workers and employees to break down the “bamboo ceiling.” Look at your acts of microaggression and accidental racist perceptions. Changing a company culture doesn’t happen overnight, but as you increase community outreach and encourage diversity education, you will lead us to a more inclusive future.

 

Sources:

1. Theresa Agovino, “Asian-Americans Seek More Respect, Authority in the Workplace.” SHRM, SHRM, 14 July 2021, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/asian-americans-in-the-workplace.aspx.
2. Connie Jin, “6 Charts That Dismantle the Trope of Asian Americans as a Model Minority.” NPR. NPR, May 25, 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/999874296/6-charts-that-dismantle-the-trope-of-asian-americans-as-a-model-minority.
3. Rakesh Kochhar and Anthony Cilluffo, “Income Inequality in the U.S. Is Rising Most Rapidly among Asians.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Pew Research Center, August 21, 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/07/12/income-inequality-in-the-u-s-is-rising-most-rapidly-among-asians/.
4. Emily Lin, “The Illusion of Asian Success: Scant Progress for Minorities in Cracking the Glass Ceiling from 2007-2015.” Ascend Leadership Foundation, December 18, 2020.
5. “Justice Department Sues Yale University for Illegal Discrimination Practices in Undergraduate Admissions.” The United States Department of Justice, October 8, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-yale-university-illegal-discrimination-practices-undergraduate.
6. Aggie Yellow Horse, Russel Jeung, Richard Lim, Boaz Tang, Megan Im, Lauryn Higashiyama, Layla Schweng, and Mikayla Chen, “National Report (through June 2021).” Stop AAPI Hate, August 30, 2021. https://stopaapihate.org/stop-aapi-hate-national-report-2/.
7. Aurora Le, “The health impacts of COVID19-related racial discrimination of Asian Americans extend into the workplace.” Am J Public Health. (2021):111(4):17-18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33689443/.
8. Zara Abrams, “The Mental Health Impact of Anti-Asian Racism.” Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association, July 1, 2021. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/07/impact-anti-asian-racism.
9. Sabrina Davis, “An Overview of the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act.” Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library. Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, May 27, 2021. https://www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/ex-libris-juris/2021/5/25/an-overview-of-the-covid-19-hate-crimes-act