Diversity and inclusion are comprised of principles applicable to all demographics. It is not a one-size-fits-all concept, and trying to make it so is failing many Asians in the workplace who are often not even included in the one-size. -By Joshua Ferdinand

One of the common misconceptions that non-Asians have about Asians is that people who are Asian or of Asian descent are the same in terms of culture and ethnicity. This is false, meaning a wide knowledge gap has not been closed with diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives. Asians are often stereotyped, and even when those stereotypes seem positive, they hold Asian and Asian-American (Asians) men and women back from progressing into leadership positions. Organizational management can take several steps to change the narrative, reduce biases and discrimination, and enable the full inclusion of Asians in opportunities to advance.

Persistent Cultural Misconceptions Become Barriers

Asian employees continue to face stereotypes and cultural misconceptions in the workplace. Even as the language is updated to refer to Black, Hispanic or Latin employees and the barriers they face, expressions such as “The Bamboo Ceiling” continue to pervade media and conversations. In the headlines showcasing the Oscars in 2021 which read, “Oscars: Diverse Field Sees Asian Actors Shatter Bamboo Ceiling.” Miami-based Korean American Esther Park commented with a Twitter response, “'Bamboo Ceiling’?!? Why not go further and write: ‘Diverse Rice Fields see Asian Actors Shatter Bamboo Ceiling with Kung Fu’?!?’” Though there was no intention to stereotype, the reality is that saying “bamboo ceiling” evokes historical images that enable persistent stereotyping. Compare this term to the “glass ceiling” used for women having difficulty breaking into management, and the issues some people have with using “bamboo” become much more apparent.

Asians are stereotyped in many ways. They are viewed as “forever foreign,” even if they are second and third-generation Asian Americans. The “model minority” stereotype is harmful and pervasive in society, and it sounds like a compliment. There are two main consequences. One is the internalization of the myth by younger Asians, creating anxiety and stress, and the other is the creation of a wedge between Asians and other minority groups. There is a historical background to how this developed, still, the impact is that Asians and Asian Americans experience social and organizational systemic bias and discrimination that is mostly ignored. This is because they are “model minorities” who are viewed as quiet, easy to manage, resilient, successful, and basically devoid of what other minorities experience emotionally and mentally. When violence against Asians began during the pandemic, many people said, “Why is this happening, when Asians mind their own business and are so successful?”

The Barrier of the “Model Minority”

Asians are generally not seen as having “race-based” issues, so they are not seen to need inclusion in diversity and inclusion narratives and initiatives. Within organizations, the model minority myth hurts Asian Americans in several ways. Margaret M. Chin and Yung-Yi Diana Pan discussed the impacts of the myth in their book The ‘model minority’ myth hurts Asian Americans – and even leads to violence.’ First, it leads to the assumption that Asian Americans are always successful, so they do not have difficulty reaching top-level management positions. Yet, despite doing everything right, many find their career progress halted due to systemic discrimination.

Second, the “stereotype promise” says there is an expectation that Asian Americans will excel. This helped them land entry-level jobs, but their advancement then slowed because their managers perceived them as “forever foreigners” who did not belong, so they distrusted them. Asian Americans are often treated as outsiders, even though they were born in the U.S. Third, the combination of the model minority and forever foreigner perceptions has led to Asian Americans experiencing microaggressions and stereotyping. For example, they are assumed to excel only in math and science and asked why their English is so good.

What is not recognized is the diversity among Asians. U.S. Asians include more than 20 cultures, have from the newly arrived to fifth-generation members, and speak numerous languages. They are a diverse group, and they face barriers in the workplace. Chin also wrote the book Stuck: Why Asian Americans Don’t Reach the Top of the Corporate Ladders. She says that Asian Americans are the least likely among racial and ethnic groups to be promoted into management. She interviewed 100 corporate executives who said trust is paramount, but Asian Americans have difficulty building trust because of the stereotyping.

Chin backs this up with statistics and makes recommendations. One is for managers to get to know everyone on their team and not give assignments only to favorite employees, and this would give Asian Americans a chance to gain exposure. She also says managers should mentor some employees who are not like them, and create a workplace with psychological safety and cultural competence.

Acknowledging Asian Diversity and Taking Action

Acknowledging the diversity of Asian Americans is also important because it encourages management to perceive people as unique and not uniform. McKinsey found that Asian Americans drop by level in promotions and representations. For example, Asian men were 6.8% of the entry-level workforce, and 8% were promoted to the next level. By the time they reach the senior manager level, the promotion rate falls to 6.7% and continues to decline to 4.1% for senior vice presidents. For Asian women, the numbers are much worse. Women comprised 6.5% of the workforce at the corporate entry-level, and 6.2% were promoted. At the senior manager level, they accounted for 4% of the workforce and 3.5% were promoted. Once they reached the vice president level, they made up only 2.8% of the workforce, and 4.3% were promoted. An East Asian man in his 20s who is a financial services manager summed the situation up by saying, “When people look at us, they don’t really see a leader. They see someone smart, good with numbers, but not someone who can lead a team.”

Mckinsey recommends that companies take five steps. One is to collect more granular data about the experiences of Asian Americans, such as their needs, challenges, and contributions. Second, work to eliminate implicit bias from the talent journey, including recruitment, evaluation, and promotion. Third, develop programs that specifically educate employees on identifying and addressing biased behaviors in the workplace regarding Asians. Fourth, sponsor high-potential Asians for career advancement. Fifth, address Asian American issues in communities, as part of the social responsibility agenda.

All of the advice the researchers and consultants suggest is important to changing the stereotyping and biases against Asian Americans. The first step is recognizing that stereotyping and bias exist in the first place, which seems to be the barrier that is proving difficult to remove.