More than one in three (36%) of Asian and Asian American professionals say they have experienced racial prejudice at their current or former companies, revealed a new report.
According to a new report Strangers at Home: The Asian and Asian American Professional Experience, carried out by Coqual, Asian and Asian American professionals face several microaggressions more frequently than their peers of other races. Pervasive stereotypes such as being seen as quiet, and hardworking outsiders affect the workplace experiences of Asian and Asian American employees.
The increase in anti-Asian violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander professionals (A/AA/PI) in and outside of the workplace. This latest report documents the daily indignities of racism and microaggressions, addresses a broken career pipeline, and acknowledges the diversity within this large cohort and why it is important to disaggregate data about them.
WORKPLACE SAFETY
Given the ongoing violence against the A/AA/PI community, Coqual finds a large portion of respondents across racial backgrounds strongly believe their companies should take a stand. Nearly half (49%) of Asian and Asian American professionals surveyed say it’s very or extremely important to them that their companies address violence against the A/AA/PI community. But only about one in four (26%) Asian and Asian American professionals feel that their company is very vocal on the issue of violence against the community.
“The current climate of anti-Asian hate has forced the community to fear for their psychological and physical safety in the world and the workplace,” said Lanaya Irvin, Chief Executive Officer of Coqual. “This new report brings visibility to the challenges A/AA/PI employees face and provides concrete solutions for company leaders as they address inequities and support their employees.”
“Solving for the challenges Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities face in the workplace requires dedicated focus,” said Melonie Parker, Google’s Chief Diversity Officer. “Coqual’s latest report, which we are proud to sponsor, presents fresh data and insights that everyone can use to better understand the nuances of their experiences, and builds on the data-driven approach proven to help address equity across communities. It’s important work that can light the way to a more informed and inclusive path forward.”
HARMFUL MICROAGGRESSIONS AT WORK
Coqual’s report examines the two specific types of microaggressions faced by this cohort: the perpetual foreigner and overvalidation. Microaggressions such as colleagues assuming they are not born in the U.S., asking “where are you really from?” and commenting on their good English-speaking skills maintain the perpetual foreigner concept; while overvalidation assumes that they are good at math and tech skills and labels them as hardworking or smarter because of their race. The study finds that some of these microaggressions seem like compliments, but their effects are harmful, contributing to a wider structural impact such as being pigeon-holed, less visible, having their contributions overlooked or being assigned unfair workloads.
INVISIBILITY & EXCLUSION
Diversity in executive representation is critical for advancing structural equity, signalling to junior-level employees that a senior-level position is possible. According to the report, Asian and Asian American professionals are the least likely of any racial group surveyed (29%) to say they have role models at their company, the least likely to say they have strong networks (17%), and least likely to have a sponsor (21%). Due to under representation in senior roles, lack of role models, and thin support networks, A/AA/PI employees have few, if any, advocates in powerful positions to help their career advancement.
To avoid contributing to the systemic erasure of Pacific Islanders, Coqual captured the PI professional experiences through focus groups and interviews. A white paper within the report, The Erasure and Invisibility of Pacific Islander Professionals, features a detailed breakdown of this cohort and finds that Pacific Islander professionals share some workplace obstacles with Asian and Asian American professionals. But the report reveals that due to their lack of representation, for some, the challenge is not microaggressions or stereotypes, it’s invisibility, erasure, and exclusion from DE&I.
AUDIT, AWAKEN, ACT
To help companies drive sustained, meaningful change, Coqual has developed a framework: Audit, Awaken, Act to provide steps for companies, leaders, and DE&I practitioners to use as they develop and execute their DE&I strategies. The full report includes examples, pointers, and pitfalls to avoid in each stage of the framework.
- Audit: Assess the current state by engaging in organisational introspection. Identify where systemic inequities exist. Companies should avoid treating A/AA/PI professionals as a monolithic cohort and disaggregate the data and take inventory of missing leadership qualities.
- Awaken: Share audit results with leaders and employees and educate them on the structural racism that A/AA/PI professionals face. Build bridges for communication and prioritize solidarity among the cohort.
- Act: With the knowledge and understanding developed in the Audit and Awaken phases, companies must engage in a collaborative effort to build solutions, hold employees accountable to contribute and take action to drive systemic change.
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