(アメリカの職場ではアジア系アメリカ人は、未だに少ない。グローバル時代に、雇用者側がするべきこと５点を挙げた。) Asian Americans are largely missing in many workplaces, including schools and corporate offices. Only 1.5% of American teachers are Asian (Education Studies), and only 1.4% of American principals are Asian (Education Week) .Only 1.5% of college and university presidents in the U.S. are Asian Pacific Islanders, only 7% of the tenured faculty members are Asian, and only 4% of deans are Asian (Insight into Diversity) . In corporate America, Asian Americans tend to be least likely to be promoted among all of the races (Harvard Business Review).
Here is some quick advice for how to recruit and retain Asian American professionals:
1. Make an inclusive environment for Asian Americans.
Dr. Beverly Tatum said at the Minnesota Chapter event of the National Association for Multicultural Education: “Try to take a picture from this podium. Now that the picture is available for you, what would you see first? First, you look for yourself in the picture. If you can’t find yourself, how would you feel? You would feel left out and disappointed.” She explained the importance of inclusion and how it affects diverse people.
Make sure your websites and brochures include Asian Americans. I often see diversity brochures, websites and social media without Asian Americans. I recently walked around the hallway at a couple of major universities. I saw mainly white people’s pictures. The posters of ethnic leaders had no Asian Americans.
2. Don’t confuse inclusion with the quota system
I meet people who tend to think that all minority groups are the same. Some people say, “We have minority people. We have blacks and Hispanics. Why do we need Asians?” Some even say more blatantly, “We already have one Asian. Why do we need two Asians?” This country is heading for the minority majority country. Stop using a quota system that ended in 1965.
3. Be aware of your own biases and stereotypes about Asian Americans.
Asian Americans are not monolithic. They represent 48 ethnicities and over 300 spoken languages in the US (Education Studies). Socioeconomically and generationally, Asian Americans are also diverse. They have different immigration histories, too. Appreciate Asian American diverse history that their ancestors have survived with courage and dignity. As global and multicultural citizens, Asian Americans have contributed to America in many ways. They are not foreigners but global citizens who could help America become more globally competitive. Do not treat them as outsiders.
When it comes to racism and discrimination, very few people realize that Asian Americans face as much discrimination as African Americans. According to Pew Research, three quarters (76%) of both African Americans and Asian Americans say they have experienced discrimination or have been treated unfairly because of their race. Hispanics report a 58% rate of discrimination. Also, Asians are more likely than any other group to say they have been subject to slurs or jokes because of their race or ethnicity. Even schoolchildren are quite adept at showing me how they can make “slant eyes” by pulling the side of their eyelids. Although a significant number of Asian Americans experience racism, American media and society still tends to ignore Asians’ struggles, blinded by the Asian Model Minority Myth.
The Model Minority Myth is discriminatory. According to research, Asian Americans are more than twice as likely to be appointed chief executive if a company is in decline. They are hired as “saviors” and terminated when the job is done. Asian Americans are hired because they look like they are willing to save society with a servant mentality.
4. Keep learning about Asian and Asian American culture.
I sometimes meet American families who hosted a foreign exchange student from Asia, and they proudly think this makes them experts on all things Asian. They need to keep in mind that meeting one or two foreign exchange students is not enough. Just because you hosted one student for a year, it doesn’t make you get rid of biases and stereotypes. You also can’t become an expert for a particular culture either just because you lived in a foreign country for a year or two. Continue to meet more Asians in your city and learn more about their cultures and languages. Asians are diverse and complex.
5. Develop an informal social network with Asian Americans.
Get out of your comfort zone to develop more a respectful attitude toward them. It is essential to interact with Asian Americans informally to get to know them better. Whether you are an executive or a coworker, you need to develop more social networks with Asian Americans to explore friendship.
© 2019 The Jazz Solution.