Introduction

Since the beginning of their immigration to the United States of America, Asian Americans have played an integral role in the development of this country. The demographics of the first wave of immigration include mainly people from China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines; however, more people from South Asia began to immigrate to the United States as well. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most Asian Americans worked as laborers on farms, railroads, and factories. They were often seen as competition and a threat to White communities who were also seeking employment. Those who accused them of stealing jobs primarily used the considerable amount of Asian representation in the workplace at the time as their reasoning. For example, Chinese migrants represented 20% of California's labor force despite only constituting 0.002% of the US population in the late 19th century. 

Anti-Chinese sentiments and hostility only grew as more Chinese immigrants entered the American labor force. One of the most discriminatory legislative acts passed during this period was the Chinese Exclusion Act. This law, passed by Congress, prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States for 10 years. The Chinese Exclusion Act was undeniably effective, as Chinese immigration to the U.S. plummeted from 39,500 in 1882 to only 10 in 1887. This law consequently set the precedent for future immigration restrictions against other ethnic groups. Following the act, there was a significant increase in Japanese immigration to the US, and as a result, Japanese immigrants were also seen as potential threats to the American labor force and economy. Japan and the United States would then agree to cease all new Japanese immigration to the U.S. in the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907. Racial resentment is not an experience limited to only the aforementioned ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the long legacy of racial exclusion and inequity in the labor force remains just as pervasive in modern times. 

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Lack of Asian Representation in Leadership Roles

Though often belittled and overlooked, the challenges Asian Americans face in the workplace are deeply rooted in common Asian misconceptions. The model minority myth perpetuates a false, stereotypical narrative that Asian Americans are all remarkably polite, studious, and successful. While the idea does sound seemingly positive, the model minority myth poses serious repercussions in several ways. One of which is the lack of Asian representation in senior management positions. A study conducted by McKinsey & Company found that, of the 400 large organizations surveyed, only 9% of senior vice presidents and 5% of C-suite executives were Asian Americans. A study by Ascend, an organization that promotes the business potential of Pan-Asian professionals, found that White employees are twice as likely to be promoted to management roles as their Asian American counterparts.

This disproportionate underrepresentation in leadership positions, as known as the “bamboo ceiling,” occurs in various industries across the United States. In major U.S. law firms, Asians account for 11% of law associates, but merely 3% of law partners. In the technology industry, Asians are the most represented ethnic group (over 30% of the labor force) but are the least likely to be promoted to senior executive positions (less than 15% of all executives). The model minority myth promotes the idea that Asian Americans are smart and successful enough to obtain entry-level jobs, but too deferential and submissive to lead. They are viewed as people who respect hierarchy so much that they are incapable of having the authoritative qualities a compelling executive requires. So while Asian Americans do represent a fair portion of the entry-level workforce, these stereotypical insinuations derail their economic mobility by excluding them from senior leadership positions.

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Effect of COVID-19 on Asian Workers

Beginning in early 2020, Asian Americans faced a new set of anti-Asian sentiments. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a pronounced rise in xenophobic attacks and derogatory comments against Asian Americans due to misconceptions surrounding the origin of the COVID-19 virus. According to the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino’s official preliminary police data, hate crimes against Asians in 16 of the largest American cities have increased by 145% in 2020 alone. Since then, the number of hate incidents has continued to stagger, with the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center receiving over 11,500 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March 2020 and March 2022. For example, one worker said he gets “jokingly accused of eating bat and get[s] strange looks when sneezing.” This and similar incidents of verbal harassment have made up 67.3% of all reported anti-Asian incidents. Additionally, a group of psychology professors at Michigan State University found that those who blamed China and Chinese people for the virus were more likely to participate in hiring bias and social distancing of Asians at work.

Committed through either passive avoidance or physical violence, prejudice against Asian Americans has even infiltrated the workforce. Because xenophobia kept people away from Asian-owned businesses, insufficient numbers of customers forced these businesses—35% of them—to temporarily shut down. The loss of customers entailed losses in revenue for most Asian families. A study by AARP and Fed Small Business reported that 90% of Asian-American small-business owners experienced revenue losses throughout 2020. 

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Solutions

Though these workplace issues are commonly neglected, more efforts have been put into addressing and resolving them. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that has implemented a White House initiative that aims to provide more job opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Through its 53 offices nationwide, EEOC has worked diligently to dismantle discriminatory barriers to equal employment opportunity, such as hiring bias and workplace harassment. In 2014, EEOC settled 40,197 charges of employment discrimination based on race and nationality, recovering more than $106 million. EEOC has also filed lawsuits against employers who deny their employees’ pay, impose quotas, and enforce unsanitary working conditions. 

Although the EEOC has proved successful in its efforts to combat workplace inequity, private businesses must also contribute in similar ways. Several partners in McKinsey & Company proposed developing more programs that educate employees on how to recognize and handle acts of discrimination in the workplace. Asian-American workplace issues should also be addressed as part of a corporate social-responsibility agenda; in other words, companies should openly engage in community outreach to improve racial inclusion in the workplace.

Asian Americans have not ignored the lack of Asian inclusion in executive roles. In the February 2023 Momentive/AAPI Data Diversity in American Life survey, only 26% of Asian Americans strongly agreed with the statement: “There are others like me in leadership positions at my workplace”—the only racial group whose percentage fell below 40%. Sponsors are leaders whose jobs are to advance junior colleagues in their careers by praising their skills and advocating promotions for them on their behalf. However, sponsorships have become less productive for Asian-American workers, especially those who wish to advance to senior levels of their organizations. Asian Americans were less likely to report that their sponsors successfully connected opportunities for them than their White peers. To mitigate this issue, there first needs to be an acknowledgment that most job sponsorships for Asian workers are ineffective. There then needs to be more vocal advocacy for sponsorship opportunities that would provide genuine fruitful outcomes for Asian-American employees.

Organizations can address the prejudice their Asian-American employees experience in the workplace through other means as well. One way is to establish cross-cultural work training to foster an inclusive and safe community for marginalized groups. Every worker has a responsibility in creating an equitable work environment. For that, every worker must accordingly report any inappropriate behaviors and misconduct, which should then be investigated and managed with deliberate care. 

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Conclusions

Discrimination against the Asian community has remained unchanged since the first arrival of Asian immigrants to the United States. The model minority myth characterizes Asian Americans as too compliant and quiet, rendering them unqualified to seek leadership positions. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely hurt Asian communities, with the rise of anti-Asian sentiments causing shutdowns and financial losses. Recognizing and understanding these issues is crucial to effecting positive change in the workforce for Asian Americans. Those who wish to implement more inclusive workplaces should consider these findings and proposals to better understand how to best support Asian-American employees within a flawed environment.

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Acknowledgement

The Institute for Youth in Policy wishes to acknowledge Gwen Singer, Sarah Zhang, Paul Kramer, Carlos Bindert and other contributors for developing and maintaining the Effective Discourse Department and associated Fellowship programming.

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