Asian Ancestry & Your Career | Asian American Poll

ASIAN ANCESTRY & YOUR CAREER
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:23:11 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

What's the most important way in which your Asian ancestry hurt your career?
I wasn't considered for some assignments and/or promotions. | 32%
I was excluded from opportunities to socialize. | 35%
I was burdened with more work demands than my colleagues. | 12%
I was subtly put down for being different. | 16%
I was singled out for sexual harassment. | 5%

What's the most important way in which your Asian ancestry helped your career?
My linguistic/cultural skills were key to my success. | 2%
My ancestry caused me to focus on fields that later proved highly lucrative. | 1%
It filled me with the drive and determination to succeed. | 97%

What's the most important way in which your Asian ancestry influenced your career choice?
My career choice was motivated by the desire to defy stereotypes. | 46%
I chose a field that would best utilize my cultural skills. | 3%
I chose the field dictated by my family. | 0%
My ancestry didn't influence my career choice. | 51%

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

MLK,
And how about a pretty black woman getting sexually harrased by any guy. Don't forget about black women because they get hit upon just as much as any other woman.
Just shedding some truth

What does sexual harrassment have to do with Asian ancestry and your career? If a person is attractive (regardless of race), that person is prone to getting attention by the opposite sex (and sometimes the same sex). Have you ever seen a pretty white woman get sexually harrassed by an Asian male? How about a pretty Hispanic woman being hit upon by a white guy?
MLK

To Jan: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!! There's a little thing called sexual harrassment.

To Jan(AF)
MAke it clear to him through passing conversation that you are not available. The Asian women in the workplace has to sometimes worry about being objectified by male co-workers. (especially WM). Just talk to him normally and mention that you recently met someone and it may help if you said that he was Asian also. In his mind he might then think he does not have a chance. This advice may sound a bit weird but office politics is often a weird ass thing. Good Luck.
The Righteous Asiatic

Having your boss like you is a mixed blessing. If there's a change of power, you're screwed. You must strike a balance between being liked and being able to put out the work.
Old Timer

It sure helps if you have a boss who likes you. I've been in job where my bosses didn't seem to care for me. It's like being on a treadmill. You keep running but can't get anywhere. Then I found this job where for some reason my boss, an older white man, seems to have taken a liking to me. He actually appreciates what I do, trusts me implicitly and has already given me a promotion after only six months. How your boss feels toward you is just as important as how good you are.
Goldenboy

What do you do if your boss shows a little too much personal interest? I'm a young (24) Asian woman and I have encountered this before but usually ended up leaving the job. I like this job. Help!
Jan (AF)

Hey, Self-Conscious Dude:
I'm glad you said that. I used to think maybe I was the only one. I am a very presentable guy with good manners, nice face, degree from a top college, born and raised right here in Seattle. But I have always felt it harder to be friendly than my white peers. It isn't that I didn't want to be more friendly, just that I've felt more reserved. It isn't even shyness, but just a tendency to let others do the talking more. It hasn't my career either, at least not compared with my peers. On the other hand, maybe I could have gone up a little faster if I had been more aggressive in schmoozing. It's just good to know I'm not the only one.
Ja-Am Guy, 33

The biggest impact is in our own minds. I can't really point to any racism at my jobs but I was always conscious of being different. That kept me from being as sociable as I might have been. It's a problem even for AA born here and more so for those of us born overseas. But I know that some Asians have the personality to overcome this, even people who speak with heavy accents and/or act very foreign. I'm jsut not one of them, unfortunately. But I manage anyway and am doing fine. I think it's a little easier for asian women than men.
Self-conscious AM

We shoot ourvels in the foot when we try to fight our natural talents. If you're good at math and engineering, why try to become a salesman? I'm great at science and make a very good living at it!
780 math girl

     I agree with the person who said that whites are held to lower standards than Asians both in Western and Asian countries. When I worked at IBM as a temp, I couldn't help but notice how all of the highly paid marketers were blond and blue-eyed. OK, some of them were size 10 and up cows, but male CEOs thought they could do the job because they were presumably better-looking than dark-haired Asian and African women. Most of the minority women I saw were doing relatively low paid scut work: predominantly Asians in invisible research or technical work and Africans in secretarial work. No wonder minority women feel like they have to conform to Caucasian standards of beauty in order to 'make it' either professionally or personally.
     In academia, particularly the humanities, you can be a stellar graduate student at a top British university who pulls straight As, gets papers accepted at prestigious conferences, wins prizes for best graduate paper at international conferences but still have more difficulty than anyone securing teaching because people look at your surname and assume English isn't your first language: despite being American-born and raised! Such was my position until I complained big-time to the faculty numerous times and finally got teaching. I am now reasonably satisfied but am still outraged by the fact that I've had to face more difficulties than less qualified whites.
     Meanwhile, my white friend loves it in Japan: she earns loads of money there teaching English and as she tells me, doesn't even have half the commitments that her Japanese peers but but nonetheless has twice the income!
     The moral: we still have a long, long way to go. And we need to keep pushing even if whites tell us defensively that 'Asians already have everything.'
Been there, Done that...

I chose the nursing field because of my family. I came from a long line of nurses in my family. But after 8 years of nursing, I decided to change to an alternative health career instead of remaining in the traditional nursing career that sucked the life and energy out of me (In the end I hated my job and it affected me physically). I do incorporate all that I have learned from nursing in my present job and business. And occasionally my mom tries to get me to go back, but she knows that I am happier where I am now.
Nurse Muscular Therapist

I faced a lot of the same stereotypical treatment and expectations when I first entered the corporate world. I dont' think you can get around that. But I did my best to ignore the noise and do a good job. Over the years, I have been given the respect I deserve. So, yes, my ancestry could have hurt me, but I didn't let it. You have to ignore it and focus. It's not easy, but worth the effort in the long run.
Old Pro AF, 34

I'm currently self-employed, in a section of southern Califoria with a large, diverse Asian population. Although I'm American-born, I feel that my ethnicity has helped me immensely in acquiring some quite lucrative contracts. However, I decided to work for myself at this time because of much disenchantment with the employers I've had. I felt that I was stereotyped, gossiped about, and overlooked for promotions for which I definitely was the most qualified person.
Chinese-American Woman

It depends on the type of career. If you are in Computer Science or Engineering your chances are excellent. On the other hand, if you are in a policy field, particularly in international policy, your chances of getting a job are slim and your chances of advancing are none. I work for an international organization in Washington DC. Asian Americans in the computer field get jobs quickly and even advance a lot faster. However, in policy fields and regarding positions of power where livelihood of people in poor countries in Asia are affected as a result of these policies, the chances of getting employment are very slim. In fact, the Treasury Department's Office of International Affairs rarely hires Asian Americans. They do not view Americans of Asian ancestry as American enough, even those who are sixth generation Americans
Asian-American Male

I tried out for a role to play a white male in a show and didnt get it.
Asian Male with a sense of humor

Generally whites are held to lower standards than Asians or Asian Amiericans. But, this is true of both Asia and North America. If you are looking for a job in an Asian country, they tend to pay you less than they would pay whites, saying that "you are one of us."
Asian American

I don't think being Asian-American has influenced my career one way or the other. I think holding 3 bachelors degrees (English, Applied Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering) does. I think the way my parents reared me and my younger brothers has played a huge role in my success. I think my parents' foresight to speak to us in English, instead of Tagalog, was a HUGE influence. I think that's all there is to it. Good genetics. Parents who cared. A will to succeed.
AMERICAN-Asian is what I am, not what I'm trying to be. Everything else is irrelevant.
Dino D. Filipino

As an Asian Male, I find it difficult to make it up the ladder because of my communication skills with my white bosses. I am not very skilled at their figures of speech or experiences. They like me a lot and I like them, but there is no kinship that we can relate upon. The only thing I can do is move on to other companies in order to get more money. A lot more, however!

I peaked out early while working for the Federal Government for the last 8 years and am opening up my own businesses where there is no one limiting my capabilities and earning potential. AA should not be afraid to showcase their talents. --JA, 45

Listen to my experience:
I worked in latin America for a long time. The company where I used to work was the best one. Some day the new General Manager wanted "to white" the company because there were too many tan people (that meant non white latin people). And he didn't wanted "old people" (that meant over their 30). I'm Asian, but as I was young and beautiful he didn't fire me. But I also never get a promotion! And I was a hard worker, had a career, always creative, always innovating, and knew all the secrets of the company. Really! I had a good salary but I never get a promotion, he gave promotions to white people! Not to tan people, not to asians!!!!!!!!!That sucks!!! So I quit! And get a better job with the rival company!! But it is still a stigma for me. --Stop slavery

I don't think being asian affected my career at all. I think most employers are pleasantly surprised with my linguistic fluency combo'd with intelligence and skill set in the field so it is actually a plus for me. I think we are actually praised and more appreciated when communication is fluid. I hear many horror stories about discrimination but I apply for jobs just the same as any other person and I'm very proud for us Asians everytime I get that pat on the back! Even if it takes one recognition at a time, we are that much closer to bridging the gap of affirmative action. No offense but I think when we are fluent in both our own asian language (mine being mandarin) and English, it is really a plus because hey, how many of our words can a caucasian even learn in a lifetime? Now that is something to be proud of :)
DW's Grl

I'm an Asian Latin American woman of career. And beautiful. Since I started to work I have to fight not only against prejudice of my ancestry but also against sex harrasment and prejudice against that women of beutiful face and body can't command a Department or isn't able to plan or to make successful business strategies. I feel that I accomplish lots of goals but after 17 years of hard working I still need more goals. And I feel that I'm not working so much. It's an addiction.
Asian Latin American - Manager in Insurance (not English Speaker)

My career success was more for my parents than for myself. At first that bothered me. As I get older, I get some satisfaction out of having met their expectations by becoming a respected executive in a big company. I recommend it.
Korean, 36

i can count about a hundred ways my being asian hurt me and about zero ways it has helped. but i wouldn't want to be anything else.

I have more compassion because I have been through the minority experience. That makes me better at talking to troubled teens on my job. But sometimes I suffer for too involved...
Ronnie, 27, Vietnamese

High expectation to suceed.

On the whole I'm more successful than I might have been if I were white. I was motivated to work harder when I wanted to say to hell with it because an Asian who's a failure has nothing left to turn to.
Chi-Am dentist, 31

I got fired because the boss wanted a blue-eyed blonde. I'm bright, educated, attractive, can do the hard, am a hard worker, so what's the problem? there seems to be one, though. Just as in school, in some workplaces there's an assumption that Asians are bright,, May have picked my career because I was bright and thought I could do it. [Cor-Am female, 22-27]

"As a trial attorney being Asian as both helped and hindered me but for my clients many of whom are minority or of economically disenfranchised strata of society it has helped me develop a better rapport both with the client and the others involved. assertions of cultural defenses/variables tend to be more carefully considered when being delivered by a non-white. No one in the courtroom knows quite how to react to me since i'm not anything they ever expected! it always makes for interesting discussion during voir dire (jury selection). but one must be careful not to overplay the "race card."" [Chi-Am male]

"at cal berkeley, it cms like there r so many asian engineering students. but 1nce u get into industry, u realise that asians r still a minority in engineering." [Chi-Am male, 22-27]

How Ancestry Hurt My Career

"can anyone say they don't suffer some kind of prejudice at work day in and day out, especially in a large organization like the one I work at? it gets to you sometimes, leads to blowups." [Chi-Am female, 22-27]

How Ancestry Helped My Career

"It's definitely a plus to be an Asian today if you're going into any of the tech fields." [Cor-Am male, 22-27]

"I know more Asians who benefitted in so many ways from being Asian, and I'm not talking about affirmative action because that's a joke for most Asian Americans. I'm talking about all the business and professional opportunities for Asians who keep their eyes open to them that are not available to other Americans. I am one of them." [Chi-Am female, 28-34]

How Ancestry Influenced My Career Choice

"I was great at math but am a lawyer just so I wouldn't contribute to the math-nerd stereotype. I'm not so sure that was a good thing when I consider the kind of meaningless scutwork most lawyers end up doing. I might have been a tech millionaire if I had gone into computer sciences or something!" [Viet-Am female, 28-34]

"It might help some of you Asian Americans to know that I decided not to go into medicine after all the intense competition from the many Asians in college. It works both ways." [Caucasian-Am male, 22-27]

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