Asian Ancestry & Your Career | Asian American Poll

ASIAN ANCESTRY & YOUR CAREER
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:23:10 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.]

Here something that been bothering me for a long time. I remember when I first started working in corporate America after college in the mid 90's.

There were always a few asian people above me that I felt were always trying to disassociate from other asian co-workers. It was never obvious, but subtle things.

It's not like asian co-workers have secret handshakes or anything like that. But they make an effort not to be seen as too close with other asians co-workers.

As I riose in corporate American Culture I would always try to help out asian co-workers that were under me. If a asian under had a bad rep because they were gay. I would spend a lot of time with management to change there perception of the person as a worker. Or if an asian under me wanted to know of the political landscape at a project I would take the time to explain it to them and where to position themselves for advancement. Even if they were non-asian I would offer help.

Anyway as I rose through the corporate America I never bumped into anyone that was willing to give a help hand in my career (asian or non-asian) as I would with people under me. It never really made any sense to me, because in a large corporate environment. Everyone more or less move in lock step pace. Granted there were a few who advance more quickly do to a helping hand, but they are rare.

Which is one of the reason I jumped ship, when the right opportunity presented itself. I really shouldn't complain, because it would take over 10 years in corporate environment to reeach where I am now.

I guess what my issue is why do some asians dissassociate with other asian in a corporate environment.
AC dropout Wednesday, January 09, 2002 at 15:28:34 (PST)

Take Lunar New Year off this year on 02/12/2002.
mei gui Friday, January 04, 2002 at 14:03:37 (PST)

Jan,

There should be someone at your workplace who handles sexual harassment complaints. If you feel comfortable approaching them, they could probably offer you the best advice for handling the local politics. No one should have to deal with unwelcome advances at work. That's the law.

Andrew Friday, December 28, 2001 at 10:49:56 (PST)

Working in the NYC finacial industry as a consultant for a while, I've seen subtle use of sex use to butter up clients.

Like bringing "green bean" pretty female graduates onto to the project to appease the male clients. Partners did not care if you were black, white, yellow as long as you were young, female, and pretty. I mean the women had to be competant also, or they kick you off the project.

In asia it is worst. Young part-time female cute highschool/college girls are hired just to serve coffe. They come in the afternoon make tea/coffee and serve it to the staff.

But on another note I always found it annoying on the Jewish High Holidays, half the workforce would seem to disappear.

I think AA should take Lunar New Year off and Autumn Moon Festival off also.

AC dropout Friday, November 09, 2001 at 15:22:05 (PST)

about sexual harassment in workplace:

I may be too harsh here, but it seems to me that if you're a really pretty asian woman, there's nothing you can do about "harassment"... as long as there exist males that are attracted to you, you will encounter "harassment".

I guess the only solutions are to work with people who aren't attracted to you (maybe gays?) or women-only settings; or maybe wear some kind of disguise...

in Asia, you would basically not have any choice but to be a "wall flower".

thank goodness i haven't dealt with that challenge yet (having to work in the same place with beautiful female Asian coworkers)

a (NAIVE) ABC male

NAIVE ABC Thursday, August 09, 2001 at 17:01:35 (PDT)

Yes, you are right---I appologize for not including all combinations of races for lack of space and expediency. However, in my own defense, I did say "If a person is attractive (regardless of race), that person is prone to getting attention by the opposite sex (and sometimes the same sex)". This board is about asian ancestry and careers, and I thought that sexual stuff should stay on the sexual areas of Goldsea (hint hint).
My family lineage boasts a long long history of herbal medicine men (and women) and then when it came my time to shine, I chose something else. So now, the knowledge is lost and I am toast (as far as my family is concerned). ;o>
MLK

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