Asian-Americans are often categorized as a single group, comprising about 5.4 percent of the U.S. population. But despite economic disparities between nationalities, it is the highest paid racial group, and its members are more likely to be seen as advantaged, than disadvantaged.
But is it fair to stereotype Asian-Americans as a "model minority," free of the burdens of discrimination? Or do they also face obstacles as other nonwhite groups do?
Read Part One
It Isn't Easy Being a Model Minority
By Kim Wong Keltner
Kim Wong Keltner is the author of "Tiger Babies Strike Back: How I Was Raised by a Tiger Mom but Could Not Be Turned to the Dark Side."
The term "model minority" both dismisses an individual's hard work, blood, sweat and tears, and keeps other races down. At first it sounds like a compliment, but it's not.
If a bully is about to beat me up but thinks twice because Bruce Lee movies make him or her think all Asians know kung fu, then I benefit from that false assumption. While that might make me temporarily glad, in the long run, it's just another step in the gantlet of Asian stereotypes: math nerd, geisha, dragon lady.
The expectation of success in itself is a problem. Princeton University has already produced a study that shows in college admissions, Asians need higher SAT scores. Moreover, if you have great grades, but not supersonic, epic, straight A-pluses in all AP classes, you are just considered a loser. By your own family. Asian kids of America, you are more than your grade point average and your accomplishments on paper. Asian parents, some of you are driving your kids to suicide. So lay off!
At the same time, discrimination against Asian-Americans is alive and well. The idea that we are advantaged comes from a place of fear. Fear that we are "taking over." It's a new Yellow Peril, repackaged. No matter what designer clothes, Ph.D.s, or other signifiers of success adorn us now, we are still seen as "other."
We who have suffered all share the sentiment Morticia Addams uttered with sang froid, “We gladly feast on those who would subdue us.” But hey, here's an obstacle many Asian-Americans don't realize until too late in the game: It's lonely at the top. If we are going to be truly successful we need to consider not just diplomas and salaries, but our ability to express compassion and affection. Don’t forget to have a life. And friends.
Let’s redefine success to include our emotional reality. The advantage of experiencing real human connection blows all that other stuff out of the water.
A Bamboo Ceiling Exists
By Buck Gee
Buck Gee is an executive adviser to Ascend, a pan-Asian professional organization. He retired in 2008 as an executive with a Fortune 100 tech company.
In 2006, I was working at my desk when I realized I was one of the few Asian-American vice presidents in a Fortune 100 company. Until then, it had never occurred to me to notice how few Asian-American executives I had met in the Bay Area although Asian-Americans had become over 30 percent of the employees in many companies. Was there an Asian “bamboo ceiling”?
Reaching out to other Asian-American executives, I heard the same story in other companies and business sectors across the country. In fact, a recent study found that Asian-American men and women were 150 percent less likely than their white counterparts to be an executive in large Silicon Valley companies.
By all standards, I am a success story. Son of a poor immigrant, I had worked hard, graduated from prestigious universities, and never saw one hint of racial discrimination. Yet confronted with indisputable data that Asian-Americans were significantly underrepresented in almost all companies and that there was no relevant facts to suggest otherwise, I had to conclude that a bamboo ceiling exists.
But why?
The bamboo ceiling is real, but its roots, and our failure, stem from our success. Because there are elements of truth in the narrative, the idea of the smart, hard-working model minority has created an implicit bias that Asian-Americans are great thinkers and doers but lack the assertiveness, vision and interpersonal skills to be successful organizational leaders. The stereotype of the quiet, talented professional has led to the widespread assumption of an ill-suited business leader.
As important, too many Asian-Americans believe that advancement into higher management is evaluated and rewarded principally for achievement. Although achievement is necessary, it is not sufficient. As part of corporate leadership teams evaluating promotions, I would look beyond achievement for evidence to suggest executive potential, including personal initiative, conflict management or willingness to express an unpopular view.
Fortunately, there is progress. Using a data-based approach and recognizing the existence of a ceiling for their Asian-American professionals, several Bay Area companies have taken measures to address root causes. With affirmative outreach to identify additional high-potential Asian-American professionals and culturally-specific leadership training, they are taking steps to eliminate internal obstacles for Asian-Americans.
Let’s hope more companies can learn.
亞裔美國人常常被歸為一個零丁的群體，約占美國生齒的5.4%。只管民族間有經濟差距，然則亞裔美國人是收入最高的族群，他們更多地被視為位於上風位置，而非位於弱勢。
然則，呆板地以為亞裔美國人是“榜樣少數族裔”、沒有遭到輕視，這到底公正嗎?他們是不是也要面臨其他非白人族群所面對的艱苦?
瀏覽前文：針對亞裔美國人的隱形輕視(一)
做榜樣少數族裔不容易
金·王·凱爾特納(Kim Wong Keltner)
金·王·凱爾特納著有《虎寶寶的回擊：我由虎媽養大，但不願轉向陰郁一壁》(Tiger Babies Strike Back: How I Was Raised by a Tiger Mom but Could Not Be Turned to the Dark Side)。
“榜樣少數族裔”一詞既否認了小我支付的盡力、心血和淚水，又貶低了其他種族。這個詞初聽像是奉承，實則否則。
假如一個強橫的人想要打我，但因為李小龍(Bruce Lee)的片子讓他誤認為全部亞洲人都邑工夫，以是著手時投鼠忌器，那末可以說我受益於這類毛病的假想。這大概會讓我愉快臨時，但從久遠來看，卻加重了對亞裔的呆板印象：數學白癡、藝妓和惡龍女。
對勝利的盼望自己便是一個題目。普林斯頓大學的一項研討已表現，在大學登科中，亞裔須要更高的SAT分數才行。別的，縱然你有好成就，但只要不是無敵天才，沒能在全部大學先修課程中拿A+，那你只會被本身的家人看作失敗者。美國的亞裔孩子，你的均勻成就和紙面上的造詣，並不克不及完整代表你。亞裔怙恃們，你們傍邊的一些人都把孩子逼得要自盡了。以是停止吧!
與此同時, 對亞裔美國人的輕視仍舊很常見。以為亞裔有上風的設法主意源於恐怖，畏懼咱們會“接辦”。這是一種經由從新包裝的新“黃禍”(Yellow Peril)。不管現在咱們身上點綴的是計劃時裝、博士學位，照樣其他甚麽表現勝利的標識，咱們仍被視為“他者”。
有過這類遭受的咱們，都能懂得莫提莎·亞當斯(Morticia Addams)冷冷說出的話，“咱們愉快地享用著那些想壓抑咱們的人。”但另有個題目，等很多亞裔意想到的時刻，每每為時已晚，那便是“高處不堪寒”。假如咱們要得到真實的勝利，須要斟酌的不單單是文憑和薪水，而是咱們表達憐憫親睦感的才能。別忘了要有生存，還要有同夥。
讓咱們從新界說勝利吧，把咱們的情緒實際也包括進去。能感受人與人之間真正的紐帶，比其他任何工作都主要。
“竹天花板”切實其實存在
朱柏章(Buck Gee)
朱柏章是泛亞裔職業機構Ascend的履行參謀。2008年，他從一家財產100強科技公司的高管任上退休。
2006年的一天，我在辦公桌前事情時，忽然意想到我是財產100強公司中，為數未幾的幾個亞裔副總裁之一。在那以前，我從沒留意過我在灣區碰到的亞裔高管寥寥可數，只管在許多公司中，亞裔員工跨越了30%。是不是存在一個亞裔竹天花板呢?
接洽其他的亞裔高管，我聽到在天下各地的其他公司和行業也是一樣的情形。究竟上，比來的一項研討發明，白人成為矽谷大型企業高管的大概性，是亞裔美國人的150%。
從各類尺度來看，我都是一個勝利者。作為貧苦移民之子，我盡力進修，卒業於名校，從沒碰到一丁點種族輕視。但無可辯論的數據表現，在險些全部企業裏，亞裔美國人的比例緊張失調，且沒有相幹究竟註解情形並不是如斯。因而我不能不揣摸，切實其實存在竹天花板。
但緣故原由是甚麽呢?
竹天花板是真實存在的，但它的本源和咱們的失敗，正源於咱們的勝利。由於相幹說法中切實其實有一些真正的身分，亞裔是聰慧、勤懇的榜樣少數族裔的概念，發生了一種隱含的成見，即以為亞裔美國人善於思慮、善於幹事，但缺少成為勝利的構造引導者所需的朝上進步心、遠見和人際來往技能。亞裔是寧靜、有能力的職業人士的這類呆板印象，致使人們廣泛認為，他們不合適當企業引導人。
一樣主要的是，太多亞裔美國人以為，進入更高一級治理團隊的評判尺度是本身的成就，升職也是對成就的嘉獎。只管成就是需要的，但唯一成就還不敷。作為賣力評估提升的企業引導團隊成員，我願望看到除成就外，另有證據註解，被評估工具有成為高管的潛力，包含小我能動性、辯論治理大概樂意表達不受迎接的概念。
榮幸的是，已有了提高。灣區的幾家公司應用一種以數據為基本的方法，熟悉到他們的亞裔員工面對一個天花板。它們已采用辦法，盤算辦理基本緣故原由。經由過程踴躍自動地發明更多高潛力的亞裔人員，並供給針對文化的培訓，它們正在采用舉動，清除亞裔美國人面對的內涵停滯。
願望更多公司向它們進修。
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