Reflection paper
lbazz
AsianAmericans.Pt2.pptxAsian Americans
Education, Employment, Earnings
Model Minority
Entrepreneurship
Asian Experiences at Work
Individual Recommendations
Organizational Recommendations
Education, Employment, Earnings
Overall, more education than other racial/ethnic groups in US.
Nearly 50% of Asians have bachelor’s degrees compared with 30%, 17%, and 11%, respectively of whites, blacks, and Hispanics.
In contrast, more likely to have not completed high school (13% vs 10%) than whites.
Bimodal distribution of education – very well educated or poorly educated
Education, Employment, Earnings
Education level often related to country of birth
US natives or voluntary immigrants; more education
Refugees fleeing; less education and fewer language skills
Asian Indians - over 60% with college degree
Vietnamese - 14% college degree
Cambodians/Hmongs/Laotians - 9% college degree
Participation and Occupations
Participation in workforce very similar to whites
Slightly more Asian men than White men employed
Slightly fewer Asian women than White women employed
Concentrated in managerial and professional jobs
Managers, executives, administrators, physicians, nurses, lawyers, architects, engineers, scientists, teachers
39.3% of Asians in managerial and professional occupations, compared to 35.1% of whites
Represent 15% of the nation’s physicians and surgeons at only 5% of the population
Slightly more likely than Whites to be in service occupations (14.4% compared to 11.6%)
Income
Asian Americans are the most highly educated group, so expect earnings to exceed those of all other groups.
Asian males lag behind White males in income
Asian females higher income than White females at some education levels
Concentration of Asians in high cost of living cities (New York, San Francisco, Honolulu)
Household income may be misleading – extended family
based on more workers, support more family members
Asians as Model Minority
Stereotype of Asians as model minority
Widely held perception
Viewed as succeeding through hard work and determination
Implication that other minority groups only need to work harder
May lead to animosity toward Asians from other minority groups and whites
Ignores differences among Asians in education, income, and employment along with understanding barriers and discrimination faced by Asians.
Glass Ceiling and Asian Americans
Haven’t made way to top levels of companies
Only ½ a percent of senior management positions in US.
May have to do with stereotyping.
perceived as having good technical and math skills; poor interpersonal skills
stereotyped as passive, non-confrontational, lacking in communication and language skills
regardless of whether they are native English speakers
Common misperceptions may prevent Asians from advancing in organizations.
Confine to positions that require little communication, leadership, or decision-making
Such positions often have few chances for advancement/promotion
Asian American Entrepreneurs
One accurate perception of Asian Americans – more likely to start their own business than any other minority group.
Nearly a million Asian owned businesses in US.
Employing over 2 million people
Generating over $300 billion in revenue.
Asian American Entrepreneurs
May be due to:
Glass ceiling
Limited skills
Informal networks among Asian immigrants.
Informal networks may help to establish businesses
Common for immigrant family members to help one another get set up in business
Asian American Entrepreneurs
Restaurants, shops – lower skilled immigrants
Consulting, technical, medical, legal – educated, skilled
Asian American Entrepreneurs
Social Costs
Struggle for business survival
Long hours
High failure rates
Unpaid/low wages of family
Strain on family
Asian American Entrepreneurs
Issues specific to minority-owned businesses:
Anti-immigrant hostility from customers and clients
Possible lowered labor standards for society as a whole due to very low wages or unpaid labor
Asian American Experiences at Work
Positive stereotypes
good at math, technically astute, hardworking, highly educated, wealthy
Negative stereotypes
lack leadership skills, poor communication skills, arrogance
Stereotypes get in the way of hiring or promoting best person for the job.
Consider job requirements based on job analysis.
Consider person’s actual KSAOs and job demands
Asian American Experiences at Work
Asians sometimes targets of animosity due to their perceived success in educational and business areas.
Research indicates experiences of discrimination and the glass ceiling are similar to other minority groups.
Issues with access and treatment discrimination.
Asian American Experiences at Work
Treatment discrimination –
May be steered to particular jobs deemed appropriate for people who are technically strong but limited English skills.
May be denied management jobs due to perceptions that lack leadership skills.
Asian American Experiences at Work
Evidence of glass ceiling
state, local, and federal government positions
college and university administration
professional school faculty positions
judiciary system
corporations
Research on silicon valley leadership diversity
Individual Recommendations
Positive stereotypes may cause Asians to be overlooked as minority group,
not being seen as needing assistance or needing help to ensure treated fairly
Individuals should make desire to be considered for management and other promotional opportunities known.
Obtain as much education as possible in preferred field
Don’t allow self to be steered into technical field due to expectations of others
Organizational Recommendations
Organizational leaders, management, human resources should recognize that:
not all Asian Americans are well-educated
may be subject to exclusion and differential treatment
When underrepresented in different job categories or when evidence of glass ceiling:
make efforts to include Asians in nondiscrimination policies and affirmative action programs.
Be aware of cultural differences in self-promotion
Ask about interest, include in assessment center activities, provide with mentors
Organizational Recommendations
Some discrimination against Asians occurs due to perception that they have done too well.
Perceptions of language barriers may also hinder progress
Be sure these are real barriers and not simply perceived ones.
Many Asians born in US and are native English speakers.
May experience differential treatment based on imagined lack of English fluency.
