Testimonies

Experiences Heard Through AAPI

Describe the interviewee’s background and perspective.
Provide direct citations of life-stories in the workplace or job market.
Interviewee’s recommendations of accommodation or inclusive practices that might support them at the workplace.

"I am a design major and I've never seen someone Asian in a creative field till I met my professors. Everyone on TV or artists featured were never Asian and when they were, the media liked to focus on their heritage and make that their whole identity rather than focus on their work. It was weird to see that someone's culture was the biggest part of their art to America. Because I didn't see people that looked like me in the field, it made me more scared to pursue it and when I tell other Asian families what I do, I'm scared of their reactions."
"Yes, I was the only minority and female employee at a time and my boss, a white male counterpart was constantly treating me as if I didn't know anything and undermined me in front of other coworkers. People were more prone to speak to my coworkers instead of my other Asian colleagues."
"Microaggression played the biggest role in Asians not wanting to work at places. I believe putting in policies against those micro aggressions may be helpful."

- Lily Vo, student at University of Houston (identifies as Vietnamese)

Describe the interviewee’s background and perspective.
Provide direct citations of life-stories in the workplace or job market.
Interviewee’s recommendations of accommodation or inclusive practices that might support them at the workplace.

"I am a Muslim Asian American who was born to Asian Immigrants. With the principles that are perpetuated within my culture, many Asian Americans are pushed towards high paying jobs that also carry with it prestige. These professions often include physicians, lawyers, engineers, and computer software. The desire for immigrant parents to have their children be successful can often be inclusive with the aforementioned professions; however, they can also be mutually exclusive. This desire causes underrepresentation in many workplaces as Asian Americans weren't equipped with the skills or experiences in order to be properly represented in those workplaces."
"Within the teaching workplace, I can say that i felt underrepresented. Sure, there is Asian American presence within academia; however, there isn't much presence within K-12 teaching spheres. Many individuals question my reasonings for teaching and ask why I am not a doctor or lawyer or engineer instead. Within healthcare, I believe it is much harder to acquire a job as an Asian American as the field is somewhat saturated with Asian American representatives. Thus, the qualification standards are much higher in order to obtain the job."
"Workplaces should sponsor workshops geared towards Asian Americans within the community that tackle job specific skills. Many Asian American communities focus on obtaining specific skillsets; thus, workshops would allow for Asian Americans to be exposed to different job environments and the skills necessary to succeed in those environments."

- Taha Muhammad-Ali, student at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (identifies as Pakistani)

Testimonies

"Yes, I was the only minority and female employee at a time and my boss, a white male counterpart was constantly treating me as if I didn't know anything and undermined me in front of other coworkers. People were more prone to speak to my coworkers instead of my other Asian colleagues."

"Microaggression played the biggest role in Asians not wanting to work at places. I believe putting in policies against those micro aggressions may be helpful."

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- Lily Vo, student at University of Houston (identifies as Vietnamese)