Despite making up about 20% of the U.S. population, in 2020 women of color represented only about 3% of the highest-ranking senior executive-level positions (also known as c-suite or chief-level roles) in corporate America.¹ Factors such as microaggressions, double standards, and unconscious bias prevent women of color from advancing at work in ways that are different from white women and even men of color.

In the mid-1970s, five African American women from St. Louis sued General Motors for discriminatory employment practices; however, their claims were dismissed because of a perceived lack of proof of discrimination. GM’s white female employees hadn’t experienced this particular discrimination, so the plaintiffs couldn’t sue for gender discrimination, and men of color hadn’t experienced it either, so they complaint couldn’t be covered under racial discrimination.² The nuanced experience of being both women and Black created a framework of unique experiences of discrimination, later recognized as “intersectionality,” as coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw.³

This framework can be seen in both big and small ways in work settings across employment sectors. Often, the experiences of women of color are misunderstood or mischaracterized, and unwelcoming racial environments fester even when these individuals address issues. Canadian-based Center for Community Organizations developed the following infographic to shed light on the impact of factors such as tokenization, repetitive injury and microaggressions, and denial of racism that perpetuates employment issues for women of color.⁴

As ethical leaders, we all have a responsibility to be aware of inequities and to name and dismantle harmful practices that make our workplaces unwelcoming. While employment concerns are not limited to race and gender, consider how you demonstrate cultural competence in your workplace and how you create an environment welcoming to and supportive of women of color.

Learn more:

1. Women in the Workplace: Corporate America is at a Critical Crossroads (report)
2. Race, Gender, Intersectionality, & Employment (article)
3. The Urgency of Intersectionality (video)
4. The “Problem” Woman of Colour in the Workplace (infographic)

What is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and why do we celebrate in May? 

In the mid-1970s, Jeanie Jew, a Chinese-American Capitol Hill staffer, first introduced the idea of designating a month out of every year to recognize the achievements and contributions of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Having witnessed the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, Jew was frustrated that Asian-Pacific Americans’ roles in shaping America were not recognized during this important national celebration. Jew’s own great grandfather M.Y. Lee worked on the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s, which transformed travel, commerce, settlement, and the very concept of America. As a result of this lack of awareness and inclusion, Jew started a nation-wide campaign advocating for a celebration of Asian-Pacific Americans that ultimately led to Congress. 

In 1977, U.S. Representatives Frank Horton (R-NY) and Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA) introduced a House resolution to set aside part of May in honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week, and Senators Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and Spark Matsunaga (D-HI) introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both bills were passed, and President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution to designate the annual celebration in 1978. Later, in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a bill passed by Congress to extend this into a month-long celebration, and 1992 marked the first official celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. These legislators chose May to commemorate two specific events: 

• On May 7, 1843, a 14-year-old fisher named Manjiro Nakahama became the first “official” U.S. Japanese immigrant after being adopted by American whaling captain William Whitfield who rescued Nakahama and his shipwrecked crew off the Japanese coast. 
• On May 10, 1869, the Golden Spike, the symbolic final link was driven by Leland Stanford at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory to join the rails of the first Transcontinental Railroad across the United States. Chinese workers were excluded from this Golden Spike ceremony despite their incredible contributions to this behemoth engineering feat. Over 12,000 Chinese and Chinese-American laborers worked to build the rail line – over 80% of all workers on the project.

Today, there are more than 20 million Asian-Americans and nearly 2 million individuals of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander ancestry living in the United States. Asian-Americans are the fastest growing population among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Throughout May, we take pause to reflect on the contributions that individuals of Asian descent have made to our culture and society, and to celebrate the ways in which our country is better for the inclusion of folks whose heritage stems from the 47 countries of Asia. Reflect this year on how you can follow in Jeanie Jew’s footsteps and use your voice to raise awareness and advocate for change to make your communities more inclusive.

Learn more about the origins of Asian Pacific Heritage Month and the events that inspired this national celebration:

• How One Woman’s Story Led to the Creation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 
• Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (Library of Congress)
• Honoring Manjiro Nakahama – A Story of Patience and Perseverance
• Descendants of Chinese Laborers Reclaim Railroad’s History