Monthly DEI Spotlight

May 2022 - AAPI Heritage Month

5/1/2022

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. For this month’s DEI Spotlight we would like to highlight some information about the model minority myth and how it can be perpetuated in the workplace.

Image credit: https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/999874296/6-charts-that-dismantle-the-trope-of-asian-americans-as-a-model-minority

The term ‘model minority’ is typically used “to refer to a minority group perceived as particularly successful, especially in a manner that contrasts with other minority groups.” This has been referred to as a myth, though, since this type of characterization actually does more harm than good. To better understand how the model minority myth can flatten the experience of Asian Americans and mask the differences in histories and needs of communities, it is important to remember that Asian Americans are not a monolith and that within the “Asian American Pacific Islander” umbrella there exists a variety of ethnicities and experiences.

This NPR article breaks down some of the myths associated with the idea of the ‘model minority’:

“Myth: All Asian Americans are well educated and high earning”
- “In fact, a 2018 Pew Research Center study found that Asian Americans were the most economically divided racial or ethnic group in the U.S., with Asian Americans in the top 10th of the income distribution making 10.7 times more than those in the bottom 10th.”
Myth: Asian Americans are fairly represented in leadership positions”
- “[A recent Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH)] survey also found that almost half of Americans incorrectly believe that Asian Americans are overrepresented or fairly represented in senior positions within American companies, politics, media or other realms.

In reality, Asian Americans are underrepresented in these positions of power, holding about 3% of these positions in comparison with composing 7% of the U.S. population, a report from The New York Times found last year.”

These disparities exist within the structural engineering profession as well. According to the 2020 NCSEA SE3 Survey, Asian structural engineers are the least satisfied with their career advancement when compared to other racial groups.

For further information on how the model minority myth hinders Asian Americans’ upward mobility into leadership positions and how companies can address these issues, read this CNBC article.

April 2022 - Earth Day

4/1/2022

Image credit: https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/celebrate-earth-day-at-botanical-garden-of-the-ozarks/

On April 22nd, we will celebrate Earth Day! In this month’s DEI Spotlight we would like to discuss the concept of environmental justice and provide some examples of how the structural engineering community can play a role in and commit to a greener and more sustainable future.

Environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies” (EPA). Some examples of environmental injustices could be the disproportionate impacts felt by low-income communities in coastal areas where sea level rise will threaten their homes or the effects of harmful pollutants emitted from refineries or manufacturing plants built near affordable housing communities.

Structural engineers, and those in adjacent industries, can play a role in addressing these issues by being aware of how our projects contribute to or help mitigate the impacts of climate change. One resource is the SE 2050 Commitment Program, a response to the SE 2050 Challenge which states “all structural engineers shall understand, reduce and ultimately eliminate embodied carbon in their projects by 2050.” This program is organized by the ASCE SEI Sustainability Committee and is a great tool for understanding how the construction industry can play a role in the environmental future of our planet.

Additionally, we would like to wish a peaceful and happy Ramadan to our colleagues who are celebrating for the month - Ramadan Mubarak!

March 2022 - Women's History Month

3/1/2022

Since March is Women’s History Month we would like to highlight some resources and information about women in engineering:

The 2020 NCSEA SE3 survey determined that only 24% of the over 5,000 respondents identified as female. When looking at job titles, 37% of entry-level/staff engineers identified as female, while only 10% of principals/owners identified as female.
The Society of Women Engineers’ (SWE) article Women in Engineering: A Review of the 2020 Literature is a great resource to learn about the state of women in engineering today. The conclusion of this article challenges us to think about the barriers that are pushing women away from engineering while still considering ways we can encourage more women to be interested in the field.
SWE has also summarized a report put out by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that covers promising practices for addressing the underrepresentation of women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) fields. Some suggestions include:
- Adopting a data-driven approach to implementing institutional change by collecting information by gender and other demographic qualifiers to determine how specific problems are affecting women of intersecting identities.
- Recognizing, rewarding and encouraging DEI efforts in ways that promote cultural change. This might be within a specific company, or for organizations to encourage among their member-companies.

As always, when considering issues on the basis of identity, we encourage using an intersectional lens. As noted by SWE, intersectionality acknowledges “the reality that not all [women’s experiences] are the same and that a female identity intersects with other identities (e.g., race, sexuality, ethnicity) in ways that can complicate a woman’s efforts to enter engineering.”

February 2022

2/1/2022

February is Black History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black and African American folks in the United States. This month we would like to highlight the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the work they do locally and nationally:

Mission: “To increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.”
NSBE was founded in 1974 by 6 students and their professor at Purdue University. Since then, it has grown to over 790 chapters and to 30,000 members at its height.
Although it started out as a collegiate organization, two other branches - NSBE Professional and NSBE Jr. - serve engineers wherever they are at in their journey.
NSBE provides its collegiate and professional members with leadership and technical development and training through webinars, panels, workshops and other events; access to career fairs; career mentoring; and opportunity for scholarships/fellowships among other things
There are three local chapters for those interested in joining and getting involved: San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and Sacramento

January 2022

1/1/2022

Ringing in the New Year is a time to reflect on the past 12 months and to set goals and intentions for the upcoming ones. Below are some DEI-related actions to help you and your company move towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace in 2022:

Continue to educate yourself on topics and issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion, specifically as they relate to structural engineering. A great way to start is by reading past DEI Spotlights, SEAONC SE3 publications and NCSEA SE3 publications.
Participate in the Racial Equity bi-monthly book club - download the meeting invitations from the SEAONC website or keep a lookout for the Zoom invitations in the monthly SEAONC Post newsletter.
Familiarize yourself with your company’s DEI statement and understand ways in which you can play an active part in accomplishing the goals that it sets forth. If your company doesn’t have a DEI statement, consider drafting one and asking others in your company to provide input.
Join or start an Employee Resource Group (ERG) or take part in other committees that organize DEI-related events and activities for your office.
Volunteer for organizations such as SHPE, NSBE, iUrbanTeen, ACE Mentor Program, Girls Inc, EAA, etc.
Join SEAONC SE3 if you would like to be more involved in this type of work and how it relates to structural engineering!

December 2021 - Winter Holidays

12/1/2021

Diwali - mid-October to mid-November - this festival of lights is a major holiday celebrated by Hindus around the world. It symbolizes peace and joy, the victory of good over evil, and light over darkness. It is celebrated by decorating one’s home with lights, candles, flowers, diyas, and lamps. Prayers are also made for health, wealth, and prosperity.
Hanukkah - November 28th - December 6th, 2021 - an eight-day Jewish celebration for the rededication of the Holy Temple. It is typically celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting and prayers.
Shabe Yalda - December 21st - a Persian festival to celebrate the end of fall and beginning of winter when the days start getting longer again. “Yalda”, which means “rebirth”, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness.
Pancha Ganapati - December 21st - 25th - a five-day Hindu celebration for the Lord Ganesha. It is typically celebrated with family gatherings, food, and the exchange of cards and gifts.
Christmas - December 25th - a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus, but has become a secular celebration in many parts of the world marked by gifts and gathering with family.
Kwanzaa - December 26th to January 1st - a seven-day celebration in appreciation of African and African-American history, heritage and culture. Similar to Juneteenth, Kwanzaa originated as a solely African-American observance and is centered on the end-of-year harvest that takes place across Africa.

What do you celebrate during the holiday season? Do you have any special traditions you would like to share? We would love to hear from you. Email us at se3@seaonc.org.

November 2021 - Native American Heritage Month

11/1/2021

The DEI Spotlight is a monthly forum in the SEAONC Post in partnership with the SEAONC Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) Committee to engage our members in the mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the structural engineering profession.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the history, culture and traditions of the American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. Part of this is acknowledging and understanding the impact that we and our projects have on native land.

As structural engineers, we encounter these efforts in the environmental permitting phase of new projects. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a set of guidelines that are followed to inform stakeholders and the public of the environmental impacts that a new project will have on a site and to mitigate these impacts to the extent possible. In 2018, the CEQA guidelines were updated to include Assembly Bill 52, which was created to address Tribal Cultural Resources.

This update establishes a consultation process with California Native American Tribes on the Native American Heritage Commission List and creates a new class of resources - Tribal Cultural Resources (TCR) - that are protected under the CEQA guidelines. A TCR is “a site feature, place, cultural landscape, sacred place or object, which is of cultural value to a Tribe and is either on or eligible for the CA Historic Register or a local historic register.” These guidelines play an important role in the ongoing process of preserving Native American land and culture.

On a more personal level, you can familiarize yourself with the Indigenous peoples and nations that occupied Bay Area land before us. Additionally, acknowledging the land on which your office or a project exists can be a first step in bringing more awareness to the importance of land preservation for native communities. The following recreational content might also be of interest during Native American Heritage Month:

This Land Podcast - a podcast exploring court cases that have affected native rights
Indian Country Today - a news source about native people, written by native people
There There by Tommy Orange - a novel about native people, written by a native author, set in Oakland, CA

October 2021

10/1/2021

October is National LGBTQ+ History Month which celebrates the advancements in LGBTQ+ rights that have occurred over the years. The month encompasses various awareness days including National Coming Out Day on October 11th, International Pronouns Day on October 20th, and Spirit Day on October 21st. This October also marks the 42nd anniversary of the first march on Washington by LGBTQ+ people and allies to demand equal civil rights.

As highlighted in the June 2021 DEI Spotlight, the 2020 NCSEA SE3 survey results showed that only 3.4% of structural engineers identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or “none of the above”. Being supportive and inclusive of LGBTQ+ people in your office can help build trusting working relationships, and allows folks to bring their whole selves to work and not feel like they must hide part of who they are.

The following resources provide tips and guidance on how to be an ally for your LGBTQ+ colleagues:

Techstars: Out At Work: How To Support And Be An Ally To LGBTQ+ Colleagues
- This article provides suggestions for creating an inclusive work environment
The Human Rights Campaign: Being an LGBTQ+ Ally
- This slideshow provides historical information and suggestions for understanding and showing support to different intersectional identities

You can also refer back to the June 2021 DEI Spotlight for information on including your pronouns in your email signature as a way to show support and to promote this as a common and inclusive practice.

September 2021

9/1/2021

One-third of all degrees awarded to Latinx folks in 2012-2013 came from just 2% of all institutions nationwide (less than 100 individual schools), most of which are designated Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).
From 2014 to 2016, Hispanics occupied just 8% of all Engineering jobs, compared to their 16% share of the total employed population of the US.
In the last 20 years, the number of Hispanics occupying science and engineering jobs has nearly doubled.

This past year, SEAONC SE3 and YMF had a great joint social event with SHPE SF Bay Area. We hope to have more events like it in the coming years to foster connections between the two organizations!

August 2021

8/1/2021

This month we’d like to spotlight the topic briefs published by NCSEA SE3, based on the results of the 2020 nationwide SE3 survey. You can find all the 2020 briefs, as well as previous SE3 survey reports on the NCSEA SE3 publications page. Some of the latest topic briefs include Recruitment and Retention, Discrimination and Harassment, and Performance Feedback. You can also catch up on the monthly NCSEA SE3 Racial Equity publication Read.Watch.Listen here.

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