May 2022 - AAPI Heritage Month

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.