Transcript Asian Americans

Asian Americans
Stereotypes & Myths
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They tend to retain their foreign ways so it is
difficult for them to fit in
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They are unemotional & inscrutable
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¼ to ½ Asian Americans born in this country
Indirect communication, control emotions
They are too passive & polite to be good
managers
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Business & political leaders in Asia dispel this myth
Stereotypes & Myths
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They have learned how to make it in
American society by working hard & being
thrifty
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Family unit works longer, harder, for less pay
They can’t seem to master English grammar
& pronunciation
They are good in technical occupations, but
they don’t have leadership potential
They know about all things Asian
Past Connections
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Chinese: Gold, Railroads and Exclusion
Japanese: Migration, Concentration Camps
Civil Rights Laws of the 1960’s
Generation Gaps
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1st Generation – isolated, retain old ways
2nd Generation – more Americanized but are
strongly affected by their Asian heritage
3rd & 4th Generation – more American than
Asian
Current Profile
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More than half live in the West
66% are foreign born
Most speak another language – 65%
Higher educational achievement
Pay doesn’t match educational &
occupational levels
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Self-employment is high
They hold more high-status jobs
Asian American Values
Putting group concerns before individual
desires
Promoting group harmony
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Accepting status differences – Hierarchy
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Emotional discipline, avoid conflict, modesty,
self-effacement and conforming
Show deference to persons of higher status
Respect for manager
Revering education, thrift, & hard work
Communicating vaguely, indirectly, and
silently
Chinese American Workers
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Largest of the Asian groups
Ethnic antagonism forced them to open small
businesses
1880 Chinese Exclusion Act
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Prohibited further immigration of Chinese
Denied naturalized citizenship to Chinese
immigrants already here
Two distinct socioeconomic classes
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Tend to have much education or very little
Filipino American Workers
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Most are hardworking, well educated,
and foreign born
Their culture is a mix of subcultures
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Malay, Spanish, & American influences
Place great emphasis on feelings &
emotions than other Asians
Must adjust to punctuality in U.S.
workplace
Southeast Asian American
Workers
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Vietnamese
 70% are refugees from Vietnam war
 Many came from urban areas so adapted to U.S.
culture more easily
Hmong
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Semi-nomadic farmers
Strong family & clan system
No written language until 1960
Cambodians
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Nearly half the population fled the communists
Current profile
Large families – Hmong family 6.6
persons
 Less educated – due to years of war,
rural background
 Language barriers
 Low incomes
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Japanese American Workers
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Farm owners and tenant farmers
World War II all persons of Japanese ethnicity
were interned in detention camps
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They were deprived of their constitutional rights
without a trial
Their property was confiscated and they lost
wages for 3 years
They have the highest income of any Asian
American group
Korean American Workers
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Predominantly urban, educated, and from
one generation
Kibun = inner feeling or mood
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A good business person works to enhance the
kibun of all parties
Nonpersons
To call someone by their first name is
an insult
Flattery is a key aspect of doing
business
Asian Indian Workers
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First wave – Sikhs, farmers
Second wave - professionals
Highest educated
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Concentrated in the professions-brain drain
Most speak English
Culture is the most distinct of Asian
Americans because of Hindu religion
Pacific Islander Workers
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Concentrated in California and Hawaii
Hawaii most multicultural of all states
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Hawaiians decimated by disease
Plantations imported Chinese, Japanese,
Korean & Filipino laborers
The culture has both Euro-American and
Asian American themes
Barriers to Career Success
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Provide support in overcoming barriers
Avoid typical assumptions &
stereotypes
Determine generational status
Ascertain citizenship status
Question your assumptions about
behaviors
Help people get to know Asian
American co-workers
Leadership Opportunities
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Build on typical Asian American
characteristics
Recognize Asian American values as
strengths
Apply leadership strategies
Make marketplace connections