Asian Americans
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Transcript Asian Americans
Asian Americans
Stereotypes & Myths
They tend to retain their foreign ways so it is
difficult for them to fit in
They are unemotional & inscrutable
¼ to ½ Asian Americans born in this country
Indirect communication, control emotions
They are too passive & polite to be good
managers
Business & political leaders in Asia dispel this myth
Stereotypes & Myths
They have learned how to make it in
American society by working hard & being
thrifty
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
Chinese: Gold, Railroads and Exclusion
Japanese: Migration, Concentration Camps
Civil Rights Laws of the 1960’s
Generation Gaps
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
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
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
Largest of the Asian groups
Ethnic antagonism forced them to open small
businesses
1880 Chinese Exclusion Act
Prohibited further immigration of Chinese
Denied naturalized citizenship to Chinese
immigrants already here
Two distinct socioeconomic classes
Tend to have much education or very little
Filipino American Workers
Most are hardworking, well educated,
and foreign born
Their culture is a mix of subcultures
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
Vietnamese
70% are refugees from Vietnam war
Many came from urban areas so adapted to U.S.
culture more easily
Hmong
Semi-nomadic farmers
Strong family & clan system
No written language until 1960
Cambodians
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
Japanese American Workers
Farm owners and tenant farmers
World War II all persons of Japanese ethnicity
were interned in detention camps
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
Predominantly urban, educated, and from
one generation
Kibun = inner feeling or mood
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
First wave – Sikhs, farmers
Second wave - professionals
Highest educated
Concentrated in the professions-brain drain
Most speak English
Culture is the most distinct of Asian
Americans because of Hindu religion
Pacific Islander Workers
Concentrated in California and Hawaii
Hawaii most multicultural of all states
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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4.
Build on typical Asian American
characteristics
Recognize Asian American values as
strengths
Apply leadership strategies
Make marketplace connections