Can you help me put on a sari?
Mita Mallick
On a mission to fix what’s broken in our workplaces | Wall Street Journal & USA TODAY Best Selling Author | Thinkers 50 Radar List | Using the power of storytelling to transform brands & businesses | LinkedIn Top Voice
Happy Monday!! Welcome to our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter: Join us at Brown Table Talk. We will be publishing every Monday to unpack our thoughts from our weekly Brown Table Talk Podcast- and we just kicked off Season 3. Our podcast which is now part of the LinkedIn Podcast Network! WOHOO!
In this week’s episode Brown Table Talk, we unpack this topic: Can you help me put on a sari? I share a story of when a leader I didn’t know well at work asked if I could help her put on a sari. For allies who are tuning in, you might be wondering: she asked you to help her put on a sari. So what?
It’s the “so what?” that gets me. It has been part of the narrative of my experience growing up Brown in this country. Of a whole host of things people have asked me and continue to ask me, the list includes:
“Do you know Dr. Raj? He’s the dentist we go to and he is Indian.”
“Do you know our neighbor Anuradha? She’s Indian and makes great samosas.”
“Do you know this woman named Kiran? She’s Indian and she’s also in marketing!”
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When I walk into my workspaces and workplaces, my Brownness enters the room before I even have the chance to sit down and say hello. People put me into a box based on what they see as my identity. Woman. Check. Asian. Check. Indian. Check. I am immediately labeled. Because that is the quickest and easiest way to understand my Brownness.
And these everyday micro-aggressions women of color face in our workplaces slowly chip away at our self confidence and sense of self.
Tune in to our episode to hear all the insights and advice. You won’t want to miss this conversation.
As always, you have a standing invitation to join us at the Brown Table Talk Podcast. Take a listen to this episode and share it with someone who needs to hear a different perspective today.
Because change requires tough conversations. Tough conversations like these.? And we can’t change what we won’t discuss.
With Much Love and Gratitude, Mita & Dee
Team Support Paraprofessional/Emergency Certified Substitute Teacher at Olympia School District/Mental Heath Advocate
2 年I loved listening to this. Thank you!! I am Southeast Asian and I could relate to so much of what was discussed Mita Mallick! PS: I also don’t know how to put on a sari.
Founder & CEO | Top 20 BioPharma LGBTQ+ Leader | Top LinkedIn LGBTQ+ Voice | Humanizing Healthcare and Workplaces
2 年I share the same sentiments. Hey you look like Mindy Kaling or show me a Bollywood move ? Or do you like chicken vindaloo ? My answer is simple. No, I don’t look like Mindy, I can’t dance and I love steak - medium-well done. The typical response I get is, you are more Americanized than most Indians. Well, that’s not a compliment since I don’t fit into their stereotypical box. :).
Founder and a Franchise Owner || In love with B2B conversations and communities.
2 年I just listened to the podcast and can totally relate to the comments and thought process. Adding few of my experiences and it is such a relief to know you are talking about this subject. 1. People start talking to me in Hindi and I don't speak that language. 2. When we are in a get together, many Indian women ask me every single time "What did you cook today Akila?" . Well, I don't cook everyday , it is not only my TO-DO at home and no one asks that question to my husband ;) Looking forward to more of your podcasts :) #BrownTableTalk
??? ?? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?? ?? Global Reproductive Ethnography | Health Journalism | PR | Editing | Content UX | Comms | Sex, Climate, & Migration
2 年I’m really looking forward to this! Like I’m fan gurling so much, I low key want to be on it ?? ?? ?? ???? Great job.
Career Strategist Teaching Immigrants in Canada to Build Clarity, Confidence, and Personal Brands That Lead to 6-Figure Income | Speaker Ft. National News Top Stories: CBC, Global, CNBC, FOX 26 | ?? Free Clarity Training
2 年And these everyday micro-aggressions women of color face in our workplaces slowly chip away at our self confidence and sense of self, bang on!