As the election nears, anti-AAPI rhetoric is increasing. Here’s how leaders can offer support

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As the election nears, anti-AAPI rhetoric is increasing. Here’s how leaders can offer support

By Bhavik (?????) R. Shah

As we approach the 2024 election, there are a lot of fundamental issues on the line—one of them being the safety and security of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Further, as a member of the AAPI community (through my South Asian heritage) and a leader with over 16 years of experience creating equitable and inclusive workplaces, I believe there is a unique storm brewing for our community when it comes to our physical safety, mental health, and equitable rights in the workplace.

ANTI-AAPI RHETORIC IS INCREASING

Political scapegoating, hate, and violence toward the AAPI community are not new practices within the U.S. and have only amplified over the last few years.

Ever since the spread of COVID-19, fear mongering has spread, directly affecting our community. Former President Donald Trump’s consistent usage of the phrase “China virus”, xenophobic remarks from politicians, and misreports related to the recent assassination attempt on Trump are just a few examples of how things have escalated. Dehumanization and bigotry are emboldening people to commit acts of hate against the AAPI community.

Stop AAPI Hate has reported an estimated 11,500 hate crimes against the AAPI community between 2020 and 2022. Nearly one in three Asian Americans have been called a racial or ethnic slur in the past year and 61% of Asian Americans believe hate toward them has increased, according to STAATUS. Confronted with this blatant reality, there has been a significant decline in AAPI mental health, with 43% of respondents acknowledging this deterioration. Consequently, many Asian Americans are changing their daily routines to mitigate potential threats and attacks, such as choosing less crowded routes to work, avoiding public transportation, and advocating for remote or flexible work options to enhance their sense of safety.

To exacerbate this ongoing violence, the current political landscape is creating further workplace tension for the AAPI community. Recently, we have witnessed attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris’ credibility with detractors dismissing her qualifications and calling her a DEI hire. Harris’ identity as a woman of color, as well as the backlash against Usha Chilukuri Vance following her speech at the RNC, proves this anti-AAPI sentiment transcends political parties. It’s a stark reminder of how we are often seen as a “perpetual foreigner.”

HOW VIOLENCE IMPACTS INDIVIDUALS

Racial trauma caused by violent crimes and acts of hate can have a significant impact on an individual. AAPI employees risk PTSD, constant fear, and increased feelings of isolation. My own experience of surviving a hate crime in New York has deepened my understanding of the harsh truth faced by our community. The unprovoked attack prevented me from leaving my house for weeks, let alone performing any of my job functions, and causing a mental health decline that I still am recovering from two years later.

This personal experience underscores a much larger issue—the intersection of racial trauma and the systemic barriers AAPI individuals face in professional spaces. The AAPI community, like other marginalized groups, has historically faced significant barriers in attaining leadership roles. We are often referred to as “doers, not leaders.” The narrative that AAPI leaders are undeserving of their positions or are simply products of DEI initiatives sends a harmful message to organizations, discouraging them from mentoring and amplifying the voices of emerging AAPI leaders.

A CALL TO ACTION FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

In the wake of this anti-AAPI and anti-DEI sentiment, I’ve collaborated with numerous organizations to develop supportive environments for AAPI team members to cultivate safety, enhance proactive allyship, and create a mentally healthy workforce.

• Adopt an effective communications strategy: Organizations may be concerned about supporting AAPI employees without appearing to take a political stance. But leaders have a moral and social responsibility to act when the political climate contributes to physical and mental harm to their employees. (This responsibility remains, even if AAPI employees do not seek support due to cultural conditioning.)
• Acknowledge the issue publicly: Communicate a strong statement condemning hate crimes and political attacks against AAPI leaders, affirming the company’s commitment to the AAPI community. Ensure your messaging has inclusive language, and outright addresses the issue so it leads to future opportunities for connection. This strategy will help to eliminate the self-stigma many of us carry to seek support and signals that all employees’ identities and experiences matter.
• Establish clear channels for open dialogue: Create safe spaces for AAPI employees to share their current experiences and concerns related to the current climate. If you have ERGs already established in your organization, you can encourage ERG leaders to foster these conversations.?People managers can also achieve this through one-on-one conversations or broader team meetings, where AAPI team members can share how they have been impacted and what support they need to navigate these challenges. I recently led an ERG workshop at a global media firm for AAPI History Month where 71% of AAPI employees expressed that their overall work experience would improve if managers created safe opportunities to discuss the unique challenges impacting the community.
• Broadcast mental health resources: Regularly promote your mental health resources in company communications. In a previous role as the Mental Health Lead at Capco, I ensured these resources were highlighted in all corporate communications (including business quarterly updates, events, and performance management reminders), added to email signatures, and consistently mentioned by our CEO to demonstrate support. Additionally, if your organization has the budget, consider advocating for resources specifically tailored to historically marginalized communities. The Mental Health Coalition has curated a promising resource as a starting point, in attempts to support employees to survive racial trauma.

RE-DEFINE ALLYSHIP

While allyship sometimes runs the risk of being performative, achieving AAPI safety requires allyship to evolve with the community’s needs. It’s about providing meaningful support in the moment, rather than relying on disconnected actions, like treating AAPI Heritage Month as your only form of allyship.?

• Educate yourself and other leaders on AAPI experiences: This is the first step toward meaningful allyship. The Asian American Foundation has developed a rapid response toolkit that is both educational and impactful, providing a strong foundation for leaders to support their teams. You can integrate this toolkit into AAPI workshops, educational seminars, or even team discussions on how to respond to anti-AAPI incidents. By partnering with Learning & Development and HR, you can incorporate this toolkit into your existing AAPI resources to better equip your organization.
• Actively sponsor AAPI team members: Another form of allyship involves supporting your AAPI team members in navigating workplace politics and ensuring their qualifications are not questioned. It’s important to validate team members’ strengths and not solely evaluate them under the traditional performance management paradigms. While performance reviews are crucial for individual growth, they must be adapted to consider the unique cultural experiences and biases faced by the AAPI community (and marginalized communities alike).?To counter the “doer, not leader” stereotype, focus on the business outcomes and impact AAPI team members create, rather than adhering to rigid checklists that can demoralize. While many leaders are praised for their independent decision-making, AAPI team members often excel through collaboration. Their approach emphasizes the importance of gaining buy-in and engagement, which is equally valuable in achieving business goals.
• Promote and highlight success stories: Regularly share the achievements of your AAPI employees to showcase their capabilities and recognize their efforts to achieve milestones to combat the “doers, not leaders” narrative. These achievements don’t necessarily always have to be in the form of corporate communications. People managers can easily do this during one-on-one or team meetings to demonstrate their appreciation and support.

ADAPT YOUR WORKING STYLES

It can be quite easy to fall back into a business-as-usual mentality after communicating a statement about anti-AAPI rhetoric or having a singular learning workshop to address the challenges the community faces. But this is not enough. It’s imperative to remain agile with your strategies and focus on creating a culture of safety.

• Re-evaluate return-to-office policies: Many organizations are forcing a return-to-office to drive the perception of higher performance and community engagement. However, commuting back to the office can be challenging for some. If an employee is struggling to sleep or afraid to leave their home, for example, offering them additional flexibility around remote working, work schedules, and responsiveness to team communications can be enormously valuable. Adjusting start and end times at the office can alleviate the fear of traveling during peak commute times. You can partner with HR to offer additional PTO for employees to restore, attend therapy, or find community.
• Workload and overall capacity: Speak to affected employees about upcoming milestones and deadlines and extend the timeline for non-critical projects. Communicate any delays in work to relevant collaborators, while protecting your employee’s confidentiality. That said, being careful in assuming less work or fewer responsibilities is always the right course of action. Directly ask the employee about their preferences, as the daily routine and focus on projects can be a source of meaning, support, and a welcome distraction.

The 2024 election is more than a political event for the AAPI community; it’s a pivotal moment in a history of fear and hope. As we move to implement these strategies, we will be one step closer to being inclusive of all experiences—even the difficult ones.

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