Stop Saying “You Don’t Look Ethnic”
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
Welcome to our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter: Join us at Brown Table Talk. We will be publishing every week to unpack our thoughts from our weekly Brown Table Talk Podcast- Entering Season 6! We are proud to be part of the LinkedIn Podcast Network! WOHOO!
As we grow the podcast and our community, we are addressing challenges and questions all of you are facing. So on this week’s episode of Brown Table Talk, we tackle a topic one of the members of our #BTT community brought to us: Stop Saying “You Don’t Look Ethnic.”
This resonated with me deeply. I have been plagued by these questions, comments, and more in my career:
“You don’t look Indian. You look Hispanic.”
“Wait, what, you don’t speak Spanish? I thought you were Hispanic.”
“If you are Indian, how did you get rid of your accent?”
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In this episode, we discuss how we must stop categorizing, checking the box and labeling each other. Before we even get to know each other and our stories. It’s dangerous to make assumptions based on how someone “looks, acts or dresses” and then draw conclusions about how they may or may not identify. When in doubt, ask and don’t assume. And let’s make the effort to really get to know each other in our workplaces and in our communities to build deeper connections.
We unpack it all and share some practical advice. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this episode.
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
Financial Consultants, Business Development and Management Recruiting
1 年Ignorance is not bliss its just ignorant.
I help mothers reclaim time for self-care and career growth with research, wellness memberships, and workplace systems.
1 年Sigh. Thank you for shining light on this topic Mita Mallick, I look forward to listening!
International Speaker and Consultant - Inclusion and Equity | Award Winning Entrepreneur | Independent Director | Advisor | Charter Member-TiE | Author - Microaggressions at Workplace | 2x TEDx Speaker | Fellow, IOC
1 年Looking beyond someone's physical appearance to determine their ethnicity is like judging a book by its cover. We need to learn to appreciate and celebrate diversity in all its forms, rather than making assumptions based on stereotypes. So, let's stop perpetuating harmful microaggressions and start embracing cultural differences. Tune in to #BrownTableTalk for more insights on this important topic.
Creative suggestions after intense analysis, humanity before profits. Please cite verifiable sources to combat the spread of misinformation!
1 年In the Old Testament, Moses, and in the New Testament, Paul, were both at times mistaken for Egyptians. What should we suppose was up with that? "My mistake, I apologize. Thank you for educating me." If I heard someone sincerely saying such words, I would assume that such a person has a good education, meaning they've developed good habits of mind. Open-minded views may indicate some past exercise of the mind or some fortunate proximity to the wise; opening one's mind is work.
Adult education, clerical and customer service dynamo. Volunteer, life-long learner and aquatic aerobics enthusiast!
1 年I am definitely gonna tune in because I can't tell you how many times I've heard this directed to me or even my friends, because i live in the south in a small town, so I've had my experience of well frankly ignorant comments like your speech doesn't sound black , how come your eyes are small like Asian people, or when I was getting my license and passport..the lady at the front desk told me which box are you gonna check and you need to check the other box since you don't look completely black.