Racism, Privilege, Learning & Purpose Workshop Recap - Executive Development Institute (EDI)

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend an Alumni Only event through the EDI Program to engage in a dialogue on racism, privilege, learning and purpose for the API community. Since it was an exclusive event only available to those who had the privilege of going through this program, so I definitely wanted to participate and show up as an ally who is willing to learn and do better as an API. I'm also excited to be able to share this workshop material with you!

During the workshop, we shared stories of our personal heritage and experiences with racism, reflected on the ways in which we claim or disclaim our "Asian-ness", explored our privilege and the role we may play, consciously or unconsciously, in racial disparity and discussed the potential for APIs to ally with other PoCs. The objectives of this workshop were to open up the dialogue on our racial identity, explore Asian American and Black experience and White supremacy, and define our personal commitments to learn and take action as allies. Our facilitator, Monica Lin-Meyer, Class of 2008 of the Leadership Navigation Class, is a People Advisory Services Consultant for Ernst & Young with 20+ years of communication and organizational effectiveness experience (see her full bio below). We had participants who came from immigrant backgrounds and of all API races so the dialogue was rich and diverse. Monica emphasized the importance of being open to learn and honor discomfort and recognizing that our experience is just one data point. Being Asian American does not make us NOT racist. With the expectations set forth, we dived right into the typical EDI introduction by stating our name, heritage and generation around the room, then completed our first breakout group discussion called the:

"I Am Not" vs. "I Am" exercise 

• I am not
  • What are some false assumptions people make about you due to your race?
• I am
  • Who are you? What's true for you? How do you fit other people's assumptions or don't?

This was a great diversity warm-up exercise to lay everything out on the table with the group  in terms of implicit biases/stereotypes vs. who we really are as an individual.

Next, we discussed the spectrum of oppression in the Asian American Community and the Black Community.

Some terms to be aware of:

Model Minority
A myth perpetuated by Whites to drive a wedge between Asian Americans and other communities of color

Colorism
Biased standards of beauty based on skin tone (the whiter, the better)

Anti-blackness
Racism against Black people by non-Blacks, including people of color

Ally
Supporting a movement or struggle, even when you don't know how it feels to be oppressed

Next, the group breakout discussion question was: In what ways could you be perpetuating racism against PoC, especially Black people?

Believe it or not, racism exists within the Asian community that is harming the PoC community. We took some time to reflect and share our personal experiences and stories.

Lastly, we engaged in several different scenarios to discuss and share how we would each respond to each given situation.

Scenario 1: You're at a grocery store and a white woman is yelling at black woman, who is in line ahead of her. "Get in the back of the line. You think you're special because you're Black and Black Lives Matter?"
*Think and reflect. How would you respond to this situation?

Scenario 2: During a work meeting, a senior colleague (white male) makes a joke about an Asian colleague out sick: "What happened to her? Did she eat a bat and get the Kung Flu or something?"
*Think and reflect. How would you respond to this situation?

Scenario 3: You approach the main doors to your apartment, and see a White woman arguing with a Black man, who is holding a food delivery bag in his hand. She says to you: "I'm not letting this man in. He says he's a delivery guy, but he's just some Black guy pretending to be a delivery boy so he can break into the building."
*Think and reflect. How would you respond to this situation?

Recommended approach to responding to acts of racism:
1. Draw Attention Away
2. Engage an Authority
3. Document What's Happening
4. Speak Up
5. Check in Afterward

Through this workshop experience, I have learned how critical it is to create a safe, non-judgmental space to encourage these types of productive conversations. For us to learn from one another, we need to be open and willing to understand different viewpoints. I'm also committed to continually checking my implicit / unconscious biases and standing up for others and speaking up and out to call out racism, even if it means feeling uncomfortable. 

Hope this post has been informative for you. I urge you to take the time to go through these discussion questions, self-reflect and see how you would respond to each of these real-life scenarios. I'd love to hear your thoughts and perspectives so please feel free to comment and/or ask questions.

Thank you for your willingness to learn and be a better ally.
​
Mellissa

---

---

Monica Lin-Meyer
Monica is an executive coach and consultant with EY People Advisory Services. With 20+ years of organizational effectiveness experience, she has worked with companies like Nike, Columbia Sportswear, the Portland Trailblazers, Microsoft, Mercy Corps and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Monica has previously spoken at conferences including Disrupt HR and the Ragan Communicators Conference. She holds a master's degree from the Leadership Institute of Seattle and is currently completing the Hudson Institute executive coach certification program. Monica is a second generation Chinese American from the East Coast who now calls Portland home.