Three Types of Barriers Facing Asian American Female Professionals:

To better understand how Asian American women encounter the double-paned ceiling, we can examine the stereotypes and biases they encounter as described in my Forbes article. In particular, there are three types of biases to consider:

UNFAIR ASSUMPTIONS

When it comes to evaluating leadership potential, many Asian American female professionals are taken for granted and viewed as docile “worker bees.” When they push back on these expectations, they are often mischaracterized as disrespectful and untrustworthy. On the flip side, having a reserved nature and practicing humility can be misinterpreted as a lack of self-confidence and an inability to lead. Lastly, the “tiger mom” stereotype can also unfairly cast Asian American working moms as being pushy and only focused on their children’s achievements.

UNWANTED ATTENTION

Hollywood often typecasts women of Asian descent as either hyper-feminine, exotic geishas or as ninjas/assassins. This can lead to microaggressions and misconceptions in the workplace and, in turn, feelings of marginalization, invisibility and outright discrimination.

UNEQUAL ACCESS

Often as first- or second-generation immigrants, Asian American women do not have access to the valuable networks that come with graduating from private schools, elite colleges or playing team sports. Moreover, some diversity programs exclude Asians, preventing equal access to diversity opportunities.