Today, in the on-going American Morning series, Yul Kwon covers the topic of “An Asian glass ceiling? (video)” As I’ve written in a previous post, “Working While Asian/Asian-American,” Kwon covers the topic of Asian-American stereotypes in the workplace. Challenging authority, self promotion and taking risks are some of the attributes that are valued in Corporate America that clash with classic “Asian values” of respecting authority, being modest, etc. as brought up in the segment (i.e. The nail that sticks up, gets hammered down.”
Kwon also interviews executive coach, author, and diversity strategist Jane Hyun, who wrote “Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians (2005).” I’ve actually read this book (I was trying to get Jane as a speaker for an event once) and found it pretty interesting. As Fortune Magazine noted when writing about the book:
“Even in Silicon Valley, where Asian Americans represent 30 percent of technology professionals, only around 12 percent of managerial positions are held by Asian Americans compared with 80 percent held by Caucasians.”
Now that is pretty startling…. If you work in Silicon Valley (or beyond), have you noticed this? Do you think there is a Asian glass ceiling in America?
