Author: Kathy Hong
Edited by: Lina Gallo
When it comes to graduation rates within universities, Asian American students are more likely to outdo their other racial counterparts. Making up only 6.3% of the US population, Asian Americans have dominated Ivy League institutions in the United States. Despite having these educational advantages, Asian Americans are faced with a barrier during employment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported that over 45 percent of complaints filed were pertained to experiencing racial discrimination in a workplace setting. Of this, over 1,000 Asian Americans have filed complaints.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have been faced with persistent racial discrimination within a workplace environment. In a survey conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published in 2017, over 25 percent of Asian Americans have stated being personally discriminated against due to their race when applying for jobs (27%) and being paid equally or considered for promotions (25%).
But how has racial discrimination escalated into a further nation-wide issue? Trump’s hateful comments, in which he characterizes COVID-19 as “Kung Flu” and “Chinese virus”, as fueled into a spirling outrage of hate crimes against Asian Americans. Reports from the Pew Research Center estimated that nearly one-third of Asian Americans were targeted with racial slurs during the pandemic. But Asian Americans are now experiencing high unemployment rates due to the racism they face within their work environment. While half of California’s population consists of Asian Americans, a report from UCLA displayed that 83 percent of Asian Americans who have a high school degree or lower have filed for unemployment insurance claims in California in comparison to 37 percent of the rest of California’s workforce. It is apparent that racializing the coronavirus has far-reaching societal consequences.
In light of the prejudices that Asian Americans are confronted with, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has responded to these reports and is further making efforts to eliminate discrimination based on race in regards to employment. The EEOC has also been partaking in the White House Initiative on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders since 2014. By facilitating engagement in federal programs, this initiative works to allow growth in opportunities for underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In 2014, the staff of EEOC accomplished solving over 40,000 charges filed for race-based employment discrimination, recuperated more than $100 million for individuals affected by racial discrimination in employment, and has successfully made significant changes to employer policies in an attempt to prevent further discrimination.
These efforts left alone are inadequate to acknowledge the barriers Asian Americans face in their workplace and during employment. Bringing about a safe working environment for Asian Americans is imperative during these unprecedented times. These findings should spark a broader discussion about the disadvantages Asian American workers face around the country and the policies that should be implemented to facilitate equality within Asians and other minority groups.
Work Cited
“Asian American Unemployment.” The University of Kansas, 23 Oct. 2020,
today.ku.edu/2020/10/15/asian-americans-more-affected-pandemic-related-unemployment-any-other-racial-group.
“Asian-Americans in the American Workforce.” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
www.eeoc.gov/special-report/asian-americans-american-workforce.
Kandil, Caitlin Yoshiko, and Kimmy Yam. “Asian Americans Face Dual Challenges: Surging
Unemployment and Racism.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Aug. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-americans-face-dual-challenges-surging-unemployment-racism-n1235356.
“Poll Finds That at Least One Quarter of Asian Americans Report Being Personally Discriminated
against in the Workplace and Housing.” News, 22 June 2018, www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/poll-asian-americans-discrimination/.
Tandfnewsroom. “Asian-Americans Do Better at University, but Face Barriers in the Workplace.”
EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/tfg-aad031819.php.
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