Why Do Many Successful Asian Americans Face Workplace Discrimination?

Asian Americans are among the best-educated per capita of any racial or ethnic demographic in the United States. That is especially true in the tech industry, where Asian Americans generally do well in finding and holding jobs but are disproportionately overlooked.

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) reportedly originating from China, the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has been targeted by more than 3,000 hate crimes since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the group Stop AAPI Hate. That is a great rise in hate crimes targeting the AAPI community since the outbreak of the global pandemic. The sudden rise in violence targeting members of the AAPI community outside of the workplace suggests that they also experience frequent discrimination in the workplace.

Studies Affirm Qualified AAPI Candidates Mostly Overlooked

A 2013 study compiled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) showed it is nearly four times harder for AAPI employees to achieve managerial positions, despite being fully qualified for internal promotions. U.S. citizens identifying as AAPI comprise about 5.6 percent of the nation’s population, but they account for 12 percent of its licensed professionals.

Additionally, AAPI students comprise more than 10 percent of the annual graduation classes at the top 30 law schools across the nation. However, those same graduates have the highest attrition rate and smallest ratio of partners-to-associates when compared to all other racial and ethnic groups.

Making matters worse is the impression that Asian Americans are generally highly successful and do not need governmental programs. The AAPI community consistently is left out of affirmative action hiring and admissions due to the perceived success in both.

Closer scrutiny reveals that AAPI members generally obtain jobs at relatively high rates when compared to other demographics. However, when it comes to long-term success and the ability to earn promotion to leadership levels, opportunities for AAPI members mostly do not exist. The EEOC says that this is a sign of workplace discrimination.

Philadelphia Employment Lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green P.C. Help Fight Against Workplace Discrimination

Hate crimes targeting members of the AAPI community are rising rapidly, while advancement opportunities are more difficult to obtain due to discrimination. When discrimination arises in the workplace, our Philadelphia employment lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green P.C. can help you. For more information and an initial consultation about your case, call us at 215-574-0600 or complete our online form. Located in Philadelphia, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.