APIAVote organized a series of workshops as part of the National AAPI Leadership Summit from June 29 - July 2. The purpose of this programming was to offer education on salient issues impacting the APIA community, and compel community members to take action and register to vote. One of the workshops on July 1, “Race and Identity in Leadership”, explored participants’ views of “good leadership” and how white supremacist characteristics have contributed to that narrative. 

There were three objectives in the workshop, which invited audience participation throughout the 75-minute session. 

Objective #1: Connect common archetypes of leadership to white supremacy culture

The first exercise was to share ideas of what leadership looks like. Participants were quick to express core themes and phrases, such as, empathy, transparency, articulation of common goals, compassion, and communication. However, when asked which leaders we looked up to, the group was more reticent, which posed an interesting question around the displays of effective leadership in the media and in our everyday lives. A 2019 chart revealed the disproportionate distribution of those in political power vs. the nation’s demographics. For example, women of color made up 20% of the U.S. census, but only 4% of U.S. elected officials were women of color. 

Objective #2: Name specific principles of white supremacy culture

The workshop referenced Tema Okun’s piece, which outlined characteristics of white supremacy culture, and expanded on four in particular. 

• Perfectionism is the tendency to identify what is wrong or inadequate. For example, during a performance evaluation, a manager may focus on perceived weaknesses, rather than advocate for the employee’s strengths. 
• Individualism / “I’m the only one” is the desire for individual recognition and credit. This may look like an all-or-nothing approach, i.e. “I” am the only one able to fix this situation.
• Objectivity is the belief that there is such a thing as being objective or ‘neutral’, thereby invalidating people who show emotion. This characteristic seeks to exclude a variety of perspectives and opinions. Workshop participants pointed out the sexist double standard: Women may face pressure or backlash when communicating in an ‘emotional’ way, whereas men have more leeway when acting angry or frustrated. 
• Right to comfort is the notion that those with power have a right to emotional and psychological comfort. Those without power are subject to scapegoating if they create disturbance or discomfort to those with power. 

Given the surge in APIA hate crimes since the start of COVID-19, the discussion touched upon the fear in APIA communities to speak up and “take up space”. One participant's comment alluded to a theme of internalizing microaggressions in the workplace: “I’m 2nd generation, and I think in the Asian immigrant community especially, it’s really easy to internalize this because it also goes with the ‘better life’ goals.” This type of dialogue provided an enlightening view into the deeply ingrained roots of white supremacist culture and further supported the idea that “oppressive cultures exist by privileging certain core values/ways of thinking that belong to a dominant group.” 

Objective #3: Describe how our unique leadership can reflect our own identities and values
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As much as the traits of white supremacist culture can stir up negative, painful experiences, it is important to draw focus and strength on how we, as individuals, can reflect our own values in our leadership style. For example, instead of perfectionism, we can expect mistakes as part of success and applaud the process. Instead of individualism, we can recognize the collectivism and community-driven mindset that has fostered so many of our APIA & POC cultures. Instead of objectivity, we can amplify and validate a wide variety of views and opinions.

The “Race and Identity in Leadership” workshop shared an encouraging message for the APIA community: While there may be fear in taking up space, there can be space for all of us. By dismantling principles of white supremacist culture, we can collectively create and sustain more inclusive models of leadership. For more resources, please visit Asian Women for Health or refer to the APIAVote workshop slides.

Rachel Park is a AWFH volunteer, focusing on programming and advocacy. She is a Newton, MA native and currently resides in Somerville. After graduating with a B.A. in history from Bryn Mawr College, Rachel taught English in Seoul, South Korea for two years. Since then, she has worked on web teams in higher education, healthcare IT, and e-commerce in the greater Boston area. She is excited to contribute her web and project management experience to the AWFH mission!

​Jennifer Liu is AWFH's fellowship intern this summer through Tisch Summer Fellows. She has lived in Jakarta and Singapore, and is a rising sophomore at Tufts University studying mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering. Her passions include neuroscience, graphic design, as well as music. At Tufts, she is part of the e-board for Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia Students Association (SIMSA), and is also involved in the Women in Tech Conference and Women Entrepreneurs @ Tufts.

Photo credit: Amy Manion
 

We met by the infamous Feidler statue that I apparently never recalled seeing on the Charles River Esplanade. For some of us, it was our first time there. It was a beautiful, sunny, breezy day. Plenty of people were enjoying the park just like us. There were people riding bikes, running, dogs walking, swimming, and sitting. There were beautiful flowers and trees, the Boston skyline, the river. Water skiers caught our attention. We captured it all.

We were tasked with observing, being mindful of our surroundings, walking, being curious, and capturing it on the camera. A brief overview of photography themes were mentioned: color, texture, rule of thirds, before we took off to venture on our own. We went in groups but ended up each coming back separately, finding what we fancied, what made us take a second look.
We came together to share what we had captured. We ended with holding hands and stating what we were thankful for, ready to start the rest of our day with a grateful mindset. It was more than just the photography. We shared our stories of what brought us to the event, how we knew each other, how we were all connected. We shared our experiences, our struggles and strengths. It was all very spontaneous and natural. Asian women uniting to reflect and support one another. It was extremely empowering and a day I will not forget.
The photograph that stood out for me is not so special in it’s composition. It’s something I never would have seen if I had not been inspired to walk mindfully and observe my surroundings. A sticker on the side of a public trash receptacle with a recycling symbol on the side made this everyday, common object stand out for me, take a second look, and take a picture of it. It’s nice to be reminded of something that we can all use and practice more of.