Ruby

Being an Asian American woman in the workplace often feels like an endless barrage of contempt, condescension, and harassment veiled in microaggressions. As someone seen as Chinese (parents are from Taiwan), shy, and awkward, I face constant nitpicking and doubting of my abilities, despite being born in the US. This discriminatory treatment causes severe anxiety and distress, deteriorating my mental health and quality of life.

In every job, I’m subjected to stereotyping, lack of follow-through on my needs, and held to higher standards than my peers. The racism is subtle yet pervasive, woven into the very fabric of Western corporate culture. If I logged every microaggression daily, it would be a never-ending document.

Everything that I do is under a microscope. I’m born and raised in the US, and English is my primary language, but with literally anything I do or say, people will focus on the “oh she’s so Asian/Chinese,” and view everything through negative Asian stereotypes. I never stereotype other people, and view them all as valuable, unique individuals, but I get the most stereotyping and contempt back. There’s no justice in that. 

I saw one Chinese immigrant coworker who was removed from our work group calls after a while, though she was supposed to be part of that group. The employee who excluded her thought she was annoying, but if she were a different ethnicity, and acted the same way, I don’t think he would’ve done so. 

When I’ve gathered the courage to speak up, I’m penalized instead of seeing meaningful change. Management faults me as “oversensitive” and brands me a complainer. My polite grievances disappear into the ether without investigation or response. There are no repercussions for harassers, only for me.

These behaviors are so normalized that perpetrators likely don’t recognize their harm. But the cumulative toll on victims is crushing. No one should suffer constant questioning of their intellect or humanity simply for their race and gender.

I saw a hiring team choose a white American male to hire, and they rejected an ethnically Chinese immigrant. They called him “green” in a stereotyping way, when he wasn’t any more green than anyone else. It looked like they just hired based on who they liked and respected more, and not who could do the job better. 

Rather than internalize this treatment as my own deficiency, I’m starting to recognize systemic forces at play. The abuse stems from others’ prejudices, not my own unworthiness. Naming this truth is the first step in healing.