Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Speak up!

Asian Americans are seen as passive in the classroom and work environments. Why is that? From a Western standpoint, this could be viewed negatively. Imagine this: a teacher is conducting a classroom discussion and grades class participation as 20% of the class. The teacher notices that the Asian American student never volunteers during class discussions and only responds when called upon. Therefore, the teacher decides that the student is not assertive in the classroom setting and grades accordingly. A similar scenario can be seen in a mainstream work environment, which may help to explain the glass ceiling in regards to Asian American employees. This could be detrimental to one's academic and/or work performance.

From an Eastern standpoint, however, this could be culturally congruent. In the situations where the nail that stands up gets hammered down, one is expected not to stand out above others. Similarly, there is a hierarchy in Asian societies that dictate those of lower social status (e.g., student/employee) should defer to those of higher status (e.g., teacher/supervisor). Additionally, there is also the concept of avoiding losing face at all costs. In the Eastern efforts to maintain face and harmony, speaking out may not be in the best interest of the group.

What to do? Asian Americans can challenge themselves to be more assertive when the situation deems appropriate. At the same time, educators and employers may want to be more culturally sensitive and offer permission to their students/subordinates to encourage verbal participation and assertiveness.