President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) John Yang urged companies to challenge the “model minority” myth and recognize Asian Americans are still underserved in a recent virtual fireside chat with FGS Global. 

The conversation, in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, touched on a variety of issues currently impacting the AAPI community ranging from the implications of US-China tensions and anti-Asian hate in a “post-pandemic” world to the power of political engagement. 

Below are somekey takeaways for companies looking to be better allies:

• Asian Americans are a very diverse group, so it’s important to have good, segmented data that reflects their varying experiences. For example, as a Chinese-American man, Yang admits that he feels better represented in the business world than Asian Americans of differing nationalities and gender identities.

• Consider your company’s diversity across verticals. Asian Americans are often confined to more technical positions. Going up the ranks we see a definitive drop off of Asian Americans at the C-Suite level.

• Companies should also re-evaluate their own metrics for diversity. He highlights how companies will often proudly claim 50% of new hires are from minority communities. But if the definition of “minority community” includes African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic individuals and women – the combination of these groups accounts for far more than 50% of the overall population.

Visit the AAJC website to learn more about how they’re fighting to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans and building a fair and equitable society for all.