Navigating careers and confronting stereotypes
Panelists share their thoughts during the Empowered Voices: Celebrating Women's History Month with Asian Leaders panel Monday, March 25 in Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
Attendees gathered in the Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium Monday evening to hear from Asian women leaders across Central Michigan University's campus as they discussed the challenges and triumphs in their quests to achieve their professional goals.
Students Shreya Abraham and Mahum Hakim hosted the event.
“Recognizing and valuing the talents and perspectives of Asian women is essential for promoting diversity equity and inclusion within the professional workforce,” Abraham said. "Their presence enriches teams organizations, organizations fostering creativity and driving progress in various fields."
The panel consisted of four women of Asian descent including Shilpa Alamuri, Parveeza Gala, Elizabeth Husbands and Jennifer Liu.
They discussed stereotypes confronting Asian women, such as the model minority myth, which portrays Asians as exceptionally successful and intelligent, submissive character perceptions and career-related stereotypes.
The panelists answered questions presented by the hosts about how these stereotypes have affected them within their professional careers.
Gala, who is the assistant director for the Master of Science Administration program, said this event was the first time she has spoken about her experiences as an Asian woman.
Master of Science Administration Assistant Director Parveeza Gala shares her experiences during the Empowered Voices: Celebrating Women's History Month with Asian Leaders panel Monday, March 25 in Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium. Gala shared she often needs to articulate her thoughts more carefully in order to be respected. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
“I want more representation,” she said. “To break stereotypes. We talk about intersectional identities … during my workshops I talk a lot about my identities, but this was the first time coming as an Asian woman.”
As someone who is half Indian and half Bangladeshi, host Hakim said this event was very personal to her.
Hakim said she was able to relate to many of the panelists' struggles, especially when it came to discussions surrounding societal pressures to pursue certain career paths.
“I feel like a lot of Asian people, like my peers, are becoming doctors or lawyers,” she said. “So, when you’re doing something completely different, you get insecure and you get compared to a lot of others.”
Panelist Liu, a professor of history and world languages, said she had dealt with many of the same issues growing up, sharing a moment from high school.
She said during a Rotary Club meeting, her interest in pursuing career as a high school history teacher was announced.
“People laughed,” she said. “And they were mostly Asians. And my heart just sank and I was just like, well, what’s so wrong about that?”
Alamuri, another one of the panelists and a fixed-term faculty member from the Department of Management, said she would like to see future generations of Asian women pursuing unique career paths.
“I hope there are more Asian women in fields that we don't traditionally think of right when we think of Asian Women,” she said. “More in the arts. Not just hard sciences.”
The portrayals of Asian women in the media was also a recurring theme throughout the discussion.
Center for Student Inclusion and Diversity Dedicated Counselor Elizabeth Husbands speaks during the Empowered Voices: Celebrating Women's History Month with Asian Leaders panel Monday, March 25 in Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium. Husbands spoke about how she often has to think five steps ahead of others and be strategic with her words in order to be taken seriously. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
Husbands, the dedicated counselor for the Center for Student Inclusion and Diversity, said the media’s role in perpetuating Asian stereotypes has resulted in others around her discrediting her identity.
“We see the media always taking the stereotype, a little part of it, and amplifying that, and if you aren't that person then there must be something wrong with you,” she said.
Panelist Gala said she is starting to see a shift in the way media portrays Asian women. However, she emphasized the need faster progress.
Sophomore Hannah Herdman, who attended the event, enjoyed the unique perspective the panel discussion brought to both Women’s History Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
“Having an event that kind of combines the two together was really interesting to me,” Herdman said. “I liked how (the panelists) had their own experiences.”
Hakim said she was pleased with the turnout and hoped those in attendance were able to walk away from the event more open minded
“I feel like a lot of their voices aren’t really highlighted a lot of the time especially when it comes to Women’s History Month,” she said. “So, I think breaking those stereotypes is definitely a work in progress and I hope that they are more conscious about it.”
