Diversity in the Workplace

Diversity in the Workplace: Finding Your Voice
by Sarah Heng Hartse
My own experience working among predominantly white coworkers has been mostly positive, although there have been times when certain individuals show disrespect towards minorities. This manifests itself in a few forms, like making fun of somebody's accent, or referring to a nationality as "them," blithely labeling everyone in that group with identical personalities.

My reaction to these outwardly racist jibes has been internal indignation, followed by a reasoned conversation with the offender about how these remarks could be interpreted as insulting or intolerant. There is the somewhat comforting reminder that discrimination in its myriad forms is illegal and that if you are working under hostile conditions, you don't have to tolerate it. However, in the spirit of goodwill and cooperation, it can be beneficial to work together to foster a space where dialogue is the rule.

Other forms of racism can be extremely subverted. In fact, a person may let slip a remark that he doesn't consider to be offensive, but instead to be a helpful comment.

A friend of mine shared this frustration with me: she was explaining to one of her white friends her internal struggle about checking the "ethnic group" box on a form. As a biracial woman with a Black and a white parent, she didn't want to choose between the "African-American" and the "Caucasian" box. Her puzzled friend asked, "Why don't you just check the 'African-American' box?" She felt that my friend should pledge allegiance to one half of her heritage at the expense of her other. She didn't understand the painful choice that my friend had to make to claim an identity, which often exposed a sense of loss and betrayal towards one of her parents—and towards half of herself.

Regardless of how diverse any place of employment is, it's true that there will be times when you'll be put on the spot and made to feel like a spokesperson for some social group of which you're a member. This position is difficult to negotiate - there is infinite potential to feel hurt, frustrated, or fed up, and it's not your job to speak for people who look like you. But there is also the opportunity to do some good. Ultimately, it is important to be straightforward and honest with your peers.

It's essential to get along with coworkers to maintain peace and work successfully. It's also essential to maintain your pride in your own heritage, whether that involves celebrating the Lunar New Year or the beginning of the baseball season. Eventually, after that intimidating first day, I was able to relax as I began to get to know my coworkers, and I could feel that my peers were able to understand my own personality beyond my appearance. Although there were times when cultural tensions arose, I was a happy employee because I could breathe freely in the knowledge that I could honestly share my opinions in an equal opportunity environment.
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