In this episode of Belonging@Haas, Brittany Jacob hosts a conversation between MBA students Ken Mizuno and Tori Fukumitsu, who share their unique cultural identities and personal journeys as Asian and Asian American students at Haas. The discussion delves into the differences and similarities in their experiences, the impact of stereotypes, and the importance of fostering true inclusivity and belonging within the Haas community. 

 Brittany then gains insights from Dr. Janine Lee, an expert in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB), who elaborates on Ken and Tori’s conversation, and the challenges and strategies for dealing with code-switching, combating microaggressions, and promoting empathy in diverse environments.

*Belonging at Haas Podcast is produced by University FM.*

Show Producer: Travis Bautista, Race Inclusion Initiative 

Developed in partnership with the Haas MBA Student Government Association

Show Links:

• Brittany Jacob’s LinkedIn
• Brittany Jacob’s Instagram
• Ken Mizuno’s LinkedIn
• Tori Fukumitsu’s LinkedIn
• Dr. Janine Lee’s Haas Profile
• Dr. Janine Lee’s Instagram
• Dr. Janine Lee’s Website
• The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business

Episode Quotes:

Stereotypes pressure individuals like Ken and Tori to meet societal expectations, often at the expense of embracing their true selves.

[13:30] Ken Mizuno: Stereotype expectation for me is "Oh, you're Japanese. You're [a] punctual, tidy person. You like sushi, anime, not speaking up in the meeting, not directly saying something.” That's, I think, [the] typical expectation or bias towards Japanese people in general. And that influenced my obligation to be like Japanese. I mean, I'm not that kind of person, but I sometimes pretend [to be a] super Japanese person, to be super polite, but I'm actually not so punctual, honestly. Sometimes, that's not my real figure. After getting used to the lifestyle in the United States, I try to be more true [to] myself, a bit beyond the expectations.

The harmful effect of stereotypes among Asians and Asian-Americans

[15:05] Tori Fukumitsu: Often, it feels like Asians are grouped together or considered as a monolith, that we all enjoy the same things, we all have similar interests, we all have certain behaviors that we exhibit. And I think the reality is that, not only are the countries so different across all these different countries, but within that, there's so much nuance in identity, in heritage, in culture, and in an individual. And I think the harmful effect of this is that I think this is potentially one of those pieces that's slightly different is that, in the U.S., there are a lot of stereotypes around Asian men, in particular being seen as more meek or seen as less assertive. And it's tied to this idea, I think of the bamboo ceiling as well, that essentially Asian Americans, and in our cases, Asian American men, can't advance past certain levels in their careers, in part because they're lacking some inherent skill or ability to be more confident or more assertive, or more dominant when that's what's required in business settings, for example.

Tori suggests approaching relationships with authentic inquiry and curiosity as a way to foster understanding across cultures.

[22:30]  Tori Fukumitsu: I think there's a bit of a framework at times, and I should say I think of this because I think I fall into it, too. A framework around expertise as it comes to identity that you're either on one end or the other. Either like an expert on identity, or you're a novice or someone who doesn't have expertise. And I think, instead, it's more like we're all learning about what it means to be our different identities. We're all exploring that. It's not that there's like a true Asian or a true American or true Japanese necessarily. There can't be because there's so much diversity within that. So, I think of how often I need to personally not just diminish what I've experienced as, oh, that's not Japanese, or that's not Chinese American, or that's not Chinese because I didn't grow up in China, but rather like, oh, there are things about my unique experience that speak to something that perhaps someone else might not be able to speak to, or they can, but to not think of it as such a binary.

Dr. Janine Lee addresses how the perception of Asian Americans or Asians as a monolithic group impacts their well-being.

[29:13] Part of this juggling, this dual identity, becomes a bit of code-switching. Code-switching, if you're not aware, is the practice of changing languages or dialects within a single conversation. And it's how someone adjusts how they present themselves in different contexts. So, being Asian American or being Asian, you might be adjusting depending on the population that you're hanging out with. And from a well-being perspective, it can be really tiring. It's like multitasking your personality and going back and forth from different identities.