Always Learning About My Biases

Always learning about my biases...

I have minimized the experience of Asian Americans with my language.

In my sessions on empathy, I would speak about the way that the events of the 2020/2021 news cycle highlighted the exclusion and prejudice faced by Black and Brown Americans.

My insightful conversation with Tara VanderWoude made me realize how I was completely erasing the experience of Asian Americans with my omission.

Here are 3 takeaways from my interview

1). The Asian-American experience of exclusion is under-acknowledged. How is your (my) language and actions part of the problem?

2). Predation, harassment, violence...it really is THAT bad. Tara has stories to share and they are devastating.

3). If you are a friend or coworker, pay radical attention to Asian-American colleagues who share stories of pain. Avoid making them justify the experience ("Are you sure...")

These are just a few pearls from a great interview. Listen below…