As
a first-generation college student, I was always interested in the ways individuals
made sense of their identity while growing up in a bi-cultural environment. I
moved to America when I was three years old, but my family still followed
Indian traditions. Outside of home, I assimilated to American culture, but each
culture prompted various expectations of how one should behave. These
expectations did not always align, making it difficult to navigate my racial
identity.
I
joined Dr. Blake Silver’s research lab as the Lead Research Assistant where I
was able to conduct research with peers on first-generation American college
seniors. The idea of varying expectations was a prominent theme among seniors
transitioning out of college. I wanted to further explore these expectations
and I was grateful that Mason provided opportunities to undergraduates to
pursue research. Through OSCAR I was able to obtain a research grant in which I
will try to understand how racialization affects first-generation
Asian-Americans’ perception of organizational commitment and identification.
Racialization is the social pressure to act a certain way based on one’s race.
For first-generation Asian-Americans this can be an issue as they are pinned as
a model minority, meaning that even though they are recognized as a minority,
they are understood to have prevailed the disadvantages that marginalized
groups encounter. This perception, however, leads many people to overlook the
struggles that this population faces.
First-generation
Asian-Americans’ identities tend to be dual in nature, incorporating their
parent’s culture and contemporary American culture. It is important that
workplaces provide a safe environment where these unique identities can
flourish as diversity is a growing concern in organizations. Racialization may
pressure individuals to act a certain way due to their racial or ethnic
identity which can affect their identity at work as well as their relationship
with the organization. My goal with this OSCAR project is to collect data
through a mixed methods study to understand how first-generation
Asian-Americans navigate their identities in the workplace. My long-term goal
is to communicate to organizations the experiences of first-generation
Asian-Americans and how companies can help them better accommodate and provide
a safe environment where these individuals can express their identities without
being reduced to racial stereotypes. I want to expand the conversation within
the inclusion and diversity sector of businesses in order to make the bond
between the individual and organization stronger. As businesses become more
globalized, it is important to consider the inherent complexities of ethnic
communities in the workplace
