Since 80-20 respects opposing views and is interested in the truth ONLY, we look into 4 more myths against Asian Ams. The detailed documentation of the evidence against these myths, visit http://www.80-20educationalfoundation.org/chartfaq.html
1. How about the cultural differences obvious in so many Asian Ams? AsAms may just not have sufficient managerial ambition and/or flexibility, ability, language skills, sense of humor, …, etc.
"Men are from Mars and women are from Venus." So the cultural difference between men and women is not only large but intrinsic. But that has not prevented women from becoming leaders nowadays. Think Sandra Day O'Connor, Carly Fiorina, Diane Feinstein, Hillary Clinton, Condi Rice, Madeleine Albright, Meg Whitman, and Donna Shalala.
When discrimination against women was rampant, women were thought to be having less "managerial ambition and/or internal fortitude, skills, communication skills and sense of humor." When Executive Order 11246 came out in 1965 and was enforced by the Labor Department to give women a fair chance to become managers, women rose to the challenge. The same will be true for Asian Americans.
2. 80-20 is stirring trouble. There is NO empirical evidence that AsAms feel discriminated at work.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, engaged the Gallup Poll to do a national survey of workers' perception of discrimination at work. Earlier this year, Gallup Poll announced that Asian American have the highest % of workers among all races who perceived that they are been discriminated at work. Visit: http://www.eeoc.gov/press/12-8-05.html
3. We need patience. The next generation will not face discrimination at work.
The next generation doesn't come in all of a sudden. They come in day by day. So 80-20 looked at AsAm's rate of progress in getting into management for the period of 6 years from 1995 to 2001 in the private industries, universities and Federal gov. At the current rate of progress, AsAms will reach the national average chance of getting into management in another 75 years or about 3 more generations! Look at what is happening with Hispanics and women; they have less then half the distance to climb to equal opportunity than AsAms, and are climbing at twice our rate of improvement. See how having GROUP political clout can make a difference?
4. Statistics can be used to lie. Why focus on the three areas of private industries, universities and Federal gov.? Why not look at the picture for all workers?
We looked at those 3 areas because reliable data (EEO-1, OPM and NCES data) are available. According to the 2000 Census, when the entire civilian workforce is taken into consideration, Asian Americans still have the lowest odds to get into management.
Category Ratio
All 1.oo
White 1.0599
Hispanics 0.862
Blacks 0.765
Women 0.730
Asian Pacific Islanders 0.703
EEO-1 Categories, Data using US Census: total civilian workforce (tabulation)
Concluding Remarks:
The end result we face today is at least partially our own fault.
America is a great country and has one of the best political systems. However, all political systems are run by human beings and human beings are full of frailties. The most common frailty is that human beings tend to "accommodate the strong and step on the weak."
When all the other races and groups are organized and have the political clout to punish any organization and/or politician that commit unfair acts against them, Asian Americans remain self/family centered and grossly ignore the need for AsAm GROUP political clout.
Ask yourself! How often have you given time and/or money to strengthen the Asian Am. GROUP interest? In a democratic system each race/group/company/union is required to organize and speak up for itself!
Join 80-20. Using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html (easy to use) or
Jing-Li Yu Director of Projects
P.O. Box 527340 Flushing, NY 11352-7340 .
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. on the BACK of the check.
Life membership is $1,000; Family (2 voters) is $50; Basic Membership is
$35; Student membership is $15.
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. on the BACK of the check.
Life membership is $1,000; Family (2 voters) is $50; Basic Membership is
$35; Student membership is $15.