The Key Learning Points:

1.The model minority myth and how it applies to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)

2.The rise of AAPI hate as a result of the COVID19 pandemic

3.Eight tips for companies around better supporting their AAPI communities

On this week's remote Risky Mix podcast, we’re joined by Jeff Le, from across the pond in Washington DC! Jeff is currently VP of public policy and external affairs at fintech startup, Rhino, and a Political Partner at the Truman National Security Project, a DC-based think tank. He also speaks about issues in the D&I space, regularly speaking on podcasts and contributing to articles in the New York Times, POLITICO, and Washington Post, particularly around anti-Asian sentiment because of the coronavirus pandemic. We will be discussing this and more during today's episode.

The son of Vietnamese refugees, Jeff really has lived the “American dream”. Calling himself a “broader generalist”, Jeff breaks his career into three areas: International affairs, politics and tech. He’s currently working at Rhino, a fintech startup that aims to reduce the barriers to affordable and stable housing for US citizens. Jeff also tells us about his interest in D&I and the turning point for him being a shocking experience in March 2020, when a woman spat in his face (he adds that it wasn’t the first time!). For Jeff, the most crushing part was having people see it happen and pretend it didn’t happen: “That blessing to say that’s okay is 100 times worse than any spitting. We’re creating conditions and a permission structure to allow for someone to feel less than human, and that their humanity is conditional, is arbitrary and is decided by others.”

Jeff tells us about the “model minority myth” which is often applied to AAPI communities – a mindset that this community is the best minority. This myth is firstly not true, as Jeff explains, that by segmenting and analysing the AAPI data we see that “they have much lower rates of university or high school graduation, they have less access to healthcare services, they have more experiences in the criminal justice system and they have lower life expectancies.”

We speak about why awareness of these AAPI issues is so low. For Jeff, the first factor is population size – the AAPI community makes up just 7% of the US population, so there’s a lack of exposure from a numbers perspective. The second factor is cultural. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exaggerated AAPI hate, with hate crime increasing by 107% in California alone between 2019 and 2020. Children aren’t going back to school due to fears of bullying and people are sheltering and not returning to work. And as Jeff touched on earlier, much of the problem is with non-active bystanders: “By not doing something, you are complicit.” 

Jeff believes that organisations can be doing more to support communities of colour back into the workplace during this time and also create an inclusive work culture that promotes equity. He provides his eight top tips for companies in this episode.

If you'd like to know more, check out some of Jeff's previous articles and comments:
I Thought I Knew How to Succeed as an Asian in U.S. Politics. Boy, Was I Wrong (POLITICO, Apr. 3, 2021)

Quotation of the Day: Back to Normal? Not for Asian Americans (The New York Times, Jun. 8, 2021)
Are you ambivalent about celebrating July 4? You’re not alone (USA Today, Jul. 1, 2021)