What are the barriers for Asian Americans in Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling in Corporate America?

The children who are being raised by first generation Asian Americans parents, these parents have their own barriers such as language and are not accustomed to the American Culture.  They raise their children based on their Asian traditions such as working and studying hard so they can get a good job and make a good living.  They must respect the elderly and should never talk back to them.  They obey their parent’s authority.  Speaking up and voicing their own opinion is frowned upon. The parents don’t want their children to “stick out like a sore thumb.”  Even though these children go to public school in America but what is being taught at home is more influential.  These Asian parents are good providers for their family but they also have their own limitations.

Sometimes, it is difficult for the second generation of Asian Americans growing up in these dual culture households in America.

Since they are growing up with this type of Asian culture mindset in their household, they carry these personalities to the workplace.  Even though they are intelligent in the technical aspects of their job, they are not very good in communication or emotional intelligence.  They are being overlooked for promotion by managers or executive positions because they are being perceived as not being leadership material.

A lack of Leadership and public speaking skills seems to be the major barrier that prevent Asian Americans from advancing into the C-Suites of Coporate America.  Sometimes, these young Asian Americans don’t know what they don’t know and many don’t have other Asian American role models to mentor them.  Just getting good grades and working hard doesn’t lead them to become a CEO of the company. 

The college educational system needs to recognize that the lack of leadership skills and public speaking skills for these Asian American students prevent them from advancing in their future careers.  An extra curriculum is needed to build leadership and public speaking skills to prepare them for the Management and Executive Level positions in Corporate America.  In addition, having Asian Mastermind or Leadership group from the community would help them to develop leadership skills. The next generation of Asian Americans need to recognize their own barriers and weaknesses so the bamboo ceiling can be broken.