The Hidden Barriers AANHPI Women Face at Work

Sue Ann Hong-Whitaker is president and CEO of the Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW), which runs leadership development programs for AANHPI women and other women of color. She spent the majority of her career in corporate America before turning her energy toward nonprofit work.

LeanIn.Org’s Dr. Mary Noble-Tolla sat down with her to learn more.

Our Women in the Workplace data show something surprising: AANHPI women actually have the lowest promotion rates into the VP level of any group of women. Does that track with what you see?

Yes. The system isn’t blocking AANHPI women at the start as much as it blocks other women of color, but then something shifts as we get stuck in the middle. Getting from director to an executive level requires a different kind of visibility. You need sponsors, not just mentors—you need people in the room advocating for you when you’re not there. That’s where AANHPI women need support.

Part of it is also about where women are positioned in the organization. I see a lot of AANHPI women in either tech or support functions (i.e., L&D, HR, etc.). Those are important, but they’re not the core business areas. If you want to get to the C-suite, it’s best to get into a revenue-generating functional area at some point in your career.

It sounds like AANHPI women need to be especially strategic about leadership.

You have to foster networks both inside and outside your immediate team, build your brand (what are you known for?), and make sure the right people know what you’re delivering.

There is a difference between being a high performer and a high-potential individual. High performers do their job brilliantly. High-potential individuals perform well and take initiative on problems nobody asked them to solve, engage people beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, show initiative, and demonstrate other key leadership skills.

This sounds like a lot of extra work on top of already-demanding jobs. How should AANHPI women prioritize?

I’m a big fan of focused individual development plans. Ask yourself: What is the one behavior I can focus on that will upskill my performance? For a lot of AANHPI women, the answer is effective communication skills—how you show up, how you advocate for yourself, how you build and exercise your influence. Practice with people you trust, and over time you’ll build new habits. Be intentional about change.

AANHPI women are often stereotyped as quiet and deferential—and then criticized when they’re assertive. How do you navigate that?

These stereotypes are not unique to the U.S.—AANHPI women across non-Asian countries will recognize them. The key is to develop your self-confidence and speak with your voice, while staying authentic to your values. Understand how to navigate the environment so you know when to speak up in a group or when it’s best to have a one-on-one conversation. Understand how to navigate the environment through observation of other leaders and the culture of the company/organization.

Different leadership styles can be incredibly effective, and visibility and self-advocacy are important parts of being seen and heard. So find low-stakes ways to practice. Build your confidence somewhere safe first. Identify individuals who can give you meaningful, specific, and timely feedback on how you do.

What’s the one thing you wish managers and leaders understood about AANHPI women on their teams?

AANHPI women have historically taken longer to move into first-line leadership. That’s not because the talent isn’t there. It’s because no one asked the right questions.

Get to know your people individually and don’t make assumptions about them. If you’re a manager, it is your responsibility to know the people on your team and develop their talents. For example, understanding their culture helps you learn why they behave in a certain way. Finding out other responsibilities they have (i.e., caretaking) may help clarify why they don’t have time to take on other projects. Identifying their potential is a great way to have dialogue about their future and what they can do to develop their leadership skills and whether they have the desire to do more. Help them by showing them what a good leader looks like.