As a marketing professional, Eric Toda always looks critically at the Super Bowl. But this year, seeing brands commit to change after a year of protests against racial justice and political division, including one spot from the NFL many missed mark and a highly criticized Jeep ad featuring Bruce Springsteen, he was not inspired by the messages of hope and unity.
He recalled the recent reports of elderly Asians in Chinatowns stretching from the Bay Area to New York City being violently attacked and dying of wounds in at least one case, after an already difficult year that saw a spike in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic. Between March 19 and December 31, 2020, the Stop AAPI Hate national coalition documented 2,800 first-hand reports of anti-Asian hatred.
The news took Toda back to when he was 14 years old, when his own grandfather was beaten by a group of teenagers in a San Francisco park and had to recover in hospital.
More than twenty years later, Toda, now a marketing manager at Facebook, is using his influential position to speak out against the ongoing anti-Asian racism, which dates back to the 1800s and increased sharply during the pandemic.
“The myth of a model minority is killing us right now,” Toda tells CNBC Make It, citing the stereotype that Asian Americans see as hardworking, quiet, and economically successful as a means of expressing a history of racism against members of the community. to erase. “It continues to put us on a pedestal because we’re silent and okay with being silent. It puts us in front of other minority communities.”
“I realized that after having had a relatively successful marketing career with a platform, I had to use my voice in a little contradictory way with our culture, to shout and raise awareness of what is happening, and also to bring about change , ”Toda explains. “The difference now is that we are much louder and stronger in using our voice.”
Call for brands to support Asian communities
As a marketing executive who has also built brands at Gap, Airbnb and Snapchat, Toda says advertisers should put more money into campaigns that condemn racism against all marginalized groups, including Asian Americans and improve the representation of Asian American and Pacific islanders by promoting them to take in more roles in front of and behind the camera. An advertiser’s goal, he emphasizes, is to shape consumer perception with a few seconds of airtime.
In recent weeks, major brands including Nike, ESPN, and HBO have made public statements in support of Asian-American communities and against racially motivated attacks. Their posts encourage consumers to contribute to the ongoing work of groups such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian Americans for Equality, Compassion Oakland, Send Chinatown Love, and Stop AAPI Hate.
It’s a good start, although Toda says he wants to see more alliance from white decision-makers at brands, within companies, and with the public at large, to understand why issues of race and racial discrimination are so important to address.
White colleagues will say, “That’s a big question. We all have jobs and now we have to consider bias, race and nuance every day? “” Says Toda. ‘Well, now you know what it’s like to live in my skin, or to live in the skin of a black or latinx – we have to take that into account as we do our job. That is empathy and perspective. ‘
He also believes brands can do more to tap into their multi-billion dollar treasures to contribute directly to law enforcement organizations.
Employers should investigate anti-Asian prejudice at work
Toda also wants organization leaders to use this time to explore how they perpetuate the myth of a model minority in the workplace. Toda has seen what some call the “ bamboo ceiling ” in his own professional network, in which, due to racial bias, Asian-American professionals are the least likely demographics to be promoted to leadership.
Researchers say employers can do better by examining gaps in promotions for employees in Asia America and Pacific Islander and by providing better opportunities, such as through leadership training or mentorship programs. Hiring decision-makers should also be trained to recognize their own racial biases and actively confront them when evaluating candidates.
Toda says his employer has been “extremely positive” in confronting the issue of anti-Asian discrimination and is working with him to drive change both internally and externally; in the end he says his statements are a “very personal” purpose.
Facebook, for its part, provided the following statement to CNBC Make It upon request: “We stand behind the community of Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, including our many colleagues on Facebook. We condemn all acts of xenophobia, violence and intolerance. – and given mounting anti-Asian sentiment, we remain vigilant against any threats. We ban hate speech and community violence and our teams are working to keep this out of our platform. We are examining the investments we have made to bring justice into the AAPI community and exploring what else we can do. “
Maxine Williams, Facebook’s Chief Diversity Officer, shared a post on Wednesday expressing his solidarity with AAPIs and colleagues.
The gaps in corporate diversity training
Within organizations themselves, corporate diversity and anti-racism training often ignores discrimination against Asian-American workers, leaving workplaces ill-equipped to handle the discussions of this particular moment.
“An overwhelming majority [of DEI leaders] don’t know how to talk in a nuanced and complex way about issues surrounding Asians of America, ” said Michelle Kim, CEO of Awaken, diversity training provider. She adds that unless leaders have been active in studying the history of and engaged in conversations about the Asian experience in America, “most people end up focusing on race as a very black and white issue.”
Toda also sees this issue: “We’re still considered white neighbors. That’s just not the truth. If you want to be an anti-racist, you have to include all racism against minorities.”
While Toda is happy that issues of anti-Asian racism are getting attention right now, he urges companies to do more, whether in their HR or diversity and inclusive roles, to underrepresented and marginalized employees across every identity spectrum. to support.
“I’m well aware that in terms of marketing, this is likely going to be social justice taste of the month. Next month it could be a different minority group,” he says.
“The conversation always comes back to, how are you anti-racist and support your entire community and workforce with education and support, so if it happens to another community in the future, are you ready?
“The reality is,” says Toda, “being anti-racist isn’t for 2020. It’s not even for 2021. It’s forever.”
Checking out: How to support Asian American colleagues in the recent wave of anti-Asian violence
Do not miss: The Best Credit Cards for Building Credit of 2021