I would like to extend a cordial invitation to CAPA's Leadership Summit, scheduled from 9 am to noon on Saturday, October 30th. This is a 100% virtual event that you can participate in from the comfort and safety of your homes.
We are exploring the topic of "Bridging the Labor Gap with Diverse Communities" where we are connecting those who are seeking employment or advancement or looking for a career change with those in the industry knowledgeable about the skills necessary to succeed.
Our opening keynote speaker is none other than Steve Tobocman, Executive Director of Global Detroit and we are lucky to have Annie Fenton, Program Director of Michigan International Talent Solutions as our closing keynote speaker. They will both share the current state of affairs and their visions for the future.
We have influential members of the business community participating on the panel who will talk about the skills necessary to succeed in their respective industries and that will also allow the audience an opportunity to ask questions.
The first 100 registrations receive a special gift and get entered into a drawing to receive one of 5 pairs of VIP passes to the SOE 2022. Registrations are totally free.
We hope to see you there.
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The Model Minority Myth in College Applications
Written by Anshi Pacha
CAPA - Youth Chair
Something that has infuriated me since I first learned about it is the Model Minority Myth. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a common assumption stating that Asians are valued and treated better by society than other racial minorities. In reality, this is wildly untrue. The white society that we live in is just as racist towards us as it is to other minorities, it just hides it better. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we’re treated worse, but in the wise words of Daniel Kaluuya “ Racism just sucks, innit? Across the board.”
Now, while there are most certainly worse effects of this myth than what I’m going to talk about today, the bit of it that affects me, as a high schooler, the most, is its impact on college applications. Asian students are expected to be highly motivated, highly skilled, highly competent applicants. We’re supposed to be the top of our class and the leaders of our extracurriculars. And sure, many of us are able to do this and be this, but no more than any other race. There’s nothing about us Asians that makes it so that we are inherently better than our classmates. Yet, when colleges open up our resumes, what makes us normal students, makes students of other races exceptional. It means that for us to be attractive to harder colleges, we need to work harder than our peers to be normal, and even harder to be outstanding.
And the worst part is that there’s really nothing that can be done about it. You can protest blatant racism, you can petition for anti-discrimination laws, but what can you do when society expects that you are academically better in a way that negatively impacts you? Such systematic ingrained racism can’t be truly fixed by anything other than time and the changing of societal opinions.
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An Appreciation
For My Colleagues
感謝多元化的同事們
Musings of Dr. Jamie C. Hsu, 9.28.2021
Because of COVID-19, our interactions with family members, friends, and colleagues have been drastically reduced. This longing for interactions makes me think of my GM colleagues in particular. This group of people had a special significance to me that is different from my other friends. My GM colleagues gave me the true experience of diversity and inclusion.
In my GM days, I was in an organization where the people had a variety of ethnic, economic, and professional backgrounds. They spoke 50 different dialects and were educated globally in Asian, European, and American schools. Their professional skills encompassed art, design, engineering, journalism, science, anthropology, economics, and business. At every turn and every meeting, I could learn something new from someone. Thinking back now, I realize that is the beauty of diversity and inclusion. Because of the common goals of the company, we were required to work together in spite of our individual backgrounds, preferences, and idiosyncrasies. Such diversity was even more pronounced when I took over the global responsibility of leading teams of people from different countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Sweden, Australia, South Africa, and England. The frequent meetings and travels opened my eyes to different cultures and work environments. I was fortunate to grow professionally in such a rich environment.
Unlike the diversity in a large company, the social or community organizations we join tend to be more homogeneous where people of common interests, ethnic backgrounds, and hobbies will form groups. These groups typically attract people of “similarity and commonality” and are not very conducive to broad diversity. The members of such organizations speak their native languages, do the same hobbies, and share similar viewpoints. Sometimes such exclusivity might cause misunderstanding, resentment, or even hatred from other organizations and nonmembers.
The challenge for any organizational leader is to harvest the affinity of people with similar backgrounds along with the richness of a diverse workforce. Typically, the more developed organizations, companies, and countries do a better job of mastering both affinity and diversity. Let us strive to do the same.
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SPLENDOR OF THE EAST
The CAPA Cultural Committee is excited to start planning Splendor of the East 2022! As of now, we plan to have the show in-person and it will be back better than ever! We are starting our search for dancers, singers, instrumentalists, and all kinds of other talent to showcase. The show will take place on Saturday, May 14th, 2022 so start assembling your groups now! More information will be coming soon!
If you have any questions, please contact CAPA’s Cultural Director, Suman Desaraju at suman@capa-mi.org
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Free on-line training opportunity!!
Take 1 hour to learn to intervene as a bystander to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment.
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Some photos displayed provided through istock and not owned by CAPA & affiliates. |
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