Dual Identities: The Emergence of the Asian American Professional

By Derek Mong

“Civic engagement isn’t an action; it’s a lifestyle.”

Those were the final words from my internship supervisor at Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIA Vote) in 2009. At the time, it had little meaning to me and I stumbled out from the marble steps of our K Street lobby with eyes set on my college and career ambitions.

Like many of my peers, I went to college—perhaps credulously—lured by the prospect of pursuing knowledge—a naivety that would soon give way to the reality of finding a job in my years as an upperclassman. Fortunately, I succeeded and found a well-paying corporate job here in Washington, but, to this day, when I drive pass the building in which I once interned, the words of my supervisor still pervade my thoughts.

“Have I changed?,” I wonder to myself. Having turned down several job offers from prominent cause-based non-profit organizations, I wonder, “Have I sold out? Have I betrayed my community?”

I am not alone in this sentiment. Rather, it appears that my experience is of a broader trend of Asian American professionals—blazing new paths in a diverse array of industries, but united in our common background and experience in combatting social inequities.

The guilt trip, too, seems to be shared.

Angela Ju, a former president of the University of North Carolina’s flagship Asian organization (UNC Asian Student Association) and former digital managing editor of ALIST Magazine, now works in the corporate communications practice at APCO Worldwide in New York, serving global clients including BlackBerry and Lenovo.

Ju’s formative experiences in college similarly shaped her view of the importance of community, and she, too, similarly feels the sense of struggle in contributing to the Asian American community at-large while working full time: “I feel particularly motivated to give back to the Asian American community, largely as a result of my experiences in college and awareness of everyday stereotypes that limit others’ perceptions of our capabilities as individual Asian Americans, and I think my peers are similarly interested, but we are having a difficult time figuring out exactly how to do so while adjusting to professional life right out of college.”

Tina Kit, a graduate of Columbia University who now works at the tech company AppNexus, shares a similar sentiment: “APIA issues are certainly always a topic of conversation and something I always think about because this identity impacts me everyday. Now that I have started at my first job, I have to always wonder, ‘Will being female or APIA hinder me from advancing in this industry, an industry predominated by white men?’ It is hard not to wonder whether or not this glass ceiling or bamboo ceiling is as obscure as we all like to believe.”

Tim Hwang, CEO of the start-up FiscalNote, shares a similar sentiment, but highlights opportunities to break free from stereotypical professional tracks: “I definitely do identify myself as Asian American, but I think the exciting thing about our generation is that, that sort of identity is not the only identity we belong to. I identify myself as a tech entrepreneur and a Marylander among other things.”

Hwang argues that Asian Americans can use success in their chosen career fields as forms of advocacy as well. “The number of venture-backed entrepreneurs in America – 4% – relative to the number of Asian Americans in the technology industry – 50% – is abysmal and a great example of why we need to unlock the pathway for others. I definitely have witnessed a lot of injustice in the workplace,” Hwang said. “This means that there is a real opportunity for Asian Americans to define themselves in other fields and really break out of traditional molds.”

Ryan Namata, President of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) in DC, agrees that this type of sentiment and community involvement seems to be a common occurrence that has its roots in the hybridity of the cultural experience that Asian Americans often experience: “We can’t help but have a big part of our self-identity tied into the communities to which we think we belong. I’m Filipino, and the vast majority of my life experiences are seen through Filipino colored lenses– that is, the context of which I view the world is decidedly from my dominant culture. But what I really treasure is that I am able to see things from more than just my Filipino world. I am also able to view the world as an American, or as part of the greater Asian community and the shared values I have with other Asians. It’s enriching and I think it makes the way I experience the world very special.”

What I’ve seen over the past several years living and working in Washington, D.C., among a vibrant community of Asian Pacific American (APA) professionals and organizations is a new type of APA professional—an emerging cohort of Asian American professionals that work in more corporatized sectors of industry, but have a strong background in community organizing and social activism.

Perhaps this type of “socially-conscious APA professional” has been around for decades, but I get the sense that the growing pervasiveness of APA-centric non-profit organizations and shifts in our nation’s demography, as well as the increasing opportunities available to APA professionals in various sectors of the economy, have forged trails for the emergence of a new breed of APA professional: one that has at once access and awareness, financial means and social consciousness.

Balancing these two perspectives seems to be a common struggle.

With an emerging army of these Asian American professionals, it will be interesting to see how our community capitalizes and galvanizes this army of highly-skilled, young activists and attempts to reconcile competing needs for industry-advancement and social activism. While one does not necessarily preclude the other, finding the balance between the two is a challenge that can pay dividends for the APA community.

Tina hails from Lowell, Massachusetts, where she was born and raised. She recently graduated from college where she studied Operations Research – Engineering Management Systems, but really, she learned that it was perfect acceptable to get enraged when someone completely marginalizes your own community — one would think that an angry reaction is a reasonable response but one would also be surprised at the amount of people telling her that she was being too sensitive. Now, she spends most of her time figuring out how to articulate these angry thoughts so that she can try to begin to raise awareness regarding APIA issues, and works at an advertising technology firm as an analyst on their Engineering Quality Analyst—as a side gig.

As a college student, Angela was heavily involved in the local Asian American community, having served as president of UNC’s flagship Asian organization and helped in the founding of a publication dedicated to championing Asian American leaders. Angela is now a project assistant in the corporate communications practice at APCO Worldwide in New York, working for clients including BlackBerry and Lenovo.

Ryan Namata is currently the Senior Specialist for Chief HR Executive Engagement and HR Projects at the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Virginia. He has over 13 years of experience as an HR professional, working in varied industries, from a small startup to a Fortune 500 company, and including the non-profit space. He has extensive corporate experience in the areas of staffing, workforce and strategic planning, training and professional development, HR technology, change management and engagement. Ryan Namata regularly presents professional development workshops to the local community, such as public speaking, career planning, leadership and other applications of his human resource expertise. He also speaks at local universities and community groups who cater to minorities and the disadvantaged. He has held several leadership roles, including officer and board member, at affinity groups that promote diversity and inclusion, the National Association for Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) DC Chapter, Toastmasters International and Legacy Inc. He is currently the President of the DC chapter for NAAAP. Ryan Namata is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and is also a certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR).

Tim Hwang is the founder and CEO of FiscalNote, a real-time government analytics platform venture-backed by Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang, and NEA. Previously he served as the President of the National Youth Association and member of the Montgomery County, MD Board of Education. He is a graduate of Princeton University and is currently deferring Harvard Business School.