I decided to choose this article because it paints a very interesting picture on minorities and their perceived glass ceiling. Although the article is quite old, I think it still holds relevance today and is very thorough in its content. This article mainly focused on Hispanic and Asian American minorities and the differences each group experiences and perceives in relation to discrimination in life and the workplace. I have gathered from the article that discrimination differences seem to differ based on education and socio-economic status. In other words, if a Hispanic is well educated and has a high level of wealth, they usually believe anyone can achieve what they have achieved and discrimination was not a roadblock in reaching that achievement. For example, the first person mentioned in the article is Richard Lopez. His family has been in America for four generations, he grew up in a nice neighborhood, and his first language is English. Richard Lopez does not understand how fellow Hispanics can complain about discrimination and has even been offended when asked if he has had affirmative action benefits to reach the achievements he has made. Richard’s situation and upbringing may affect his perception of discrimination entirely.
On the other hand, a Chinese man named Ray Chin has a different view. Him and his family fled communist China in the 50s; he was forced to work during his teenage years doing menial jobs. Although he is moderately successful today he states, “we’re stifled by that glass ceiling.” Chin says that since Asian Americans have reached a certain point they are viewed as not needing any help to further advance. The article references a study throughout the text and this study has shown that Hispanics and Asian American must battle stereotypes that can limit their full potential. Even worse, both ethnic groups either feel stereotypical against each other or even about members of their own ethnic group. Basically, instead of working as a team and combating discrimination together, they actually fight each other. This obviously accomplishes nothing and simply raises that glass ceiling higher for both groups of people.
Both groups agree that language is a huge barrier in reaching the glass ceiling. One Hispanic recounted a story where he was refused service at a restaurant because the order taker could not understand his bad English. It’s almost unanimous that in order to succeed in America, English is necessary. I believe many immigrants or minorities wish to learn English and there should be programs setup in order to take advantage of that opportunity. America can benefit from these groups by growing their ability and potential, which would grow the overall economy. A majority of both groups agreed that they do not want government handouts. They want protections in place and in force to protect discrimination from occurring. This is definitely needed so minorities can break the glass ceiling that prevents them from rising up to the top.
The article does mention a point about minorities clinging to only those within their community and only speaking their native tongue. This isolation makes it so these minorities cannot rise up and succeed. If they do not feel comfortable engaging with white Americans they may not make connections that could facilitate career growth. This is why diversity and inclusion programs are essential to breaking down these barriers. Most people would be more than welcome to make everyone feel included, but if the minority is hiding in isolation most people will not take the time to strike down those walls of isolation. Diversity and inclusion programs could help strike down those barriers and allow more connection and growth among people to occur.
Overall, I think this article is a very good reference point for seeing how different groups of people perceive the glass ceiling and how perceptions differ based on socio-economic class and education.
Luis Otero
How far have we come from the publish date (1995) of this article? Are we still in the same situation with the recent influx of immigrants from Hispanic countries? Are we handling this situation any different? Answer below and start discussing!
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