bamboo ceiling
noun phrase

- especially in America, a social barrier to further promotion or progression, in employment and elsewhere, for a person of East Asian ethnicity.

- in East Asia, a social barrier to further promotion or progression, in employment and elsewhere, for women.

Wordow

—
BREAKING BAMBOO CEILINGS

The term “bamboo ceiling” was popularized in 2005 by Jane Hyun in "Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians", where she addresses the barriers faced by many Asian Americans in the professional arena, such as stereotypes and racism, while also providing solutions to overcome these barriers. The bamboo ceiling, as defined by Jane Hyun, is a combination of individual, cultural, and organizational factors that impede Asian Americans’ career progress inside organizations.

Based on publicly available government statistics, Asian Americans have the lowest chance of rising to management when compared with African Americans and Hispanics, in spite of having the highest educational attainment.

—
EAST MEETS WEST

Asian cultures traditionally value different kinds of behaviour than their Western counterparts: a certain reserve, respect for authority, the ability to defer to the interests of the group. This has led to negative stereotypes, such as the view that Asians are “worker bees” who are content holding subordinate positions.

These characteristics can be limiting to a person’s career at a time when hierarchies are being dismantled, individual initiative is prized, and executives expect their employees to communicate openly and even to express contradictory views.

“When it comes to promotions, Asians are quickly dismissed as ‘not leadership material,’” says Jane Hyun.

The Merck Group

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“I wasn’t aware of the BAMBOO CEILING until I read today’s OWAD.”

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40