Since the start of the pandemic, the world has witnessed an increase in intentional and blatant attacks against the Asian American community. The more recent physical attacks on elder Asians have been truly horrific and heartbreaking. There is no place for hate crimes, racist, or xenophobic acts against our community, the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, let alone any community.
Working for an organization dedicated to advancing underrepresented communities and focused on supporting our clients in achieving equitable, diverse and inclusive workplaces is a unique opportunity.
It’s also rare to do so with three Asian women executive leaders, each of whom works tirelessly to speak up and out against racial injustices but have personally found it challenging to share their own stories of the racism they’ve experienced in this country. We hope this will encourage you to share your story, and come along with us as we work to #stopAAPIhate.
Read their personal accounts and eye-opening stories of what it’s like to be an Asian American today.
Subha Barry, CEO, Seramount
Subha Barry and family. Subha Barry
I am a South Asian woman in her 50s who has lived in this country for 37-plus years. I’m married to an Irish American man, and we have two adult children. The recent events of racist violence targeting Asians in this country has crushed my belief that as a “model minority” we have been better accepted as citizens here.
Each video I see and article I read reminds me of the many ways in which, over the years, I have been treated like an unwelcome immigrant. It’s remarkable how the human brain can recall with crystal clarity the put-downs, the words of hate, the look of disdain on the perpetrator’s face, the overall effort to diminish my sense of self. I recollect each episode like a wound that has crusted over but never healed.
“I recollect each episode like a wound that has crusted over but never healed.”
In the early years, one of the most common ones was, “Why don’t you go home?” I wanted to scream, “This is as much my country and my home as it is yours!” But I quietly walked away, holding on to the little dignity I had, not wanting my hurt and pain to show. But not anymore. Now I speak up, I challenge, I educate, I reason. Whatever I do, I do not stay quiet, and I do not walk away.
I’ve just recently posted with great pride on social media an article about Dr. Swati Mohan, the Indian American engineer and scientist who is the star of Perseverance rover’s epic Mars landing. Her totally cool play-by-play as mission leader was made cooler by the fact that she wore a bindi—that dot that Hindu women wear on their forehead.
I recalled being called a “dot-head” by colleagues and strangers alike in my early years in this country. Some of them would ask if it was useful as target practice. It drove me to stop wearing a bindi unless it was a Hindu festival day and I was going to my temple.
To see that this incredible Indian American leader unabashedly wore her bindi while announcing the Mars landing to the world fills my heart with a sense of pride and hope. I will be wearing my bindi again!
Deborah Tsai-Munster, EVP, People & Operations, Seramount
Deborah Tsai-Munster and family Deborah Tsai-Munster
My face burns. My heart is racing. I want to lash out and cry at the same time. “China virus, go home.” “Ching-chong China.” “What are you?” “Do you speak English?” “Gook.”
This year’s acts of violence and anti-Asian rhetoric serve as total recall to these all-too-real experiences I have had. Not just years ago, but over this past year. These are reminders that I am seen, whether consciously or unconsciously, as “less than.”
I have learned not to lash out. I have learned not to cry. But the hurt I feel is as real and significant as the first time I experienced this bias when I was in second grade, nearly 50 years ago.
“The hurt I feel is as real and significant as the first time I experienced this bias when I was in second grade, nearly 50 years ago.”
These ugly issues have surfaced front and center and have been reflective of a year of tumultuous and painful racist activity, but my hope is that as a society, we have awakened to the severity of our issues and divisiveness across our country.
My hope is that we acknowledge that we have much work to do. My hope is that we authentically commit to making change happen. My hope is that we do not take our foot off the gas when times get hard, but push even harder. My hope is that if anyone feels the way I have, that you know we are here. We will work passionately to drive us forward. Have hope.
Katie Mooney, VP, Head of Diversity Best Practices, Seramount
Katie Mooney and her husband. Katie Mooney
As a Korean American adoptee, I was able to benefit from White, boomer hover parents who provided me abundant privileges I knew were not available to all. While they worked to shelter and protect me, the world reminded me of my race; since I was a young child, I would get the question, “No, where are you really from?” after I had replied with, “Seattle.”
The world reminds me of my race in 2020 after the beginning of the pandemic as I was verbally harassed on a popular street in Los Angeles while wearing my N95 mask. Upon sharing my experiences, I then get told, “Well, it isn’t that bad” or “At least you are Asian and not Black right now.”
The gaslighting that I am a generational success story leads me to think I was blessed to grow up in the United States and not an orphanage in Seoul, and know that potential employers don’t discriminate against my hair. I am also mindful that making this about me might not help amplify the advocacy so important and needed for my Black friends and colleagues right now. We all need to speak up for ourselves and each other.
“We all need to speak up for ourselves and each other.”
I didn’t report the incident in 2020 to authorities or even log it on StopAAPIHate.org. I now realize that my own silence contributes to being invisible—the “model minority”—and therefore perpetuate the wide belief that we are exceptional subjects and that “Asians have it pretty good here” within the context of race relations in the United States.
The recent attacks on the Asian community has left me in fear of the safety of my friends, and most importantly, the safety of my mother-in-law, who still carries cash inside her walker as she heads to the Asian market. I realize that this fear I have cannot paralyze me.
As we often say in our allyship workshop, not saying anything can be seen as being complicit, so I am forging ahead to work through the gaslighting and find ways to now speak out, amplify, and allow my voice to be heard.
How You Can Take Action
Ready to take action? We’ve outlined a few ways you can get involved below:
Get Involved. Check out the Diversity Best Practices list of Asian American organizations you can participate in as well as support.
Report Hate. If you witness or experience any hate crimes, racist or xenophobic acts report them on https://stopaapihate.org/.
Listen. PBS put together an insightful platform giving the Asian American community a space to share their story. The series features different perspectives and personal stories, as well as the opportunity to submit your own.
Subha Barry is a C-suite leader and an advisor who brings a unique perspective on the alignment of corporate culture to talent strategy and business results. As a transformational change agent, she has a proven record of identifying and accelerating new business creation, driving sales, and increasing profitability.
Subha is president of Seramount.
Subha V. Barry is a C-suite leader and an advisor who brings a unique perspective on the alignment of corporate culture to talent strategy and business results. As a transformational change agent, she has a proven record of identifying and accelerating new business creation, driving sales, and increasing profitability.
Subha is president of Seramount where she drives the firm’s vision, strategy, and business development. Subha joined Working Mother Media (WMM) in 2015 and during her tenure she dramatically improved margins, expanded its portfolio through growth in high-value consulting and learning and development, exponentially grew their client roster, and recruited talented executive leaders to amplify subject matter and functional expertise. In 2021, Subha oversaw the brand’s transformation from WMM to Seramount, a leading strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to building high-performing, inclusive workplaces. Today, Seramount works with 450+ organizations globally, including half of the Fortune 500, to help our partners navigate today’s talent and DEI landscape.
Previously, Subha was senior vice president and chief diversity officer at Freddie Mac, where she served on the firm’s management committee and led their foundation. Prior to her time at Freddie Mac, Subha spent 20+ years at Merrill Lynch as managing director and their first global head of diversity & inclusion where she built their D&I strategy, infrastructure and execution plans from the ground up. She also created a highly successful Multicultural Business Development Group to focus their wealth management business on diverse and multicultural communities bringing in over $8 billion in new assets and $50+ million in annual revenues in just three years. She began her career at the firm as a financial advisor where she was a top 100 advisor among 16,000 in the firm.
Subha is a former adjunct professor at Columbia University’s SIPA, and currently serves on the Boards of SHRM Foundation, Rice 360, Rutgers Cancer Center and the Rutgers Institute of Women’s Leadership. She is also a Board Advisor at PE-owned Snowden Lane Partners. In the past, Subha has served on a variety of Boards as Board Chair, Head of Nominating & Governance, Finance, and HR and DEI Committees.
A native of India, Subha holds a BA from Bombay University and an MBA and MS in Accounting from Rice University. She enjoys golfing, reading poetry and rallying for social change. She has two grown children and lives in Naples, Florida and New Hope, PA with her husband.
Katie Oertil Mooney is Managing Director of Diversity Best Practices at Seramount. She is an accomplished DEI leader and thought partner with expertise in driving strategy and growth of diversity and inclusion change management, planning and programs.
Katie Oertli Mooney is a Managing Director at Seramount. She is an accomplished DEI leader and thought partner with expertise in driving strategy and growth of diversity and inclusion change management, planning and programs. Prior to joining Seramount, she was responsible for overseeing the client delivery, staffing, operations and growth as Vice President of Jennifer Brown Consulting. She was accountable for the firm’s successful consulting project delivery to clients from the Fortune 1000, government agencies, startups, to nonprofits.
Prior to that, she managed the DEI enterprise learning and development strategy at Capital One specializing in differential investment programming to support historically underrepresented talent and communities of color. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the GSBA; the largest LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce in North America and is supporting the organization in 2020, by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion for the Board of Directors, for the benefit of GSBA staff, members, partners and the LGBTQ+ and allied community of Washington State. Katie has a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management with a concentration on Diversity and Inclusion Management from Georgetown University. She is based in Seattle, WA.
