114 - The Other Ugly Virus of 2020: Anti-Asian Bias

Littler Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Podcast

In the midst of our current global health crisis, the deliberate use of terms like “Chinese flu” and “Wuhan virus” has underscored hundreds of reports of racism and xenophobia directed to Asian-Americans. The spike has been so high that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently called on employers to be more attentive about creating “respectful workplaces” as reports continue to emerge about the harassment and mistreatment directed to people of Asian descent, in reaction to the novel coronavirus. In this podcast, Littler Principal Cindy-Ann Thomas and her guests, Littler Shareholder Tahl Tyson and businesswoman Jeanne Guanzon discuss the following issues, among others: • Reasons for the persistent rhetoric pertaining to original terms given to COVID-19 • The historical, cyclical and personal realities of anti-Asian bias in the U.S. • The roles that leaders must play in dialing down “otherness” and “exclusion” - particularly in times of crisis. • What affirmative steps can organizations - and their leaders - take to bridge this developing divide in a post-COVID-19 world.