The Tao of Self-Confidence

2The Challenges Asian Women Still Face

As an Asian woman, you face so many challenges in perception and mindset that hold you back from being considered for leadership roles. It's important to identify these challenges and name them so you find support or resources as you experience them. All women can relate to these challenges, no matter their culture.

The “Submissive” Stereotype

How many times have you heard Asian women described as quiet, submissive, and obedient? This negative stereotype hurts us as a whole because we are seen as an easy target to be bullied, attacked, and often not taken seriously.

If you're seen as quiet, submissive, and obedient, how can anyone see you as a leader? It's so important to dismantle the negative stereotypes that you and I face so that Asian women and all women can be seen as leaders.

The Hypersexualized Stereotype

Often, Asian women are seen as “exotic” and fetishized as sex objects. The hypersexualization of Asian women is dehumanizing, and a great example of that is the Atlanta shooting.

I remember when I first heard about the Atlanta spa shooting that took the lives of six Asian women. While the Asian community was in an uproar, the county sheriff mentioned that the shooter was having a “bad day” and that his “temptations” were the reasons why he decided to have a shooting spree in three different spa locations.¹

Finally, when mainstream media had the opportunity to bring awareness to anti‐Asian crimes that were happening, they were ...