API Professionals Point to Racial Climate as Top Workplace Stressor

As the U.S. Supreme Court considers yet another workplace discrimination case and academics squabble over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, a new report exposes critical insights into mental health stressors for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) professionals.

This report by Ascend, a global nonprofit network advancing Asian and Pacific Islander (API) equity, is the third and final installment of the nonprofit’s mental health series outlines pressing issues, including the U.S. racial climate, work-life balance, and under-recognition of cultural workplace challenges.

Based on a survey of more than 600, the report found:

• 77 percent of API professionals identified the country’s racial climate as a major stress source.
• More than half – 55 percent – also pointed to incidents of anti-Asian hate.
• Another 74 percent reported that work-life balance only adds to their stress.

Despite 78 percent of those surveyed conceding that their employers offer mental health resources, only 15 percent of them felt that leadership prioritized their mental health.

Additional Insight

The report stresses that API employees consistently feel excluded, blaming things such as the influence of collectivist cultures, the lingering stigma surrounding  mental health, and stereotypes like the “Model Minority” myth.

These cultural pressures, Ascend’s surveyors found, can lead to increased acculturative stress and feelings of invisibility at work.

Most of the respondents – 87 percent – expressed the importance of support from individuals of similar backgrounds, highlighting a need for culturally sensitive approaches in mental health policies.

“Effective mental health support goes hand-in-hand with a deep understanding of cultural differences and nuances,” Ascend President Anna Mok said. “API professionals contribute immensely to the U.S. economy and society, but their mental health needs are often overlooked.”

Recommendations

The report’s authors also offered actionable recommendations to help organizations foster a more supportive environment that recognizes and addresses the mental health needs of API employees.

To build genuinely supportive workplaces, the authors recommend that organizations focus on two priorities:

• Understanding API-specific cultural needs.
• Fostering authentic employee well-being beyond surface-level initiatives.

Specifically, the authors suggest that employers include training managers on cultural sensitivities while offering access to culturally competent counseling and mental health resources. For example, workplaces should avoid “one-size-fits-all” approaches and roll out programs that respect API employees’ unique cultural experiences and challenges, such as acculturative stress and intergenerational trauma.

The report’s authors also emphasize how critical API representation is in upper management roles. Asian professionals are the least likely to advance to executive positions despite being widely represented in the workforce. In 2023, for instance, only 7 percent of executives were APIs. Addressing this “invisibility” by boosting API representation in leadership can quell feelings of isolation and help foster a sense of belonging – critical for a healthy mental state at work.

Finally, Ascend’s survey underscores the need to realign workplace priorities beyond mental health resources to include a broader culture of inclusivity. Token gestures, such as occasional mental health days or generalized diversity initiatives, aren’t enough anymore. Instead, Ascend’s researchers urge companies to critically revisit and revise their mental health policies regularly.

In conclusion, the authors argue that companies committed to tackling the singular challenges that API employees struggled with can foster more resilient, engaged, and productive workplaces, which benefits everyone. And by focusing on the well-being of API employees, employers can cultivate a culture where everyone feels seen, understood, and supported.

Further Reading

Stress Remains a Not-So-Silent Health Threat

Work Hours, Sleep Sufficiency, and Prevalence of Depression Among Full-Time Employees

Understanding the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Crisis