Stephanie Chong, noodPR is featured in ThriveGlobal!
For the original article, click here: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/asian-american-entrepreneurs-overcoming-hate-you-are-the-company-you-keep-an-interview-with-stephanie-chong/
This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie J. Chong, the Founder and Principal at noodPR, a Canadian PR agency for sustainable, ethical and socially-conscious brands. She began her career as a freelance writer at a national publication before working with brands such as DAVIDsTEA, MEC, Lise Watier, and Rudsak.
Tell me about your business, and what kind of work you do.
I am the founder of noodPR. We position our clients at the forefront of their respective industries as thought leaders and trailblazers through strategic communications. Our mission is to influence our clients’ targeted audiences to choose the brands and people we represent by getting into their hearts and minds with compelling, contextual storytelling.
What unique challenges have you experienced as an Asian-American in business?
I am an Asian-Canadian businessperson (as opposed to Asian-American) and generally speaking, we are less inclined to be as racially neurotic as our neighbors south of the border. This is due to the ethnic density of Asians in Canada – there is proportionately a larger Asian population in Canada because of its attitude towards assimilation and its reputation as the “safer” option for immigration. In America, the identity crisis of choosing whether one is “Asian” or “American” exists rampantly because of its inherent cultural attitude towards the importance of adopting American values. This, in turn, amplifies existing challenges for our American counterparts.
Nevertheless, being an Asian-Canadian in business still has its unique set of challenges, which I’m sure Asian-Americans identify with. Since the pandemic, Asian-owned (primarily brick and mortar) businesses have suffered immensely due to underlying racism fuelled by the COVID-19 outbreak. I am lucky to say that my business, noodPR operates remotely and therefore I haven’t had to deal with any kind of hateful behavior as of yet. However, I can’t say I haven’t had my fair share of challenges due to systemic racism and Asian stereotypes. I’ve dealt with microaggressions in my corporate life where my (uninformed) boss commented about a difficult client: “but why does he like you? Probably because you’re Asian.” It made me feel as though I wasn’t valued for my intense work ethic or resourcefulness, and the only reason one could ever appreciate me was due to my ethnicity.
On multiple occasions, professionally and personally, I’ve been subject to the stereotype of being a docile, subservient, and meek Asian female. In my previous life, I worked in a testosterone-driven environment where I was the client, and vendors (primarily men) would “mansplain” things to me out of context, talk to me like I don’t understand English, and ramble endlessly about their personal affairs. On one occasion, I remember telling a representative from Bloomberg: “Can you get to the point, please? We don’t have a lot of time and I don’t see how this has anything to do with our request.” It was valid, direct, and professional for me to say that. Since then, he no longer responded to the questions I asked of him, and instead would respond to my colleagues (all of which were male) and acted as if I didn’t exist when we were in the same room. Even my colleagues noticed he was acting unfair to me, and it was because I no longer fit the “mold” he had in his head of how I was supposed to act: subservient, docile, and agreeable – somebody he could speak to like a child.
Have you experienced a noticeable difference in discrimination since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic?
I haven’t personally experienced a noticeable difference in discrimination since the onset of COVID-19. This could be due to the fact that I’m not a senior citizen and I don’t operate a brick and mortar business. However, I know that discrimination in Canada has been on the rise since the pandemic started, especially in B.C., which is where I’ve been residing this year. In fact, a federally-funded study conducted by several groups under the umbrella of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice found that B.C. has the most reported incidents per capita of any sub-national region in North America. Statistics from the Vancouver Police Department show a 717 per cent rise in hate crimes against East Asians from 2019 – 2020.
How do you cope with discrimination, and what might you suggest to other Asian-American professionals who might be facing the same discrimination?
It’s common to feel distraught after facing discrimination, so it’s important to take a breath, drink some water and feel your feelings. Once you’re at a place where you can think clearly, the best thing to do is to log everything you remember about the incident such as the date, time, witnesses, people involved, and what happened. Anything from microaggressions, bigotry to more obvious offenses. This way, you can build a case so your HR department can take your complaints seriously. However, it’s important to keep in mind that HR’s role is to protect the organization, not you. It’s helpful to educate yourself and know your rights as an employee and as an individual.
Self-care is crucial following an act of discrimination. It’s critical that you don’t dwell on what happened and take those feelings home with you, so I also recommend unplugging from social media and electronics if you find yourself triggered. You should vent about the situation after some time has passed to a therapist or a trusted friend to gain perspective.
What are some of the key factors in overcoming acts of discrimination?
Overcoming acts of discrimination doesn’t happen overnight, but some key factors we should take into account are:
Having a healthy social circle
The saying, “you are the company you keep” couldn’t be more true. On your journey towards fighting against systemic and overt racism, we should be choosier about the company we keep.
There were two long-time friends whom I should have considered letting go of early on when there were blaring red flags! One used to make condescending remarks towards immigrants, and the other had an unhealthy obsession with speaking ill of Chinese Canadians (her mother got laid off due to her company being bought out by a large Chinese corporation). Their limited worldview and overt racism and discrimination eventually translated into selfish, inconsiderate behavior. By distancing yourself from questionable characters in your social circle, you will naturally make room for better, more well-rounded people who will inspire you to become the best version of yourself!
Strong community support
Having a sense of community unites us and makes us feel as if we are part of something bigger than ourselves. It also gives us opportunities to connect with people on a social and professional level. You can leverage this by educating yourself about racism and then networking with members in your community to spread knowledge so they can make informed decisions on how to avoid making racist remarks, or how to respond to racial discrimination.
Empowering others through education, awareness and integration
You can inspire those around you either by participating in existing programs to overcome racial injustice, developing awareness initiatives on your own or integrating it into your everyday life. For instance, we can support BIPOC-owned small businesses over others on our daily coffee routine and choose indie beauty brands instead of Sephora.
We can educate others about different resources that support social sustainability. For instance, in my recent conversations with friends who own small businesses and are experiencing difficult times due to the pandemic, I’ve been telling them about ImpactGIV – a platform founded by another friend, Nabil Arif, which pairs micro-philanthropists with social and sustainability activists and changemakers who require funding for their impact-driven projects. It’s easy to make connections, all you have to do is be in the mindset of doing so.
What can non-Asian Americans do to support their Asian American friends and colleagues who are facing discrimination in the workplace or on the street?
You can do so by supporting our businesses without spending a dime! Follow our business page on social media, share our posts, and like and comment to improve our visibility. Alternatively, you can post about anti-Asian racism on your business/personal social media or donate to organizations such as the CCNCSJ which educates, engages, and advocates for equity and justice for all in Canada (sorry, I’m not American).
To follow Stephanie’s entrepreneurial journey, connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn, or follow noodPR on Twitter.
— Published onMay 5, 2021
