Bamboo Ceiling Research Articles

“Asian” Is a Problematic Category in Research and Practice: Insights From the Bamboo Ceiling

“Asian” Is a Problematic Category in Research and Practice: Insights From the Bamboo Ceiling

Asian Educators Experiencing the Bamboo Ceiling: A Canadian Case Study of Systemic Barriers in Hiring, Advancement, and Promotion

Our study amplifies the voices of Asian educators undergoing career advancement in a large district school board with a significant Asian student population in Ontario, Canada. Our data sources included survey results from 234 Asian educators and focus group transcriptions from 83 Asian educators. Grounded in Asian critical race theory (“AsianCrit”), our findings show that Asian educators faced the “bamboo ceiling,” wherein institutional barriers and inequities in relation to their Asian identity limited their career advancement when applying for leadership roles. Through a thematic analysis, we found systemic barriers: (a) pressure to conform to whiteness to advance their careers, (b) accent and name discrimination, and (c) colonial ideologies that have been normalized and embedded in leadership selection processes. Our research addresses significant gaps in the literature on Asian Canadian educators’ experiences in career advancement and contributes to the important development of AsianCrit theory.

The Bamboo Ceiling: A Creativity Stereotype View on East Asians’ Underrepresentation in Leadership (WITHDRAWN)

The Bamboo Ceiling: A Creativity Stereotype View on East Asians’ Underrepresentation in Leadership (WITHDRAWN)

A study on why foreign-born East Asians but not US-born East Asians are underrepresented in leadership attainment in the U.S.

A recent study investigated the impact of culture of Asian groups on leadership attainment in the U.S. It revealed that East Asians (EAs) are less likely than South Asians (SAs) and white people (WP) to attain leadership positions, and SAs may even surpass WP in leadership attainment. The study explained that the underrepresentation of EAs in leadership positions in the U.S. (the so called bamboo ceiling) is partly because EAs communicate less assertively. Specifically, EA cultures value collectivism (e.g., humility and harmony), which are at odds with western cultures that value individualism (e.g., extraversion and assertiveness), whereas SA cultures are congruent with western cultures. However, the study did not distinguish the different impact of home culture (i.e., EA cultures) and host culture (i.e., western cultures) on US-born EAs versus foreign-born EAs. We argue that for US-born EAs (i.e., second generation EAs), host culture plays a more important role than home culture in their growth and they may not be underrepresented in leadership attainment compared to WP. The bamboo ceiling effect is mostly demonstrated among foreign-born EAs (i.e., first generation EAs) who are shaped mainly under the home culture. We support the argument by conducting analysis on one of the datasets in the original study and a new dataset from Fortune’s 40-under-40 list. Our study suggests that when studying the underrepresentation of leadership attainment for EAs, US-born EAs and foreign-born EAs should not be aggregated in one category. Considering the ethnic EA group, the bamboo ceiling phenomenon may exist mainly among foreign-born EAs because US-born EAs, with a median age of 21.3, are much younger than the general American population, who may not be experienced enough to be considered for leadership positions in established large companies.

Breaking the bamboo ceiling and de-bunking the model minority myth.

Leadership roles must incorporate representation from all involved individuals for the resulting decision-making process to reflect the interests and expertise of a diverse organization. Many resources have rightly focused on developing historically underrepresented racial and ethnic(HURE) leaders. Though numbers of Black and Hispanic dental school deans have increased, more work is needed for these and other HURE groups such as American Indians. Asians are not classified as HURE. As an aggregated group they have robust presence in the dental workforce in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia. The assumption is they are fine, so the group is ignored. Previous research indicates Asians are almost invisible in leadership roles in dentistry, and while the "Glass Ceiling" phenomenon for women persists, Asian women face even greater obstacles to leadership. This paper explores cultural factors contributing to the "Bamboo Ceiling", such as Confucian values emphasizing collectivism and deference to authority. It examines challenges faced by Asian women at the intersection of gender and race. The impact of the "Model Minority Myth" compounds these challenges, leading to overlooking diverse needs. The importance of dispelling these harmful myths is underscored. This paper provides strategies to combat them, urging proactive efforts from minorities and management. By shedding light on the "Bamboo Ceiling" and the "Model Minority Myth", this paper aims to reassess existing norms, current policies and procedures pertaining to equitable representation and leadership opportunities for Asian women in academic dentistry, community oral health, research, and in dental corporations.

East Asian American cultural essentialism

East Asian American cultural essentialism

A creativity stereotype perspective on the Bamboo Ceiling: Low perceived creativity explains the underrepresentation of East Asian leaders in the United States.

The "Bamboo Ceiling" refers to the perplexing phenomenon that, despite the educational and economic achievements of East Asians (e.g., ethnic Chinese, Koreans) in the United States, they are disproportionately underrepresented in leadership positions. To help elucidate this phenomenon, we propose a novel theoretical perspective: East Asians are underselected for leadership positions partially because they are stereotyped as lacking creativity, a prized leadership attribute in U.S. culture. We first tested our proposition in two field studies in a natural setting: Across 33 full class sections of 2,304 Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in a U.S. business program, East Asians were perceived by their classmates as less creative than other ethnicities (e.g., South Asian, White) at the beginning of the MBA program-when the students had limited interactions and thus were likely influenced by creativity stereotypes. Lower perceived creativity mediated why East Asians were less likely than other ethnicities to be nominated (Study 1) and elected (Study 2) as class-section leaders by their classmates. These patterns were robust after accounting for variables such as assertiveness (parallel mediator), leadership motivation, English proficiency, and demographics. These findings were conceptually replicated in two preregistered vignette experiments of non-Asian Americans with managerial experience (Studies 3 and 4, N = 1,775): Compared to candidates of other ethnicities, East Asian American candidates with a substantively identical profile were viewed as less leader-like as a function of lower perceived creativity. Overall, although East Asians are commonly stereotyped as competent, they are also stereotyped as lacking creativity, which can hinder their leadership emergence in U.S. organizations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Ethnic Studies and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A New Approach to the Bamboo Ceiling

Ethnic Studies and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A New Approach to the Bamboo Ceiling

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: An Examination of the Root Causes and Potential Solutions for Educational Opportunity Inequality Faced by Asian Women

This paper critically addresses the significant issue of educational opportunity inequality faced by Asian women, exploring its root causes and potential solutions, predicated on principles of justice and social development. The subjects of the study are Asian women, who are encumbered by intersecting societal stereotypes, cultural expectations, and institutional barriers, thereby curtailing their educational prospects. The study deploys an analytical interpretative approach, analyzing various societal stereotypes and prejudices, cultural factors, and systemic constraints, substantiated through a qualitative method. Findings reveal a collective imposition of an educational opportunity ceiling or Bamboo Ceiling on Asian women, proposing potential solutions including policy reforms, awareness initiatives, and educational strategies. Innovative methods are suggested, inspired by the narratives of Asian women, Li Ziqi and Papi Jiang, who overcame such inequalities. Ultimately, the study posits that acknowledging and addressing these entrenched sources of inequality could engender an environment fostering equal educational opportunities for Asian women, aiding in the demolition of the Bamboo Ceiling.

Durability and strength sustainability assessment of rockwool-bamboo reinforced ceiling boards

It is increasingly important to explore means of reducing deforestation in our environment by sourcing alternatives for timber in the forest. Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) is known for its strength and flexibility, which makes it a popular material for construction, furniture, and other uses that are still being explored. This paper evaluated the use of bamboo for the design of ceiling boards based on the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo. We explored the use of bamboo powder, bamboo fibre, and bamboo sticks that are usually discarded during construction activities, using urea-formaldehyde as a binding agent. The bamboo ceiling boards were tested for their physical (water absorption, thickness swelling, and density) and mechanical (modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity) properties. Water absorption ranged from 41.9% to 86.4% after 2 h immersion in water and from 41.9% to 97.6% after 24hrs immersion. The modulus of rupture was 78.915 N/mm2 and the highest density was 0.424 g/cm3. Given these results, bamboo is a suitable material for the production of ceiling boards.

Supplemental Material for A Creativity Stereotype Perspective on the Bamboo Ceiling: Low Perceived Creativity Explains the Underrepresentation of East Asian Leaders in the United States

Supplemental Material for A Creativity Stereotype Perspective on the Bamboo Ceiling: Low Perceived Creativity Explains the Underrepresentation of East Asian Leaders in the United States

Unequal Opportunity Issues Faced by Asian Women in The Workplace: Literature Review

The paper explores how women from south Korea, Japan, and China face sexual harassment in their workplace. Women face sexual harassment, job insecurity, low wages, the glass ceiling, and the bamboo ceiling effect. Research from various Asian countries shows that women risk gender discrimination while recruiting. In addition, they suffer sexual harassment from their colleagues and employers. According to several researchers, women face sexual harassment occurs due to two conditions; a hostile working environment and when a job benefit is in place, such as promotion. Stereotypes of women have led to such gender discrimination, which otherwise affects their mental health, overall health, and future success. Research from various Asian countries shows that women have a higher risk of sexual harassment than men. In addition, women face sexual harassment from their co-workers and supervisors. Sexual harassment may be verbal or physical; either way, it has a negative impact on the victim. The paper also describes effective ways to mitigate sexual harassment in workplaces.

Asians Are Not Interchangeable.

To the Editor: As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (at the time of writing), we are compelled to address Liu and colleagues’ article by calling on medical schools across the nation to recognize the realities we face. 1 As 2 Asians in the United States, we repudiate the notion of an ethnic monolith deserving of hate by raising awareness of our distinct heritages and challenging the myth of the model minority, which assumes that all Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are able to achieve high levels of success, because of their well-educated and hardworking nature. We are 2 AAPI physicians-in-training with unique backgrounds and experiences: Filipino-American and Hong Konger, Asian American and Asian Immigrant, native and non-native English speaker, united by this dialogue. We invite medical schools to join in this dialogue on anti-Asian hate, social invisibility, and the model minority myth by addressing the following 3 areas. First, we urge all medical schools to provide opportunities and scholarships for AAPI-related public health research. AAPI-health research is critically underfunded, comprising only 0.17% of the National Institutes of Health budget between 1992 and 2018. 1 This is exemplified by the shockingly low amount of clinical research dedicated to studying cancer in AAPIs. According to ClinicalTrials.gov, only 5 out of over 10,000 registered trials in January 2013 focused on cancer in AAPIs. 2 If research on the diseases that disproportionately affect AAPI individuals, such as liver and stomach cancers, remain underfunded, the research gap will only widen health disparities between AAPIs and the general U.S. population. Second, we ask medical schools to dismantle the barriers to success that AAPI individuals face by introducing inclusion efforts, mentorship, and career counseling. The “bamboo ceiling,” long-standing barriers in AAPI career advancement due to institutional racism, is especially salient in medicine. Compared with other ethnic groups, Asians experience a large disparity between the percentage of department chairs relative to the number of full-time faculty. 3 Third, we urge medical schools to overcome implicit bias and discrimination by integrating dialogue on the effects of anti-Asian hate within antiracism curriculum. Despite the success of AAPIs in medicine, we must not overlook the tragic history of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States, from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, to the WWII Japanese internment camps, to the anti-Asian hate crimes that have risen in recent years. 1 These moments have had a profound impact on AAPIs, with race events since the COVID-19 pandemic as a particular concern for AAPI well-being and safety. As the fastest growing ethnicity group in the United States, 4 we urge all medical schools to proactively develop policies that demonstrate equity, justice, dignity, and respect toward the AAPI community.

Is There a Bamboo Ceiling? The Asian-White Gap in Managerial Attainment for College-Educated Workers

While public perceptions allege the existence of a “bamboo ceiling,” that is, a disadvantage in managerial attainment experienced by Asian workers, academic research on this question is relatively scarce and provides inconsistent findings. This study proposes that the opportunity of achieving managerial positions varies not only between White and Asian workers, but also across Asian subgroups defined by their place of birth and education. Using the data from the 2017 National Survey of College Graduates, this study finds significant inequalities in the probabilities of managerial attainment among Asians. Foreign-born Asians who have received no American education or only higher education in the United States are significantly disadvantaged relative to U.S.-born Whites and other Asians. This study also shows that this pattern of inequality associated with the place of one’s education is more salient among East Asian immigrants than among their counterparts from South Asia. These findings extend and enrich the theoretical understanding of the shaping of the “bamboo ceiling” and suggest directions of future studies.

A social network perspective on the Bamboo Ceiling: Ethnic homophily explains why East Asians but not South Asians are underrepresented in leadership in multiethnic environments.

In the United States, Asians appear disproportionately underrepresented in leadership roles, a puzzling phenomenon known as the "Bamboo Ceiling" (Hyun, 2005; Lu et al., 2020). We advance a social network explanation for this phenomenon: ethnic homophily. We theorize that East Asians (e.g., ethnic Chinese)-but not South Asians (e.g., ethnic Indians)-are less likely than other ethnicities to emerge as leaders in multiethnic environments partly because East Asians socialize more with ethnic ingroup members (other East Asians). Analyzing a survey of 54,620 Juris Doctor (JD) students from 124 U.S. law schools, Study 1 revealed that East Asians had the highest ethnic homophily of all ethnicities. Studies 2 and 3 examined friendship networks and leadership emergence in 11 class sections of new Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in a U.S. business school, and found that East Asians were the least likely to be nominated and elected as leaders. Social network analysis revealed that, compared to South Asians, Latinos, and Whites, East Asians exhibited higher ethnic homophily, which mediated their lower leadership emergence. These effects occurred for both East Asian internationals and East Asian Americans, and were robust after accounting for variables such as assertiveness (parallel mediator), network centrality, English proficiency, demographics, and personality. By integrating social network analysis into psychology, we identify ethnic homophily as one reason why the Bamboo Ceiling exists for East Asians but not South Asians. Moreover, by uncovering the negative link between ethnic homophily and leadership emergence, our research suggests that bonding with people from different ethnic backgrounds can facilitate individuals' leadership emergence in multiethnic environments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Challenges for APA Women in and Outside of the Classroom

Despite often being characterized as the “model minority,” Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) have several challenges when it comes to their roles in the discipline of political science. Even the categorization of APAs as a single entity runs into problems when we consider the many countries that constitute Asia and the distinct experiences of Asians vs. those of Asian Americans within our discipline. In addition, the issues facing APAs also differ significantly based on gender. Each of these layers adds complexity to create a common experience from which we can learn and share important lessons. However, there are several themes that reemerge and can help APA faculty prepare for the challenges they face in the discipline, help our colleagues better support APA faculty, and help universities create more inclusive environments that will benefit both faculty and students alike. In this essay, I focus on three areas of importance to understanding the challenges APAs, and more specifically APA women, face in our discipline. First, I address the unique set of challenges many APAs face in the classroom. Second, I discuss the problems many APA women face with their colleagues or within their institutions. Finally, I analyze how institutions of higher education and our discipline, in general, can offer more support to the study of the APA experience. The goal of this essay is to not only raise awareness of the challenges APAs face, thereby offering support to other APA faculty, but to also offer suggestions for ways to improve the discipline of political science to make APAs feel more included and supported.

Constantly on the move Chinese engineers’ job-hopping strategies in information technology work

AbstractThis article examines Chinese immigrant engineers’ navigation in the highly flexible information technology (IT) industry in the United States and their strategies of utilizing the high-velocity labour market to their advantage. Flexible employment has grown both in prevalence and prominence in the study of the American IT industry. What flexibility theorists fail to attend to, however, is the ethnicised demission of the high-velocity labour market in the IT sector. To address this vacancy, the researcher conducted a 13-month ethnography at a leading internet-services firm in the United States and 66 additional interviews with engineers from eight leading tech companies. The ethnographic work showed that inequality that emerged within the tech firms (e.g. ‘bamboo ceilings’) disadvantaged Chinese engineers’ career development. The ‘bamboo ceiling’ stimulated Chinese immigrants to use the high-velocity labour market to normalize their job-hopping practices, in order to circumvent their career disadvantage. To facilitate their job-hopping, Chinese engineers developed university-based networks. This study concludes that, with help of their university network, Chinese immigrants became the most mobile group in the US tech industry, which further preserved the industry’s flexibility.

Practicing Architecture under the Bamboo Ceiling

Iwahiko Tsumanuma (also known as Thomas S. Rockrise) was among the earliest immigrants from Japan to come to the United States to study architecture, and in the early twentieth century he established a successful practice, first in New York City and later in Asia. However, despite his training at Syracuse University in the conventional Beaux-Arts architectural vocabulary of the period, Tsumanuma found that the expectations of white patrons required that he design objects and spaces around Orientalist themes in the language of Japonisme. In Practicing Architecture under the Bamboo Ceiling: The Life and Work of Iwahiko Tsumanuma (Thomas S. Rockrise), 1878–1936, Gail Dubrow and collaborators Christina M. Rockrise, Alyssa Gregory, and Sarah Pawlicki make use of a previously unavailable archive of Tsumanuma's family papers to document the architect's life and career, presenting an in-depth case study of the multiple ways in which racism shaped the lives and experiences of Japanese immigrant architects in the United States in the early twentieth century. The methods used for this investigation, which included consulting family papers and collaborating with family descendants, provide a model for scholars seeking to better understand racism's formative role in shaping the history of the architectural profession.

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Practical Strategies for Asian American and Pacific Islander Counselor Educators

Asian counselor educators in predominantly White institutions face challenges that are not shared by their White colleagues or by other faculty of color. This article outlines the barriers for Asian counselor educators and establishes a call to action for researchers to act in ways that support Asian faculty retention and success.

The Bamboo Ceiling: A Network Perspective on Why East Asians are Underrepresented in Leadership

In the United States, Asians appear disproportionately underrepresented in leadership roles, a puzzling phenomenon known as the “Bamboo Ceiling.” We advance a social network explanation for this phenomenon: ethnic homophily. We theorize that East Asians—but not South Asians—are less likely than Caucasians to attain leadership roles in multiethnic environments partly because of their tendency to socialize with their ethnic ingroup members (i.e., other East Asians). Across two studies, we examined the leadership attainment and the friendship networks of 11 ethnically diverse class sections of new MBA students in a US business school. East Asians were less likely than South Asians and Caucasians to be (a) nominated as leaders and (b) elected as leaders. Social network analysis revealed that while all ethnic groups exhibited ethnic homophily in friendship, East Asians exhibited the highest ethnic homophily, which consistently mediated their low leadership attainment. These results were robust after we controlled for variables such as assertiveness, availability of ethnic ingroup members, nationality, socioeconomic status, and personality. By applying social network analysis, this research identifies ethnic homophily as an important reason why East Asians but not South Asians face the Bamboo Ceiling. More broadly, by uncovering the negative link between ethnic homophily and leadership attainment in multiethnic environments, our research suggests that connecting with people from diverse ethnic backgrounds may facilitate individuals’ leadership attainment in multiethnic environments.