Sep 15, 2021
It’s episode 12, and that means it’s been a whole year of Blended! This year has flown by – I’ve hosted some incredible guests and it’s been a real honor that they’ve opened up, and shared their stories with us – in a lot of cases they’ve been really sensitive, personal topics and yet they’ve thrown themselves into it with authenticity and humor so that, as a group, we’ve been able to start to break down stigma and create a safe space for people to ask questions, learn, grow and work through their own belief systems and experiences. We’ve tackled some huge topics – social inequality, racism, sexism, trans rights – and we don’t plan on stopping now!
Today in episode 12, ‘Immigration and Identity,’ I’m joined by an amazing new group of supply chain and DEI professionals to tackle the, sometimes controversial, subject of immigration. I’ve interviewed so many first and second-generation immigrations on Let's Talk Supply Chain, and that aspect of the guests' identity, more often than not, really helps to shape who they are as people, their ambition and aspirations. It’s always a fantastic talking point, so we thought it really deserved a show of its own. Our panelists share their personal journeys and we tackle the challenges and biases as well as the joys and successes of immigrant experiences.
[03.04] Introductions to our Blended panelists.
“It wasn’t actually until I went to college that I had my first experience where I felt different.” Shana
[08.57] The group defines the word ‘immigration.’
[12.13] The panel discusses their personal experiences of immigration.
“I learned to appreciate how diverse my home city of Mombasa was, and I saw that in the US it’s often not as tolerant as it should be for a first world country – it was a huge surprise.” Martha
[34.47] The group reflects on their accents, and the impact of ‘sounding different.’
“I tried to hide my accent, that bias is there… but my accent is a core part of my being so I don’t hide it anymore and I’m happy with the way I am – but it took me some years to learn that.” Sneha
[47.23] The panel discusses the word immigrant, and what it means to them.
“There’s always a culture struggle of ‘who do I identify with?' Do I let go of my Asian culture so I can blend in more, or be more Chinese but have a conflict of ‘who am I?’” – Stefanie
[56.55] The group reflects on the widespread Asian hate experienced following the start of the pandemic, and the nuances around the word ‘Asian.’
“We all come from a different ethnicity, we all have our own unique identities – and we would like to be respected for where we come from.” Sneha
[1.19.42] The panelists each give their sum-up from today’s discussion around what we can we do to celebrate diversity through immigration, to create opportunities and to elevate voices.
You can connect with Stefanie, Martha, Sneha and Shana over on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.