Bamboo Ceiling: East-Asian-Americans’ Effort to Prove their American Identity Silences Them

Keywords: East Asian; identity tension; Bamboo Ceiling

Abstract: Diversity in the workplace is a concern for most organizations. However, the experience of minority groups not only differ from dominant groups, but also differ among each other. In a study comparing East Asians working employees with White and African-American employees, we show that East Asian employees are more likely to feel inauthentic which subsequently inhibit their voicing behaviors. In doing so, we contribute to the literature on diversity as well as provide a cognitive and behavioral account of why these differences hamper career advancement and the presence of phenomenon such as the ‘Bamboo Ceiling.’