Facebook Leader calls on brands and the public to confront anti-Asian racism

As a marketer, Eric Toda always watches the Super Bowl with a critical eye. But this year, as he watched the brands pledge to change after a year of racial justice protests and political divisiveness, including at an NFL spot many felt missed the mark and a very strong Jeep ad. criticized starring Bruce Springsteen, he did not feel inspired by the messages of hope and unity.

In his mind were the recent reports of elderly Asians in Chinatowns stretching from New York’s Bay Area who were violently assaulted and, in at least one case, dying from their injuries, after an already difficult year which saw a spike in Asian Racism during the pandemic. Between March 19 and December 31, 2020, the national Stop AAPI Hate coalition documented 2,800 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate.

The news took Toda back to when he was 14, when his own grandfather was beaten up by a group of teenagers in a San Francisco park and had to recover in hospital.

More than 20 years later, Toda, now head of marketing at Facebook, is using his position of influence to speak out against ongoing anti-Asian racism, which dates back to the 1800s and exploded during the pandemic.

“The myth of the model minority is killing us right now,” Toda told CNBC Make It, referring to the stereotype that argues that Asian Americans are hardworking, calm and economically prosperous as a means of erase a history of racism towards community members. “It continues to put us on a pedestal to be silent and to be okay with silence. It pits us against other minority communities.”

“I realized that after having had a relatively successful marketing career with a platform, I had to use my voice in ways that were a bit contrary to our culture, to call and raise awareness about what is going on, and also try to make a change, “Toda explains.” The difference now is that we are much stronger and more able to use our voice. “

As a marketing executive who has also developed brands at Gap, Airbnb and Snapchat, Toda says advertisers should invest more money in campaigns that condemn racism targeting all marginalized groups, including Asian Americans. , and improve the representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by including them. in more roles in front of and behind the camera. The goal of an advertiser, he stresses, is to shape consumer perception within seconds of airtime.

In recent weeks, major brands such as Nike, ESPN and HBO have made public statements in support of communities of Asian descent and against racist attacks. Their posts encourage consumers to contribute to the ongoing work being done by groups such as Asian Americans, Advancing Justice, Asian Americans for Equality, Compassion Oakland, Send Chinatown Love, and Stop AAPI Hate.

It’s a good start, although Toda says he wants to see more allies from white decision-makers in brands, within companies and among the general public to understand why race and discrimination issues. racial issues are so important to deal with.

“White colleagues will say,” This is a big request to make. We all have jobs and now we have to consider prejudice, race and nuance every day? “Says Toda.” Well, yeah, now you know what it’s like to live in my skin, or to live in the skin of a black or Latin person – we have to take that into account as well as we let’s do our job. It’s empathy and perspective. “

He also believes brands can do more to tap into their multi-billion dollar coffers to directly contribute to court organizations.

Toda also wants organizational leaders to use this time to examine how they perpetuate the myth of the model minority in the workplace. Toda has seen what some call the “bamboo ceiling” in her own professional network, in which, due to racial prejudice, Asian-based professionals are the demographic group least likely to be promoted to leadership.

Researchers say employers can do better by examining the promotion gaps for employees in the United States of America and the Pacific Islands and providing them with better pathways, for example through training programs in leadership or mentoring. Decision makers who recruit should also be trained to recognize and actively address their own racial biases when assessing candidates.

Toda says his employer has been “extremely supportive” of his confrontation with the issue of anti-Asian discrimination and is working with him to make changes internally and externally; in the end, he says his speaking out is a “deeply personal” goal.

For its part, Facebook made the following statement to CNBC Make It On Demand: “We support the community of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including our many colleagues at Facebook. We condemn all acts of xenophobia, of violence and intolerance – and In view of the rise in anti-Asian sentiment, we remain vigilant against any threats. We prohibit hate speech and violence against the community and our teams strive to keep it out of our platform. We are reviewing the investments we’ve made to support justice in the AAPI community and exploring what more we can do. “

Facebook chief diversity officer Maxine Williams shared a post on Wednesday expressing solidarity with AAPIs and colleagues.

Within organizations themselves, training on diversity and anti-racism in the workplace often leaves aside issues of discrimination against employees of Asian descent, leaving workplaces ill-equipped to handle discussions of this issue. particular moment.

“A vast majority [of DEI leaders] I don’t know how to talk about issues related to Asians in America in a nuanced and complex way, ”says Michelle Kim, CEO of diversity training provider Awaken. She adds that unless leaders have been active in studying history and conversations about the Asian experience in America, “most people end up focusing on race as a very dark issue and White.”

Toda also sees this problem: “We continue to be seen as adjacent to white people. This is just not the truth. If you are looking to be anti-racist, you have to include all racism against minorities.”

While Toda is happy that anti-Asian racism issues are gaining attention right now, he urges companies to do more, whether through their HR or diversity and inclusion functions, to support under-represented and marginalized employees in all areas of identity.

“I’m keenly aware that in marketing this will likely be the social justice flavor of the month. Next month it could be another minority group, ”he said.

“The conversation always comes down to, how are you anti-racist and supporting your entire community and employee base with education and support, so when that happens to another community in the future, are you ready?

“The reality is,” Toda said, “being anti-racist is not a thing for 2020. It’s not even a thing for 2021. It’s a thing forever.”

Check: How to support fellow Asian Americans in the face of recent wave of anti-Asian violence

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