Paul Igasaki, the first Asian-American to hold the position of vice chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, advocated the use of affirmative action in hiring and said Asian-Americans should seek out mentors to break through the corporate "glass ceiling."
Approximately 20 people attended the speech, titled "Lack of Asian and Pacific American Role Models: Increasing Need for Mentors," held in Room 3 of the Rockefeller Center.
He said Asian-Americans still face discrimination in areas such as hiring.
"The issue of race remains a very, very clear reality for Asian-Americans," he said.
He said affirmative action is particularly important in the employment arena.
"What people need to be aware of is that women and minorities have to be considered, not that we have to hire them, but we need to consider them," Igasaki continued. "That is what I believe affirmative action is about."
Igasaki ascribed the presence of the corporate glass ceiling, a term used to describe the difficulties women and minorities face in obtaining high-management positions, to hiring decisions by employers who "hire people more like themselves."
"Affirmative action is something all of us need to get to a certain level," he said.
The glass ceiling is seen in Silicon Valley where Asian-Americans are heavily represented in the professional and engineering trades," Igasaki said.
"Asian-Americans found it difficult to get to the high positions in the big corporations there," he said. "They were producing patents for their corporations but weren't being promoted. They end up starting their own companies that have become some of the most flexible, most aggressive corporations."
"The only way to get through the glass ceiling is to increase the use of affirmative action," he said.
Mentors and role models can be helpful in breaking through the glass ceiling, he said.
"It is important to have role models, to have people inspire you," Igasaki said. "It is important to consider where this inspiration comes from. It doesn't have to be Asian-American."
Igasaki spoke about the lack of Asian-American politicians, lawyers and journalists.
"To those of you so inclined, consider taking risks in your career to make you visible to others, not just to Asian-Americans," he said.
The diversity of a city and of society leads to an increasing need for political and community involvement by minority groups, he said.
"I worked in Chicago during a time when there were no Asian-American police officers there, and it presented a problem," he said. "In one case, there was an altercation between two Asian-Americans. When the police brought one of them to the police station, they realized that they had arrested the victim."
It became necessary for police officers to be able to work with different cultures, Igasaki said.
The event was organized by the Asian and Pacific American Issues Forum, as part of a series recognizing May as Asian American Heritage Month.
"Asian American Heritage Month is a time where we can talk about the contributions and the experiences of Asian-Americans in this country and the difficulties we have faced," Igasaki said.
