220: Blended – Immigration and Identity
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 guest’s 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.
Introductions to our Blended panelists. Stefanie – Product Manger at Terminal 49 Martha – Global Snr. IT Manager of Enterprise & Corp Systems at McKesson Sneha – Demand Planning/Operations Program Manager at Crane Shana – Associate Director of Product Management, International Supply Chain at Wayfair
The group defines the word ‘immigration.’
The panel discusses their personal experiences of immigration.
The group reflects on their accents and the impact of ‘sounding different.’ Bias Self-consciousness Identity Integration
The panel discusses the word immigrant, and what it means to them. Context: facts vs assumptions Intention, bias and misuse When do you stop calling someone an immigrant? The controversial use of the word ‘alien’
The group reflects on the widespread Asian hate experienced following the start of the pandemic, and the nuances around the word ‘Asian.’ The fear felt by many Asian communities One word to represent so many different people Two-way communication – being open to both asking, and answering, questions Allyship
.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. Be a change agent: use your position to amplify voices – Shana We have a responsibility to each other as human beings, and everything begins with love – Martha Leaders need to have more empathy, and connect with immigrants more – Stefanie Embrace everyone, and stop filtering people by ethnicity or immigration status – Sneha
