Intercultural Communications 1

Intercultural Communications: Professionalism and Racism in the Workplace

Endy Salome

NLU
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Professionalism and Racism in the Workplace

Equality is an issue that has plagued the United States since the modern birth of the

nation. There are many intercultural issues we can easily observe. An important and relevant

matter right now is the ties between professionalism and racism in the workplace. Every minority

in America has had some sort of racist or prejudiced experience, but it is more than just daily

experiences from individual persons. The reality for minorities is that there are extra hoops to

jump through because of institutionalized racism, systemic racism, and prejudice, especially

since it is justified by a lack of legislature and employers who are not held accountable.

Americans are taught at a young age what is socially acceptable and what we should

strive for to be successful young adults in the workforce. We are told how to dress in school and

what type of hairstyles are considered "proper." In an online article, Haley Hartnett talks about

the early introductions that minorities experience, stating that amongst sexism and transphobia

“[d]ress codes also are used to reinforce race discrimination as well, by implicitly stating that

those from diverse backgrounds and cultures do not belong in school, and that they must

assimilate to fit into a dominant “white” culture in order to be successful” (2022). There have

been countless incidents throughout the years, and “[w]hile many schools have released

statements vowing to change, in some cases, the damage has been done, students and graduates

say. In their posts on Instagram, Black students have described racist incidents, an inability to

ask faculty for help and support, a lack of confidence and trust in authority figures, and general

feelings of being outsiders” (Samuel, 2020). Not only do minorities endure racism from

classmates, but they also are set up to be targeted by dress codes and faculty that are not willing

to support or understand them.

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By the time people enter the workforce, they have likely already experienced what it is

like to assimilate to fit in and have better chances of success. These experiences never fail to

leave their impact on people of color. Discrimination in the workplace is illegal, but most would

not guess so because support in discriminatory situations is often difficult to come across. “No

group of workers alleging discrimination — age, gender, disability, or otherwise — fares well.

Race claims, however, are among the most commonly filed and have the lowest rate of success,

with just 15 percent receiving some form of relief, often compensation” (Jameel, 2019). So, what

is the point of anti-discrimination laws existing if those who are supposed to enforce them do not

hold anyone accountable? This makes it difficult for people facing discrimination because they

already distrust those in authority, even more so when they do reach out for help and have

nothing to show for it. It is also difficult to prove discrimination has happened because even

though there are cases like the one at the Austal USA shipyard where “workers described images

of hanging men, threats against specific employees, and Ku Klux Klan references scribbled

inside stalls and on mirrors and walls", there are also many cases where the discrimination is

passive-aggressive (Jameel, 2019). “Complaint data shows that [discrimination] can often

manifest in more subtle ways, such as the assignments workers are given, the pay or benefits

they receive, and the ways their performance is judged and rewarded” and so it is easier for those

in higher positions to sweep incidents under the rug and refuse accountability (Jameel, 2019).

Unfortunately, discrimination and racism often fall under the pretense of promoting

professionalism in the workplace. “Professionalism has become coded language for white

favoritism in workplace practices that more often than not privilege the values of white and

Western employees and leave behind people of color” (Gray, 2019). It is no secret that standards

in America are based on white supremacy, except to white people since they are not affected by
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it. White supremacy is reflected in every part of American history and trickles down into our

workplaces and schools. Not only is white supremacy protected by those who run this country,

but it is perpetuated by their individual ways of thinking and actions. As a culture, America does

not do much to protect minorities, especially Black and Hispanic individuals, who are the

minorities attacked with the most negative stereotypes, unlike the Asian American community,

who are often referred to as the model minority (Neuliep, p. 100, 2017). “In the workplace, white

supremacy culture explicitly and implicitly privileges whiteness and discriminates against non-

Western and non-white professionalism standards related to dress code, speech, work style, and

timeliness” (Gray, 2019). Simple occurrences such as utilizing certain hairstyles or cultural

clothing can be used against a minority. One of the issues we are now hearing about on the news

these days is the way Black people are told their natural hair or protective hairstyle is

unprofessional. Incidents like these have plagued the Black community for years. They have

always been targeted for their natural features, for their blackness, for things they cannot change.

Even though it is something that has been known in the community, it has only recently been

discussed in mainstream media. Ever since the gruesome murder of George Floyd and the

protests for Black lives that followed in 2020, there has been much more focus on Black issues

and the issue of white supremacy. However, we have only begun to scratch the surface. The

roots of these issues run deep into the history of this country.

Discrimination in the workplace does not end with critiques of hair and style of clothes.

The white standard also attacks the way non-white people speak. This country has perpetuated

this idea that America is a beautiful melting pot of many cultures that all desire the American

dream. While that may partially be true, white Americans also tend to shy away from admitting

that racism is still a real issue, not one of the past. Immigrants who come to America to chase the
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American Dream are often met with the difficulty of learning English, many of them having to

learn as an adult on top of everything else that comes with living in a foreign country. Instead of

being praised for learning a second language, they are discriminated against for their accents and

when they speak in their mother tongue. This is also a stem of white supremacy because it is

very specific to Black and Brown accents. An immigrant from the U.K. would not have the same

plights even though they are also foreign to the country and speak with an accent. Even

something as simple as a name can be hindering. “People with non-white sounding names find it

more difficult to get responses to their job applications, according to the National Bureau of

Economic Research” (Gray, 2019). People who move to the U.S. from different countries often

feel they must assimilate, sometimes as far as changing their names to something “acceptable”

simply to get a callback.

There is intense pressure on people of color in the United States. Whether they were born

here or emigrated, we can see that either way, they face some form of discrimination. There are

laws that are supposed to protect those who are vulnerable, and yet racism and discrimination is

a problem that continues to persist. How can we eradicate this problem? First, it is essential to

understand the root of the issue. The modern United States is a country that was built on white

supremacy. White Americans often do not see that there are problems or why the problems exist.

This is a critical part of the issue because white Americans are ignorant since they do not reap

the repercussions of institutionalized racism. White people may not even realize they are part of

the problem and perpetuate harmful stereotypes because of “[i]mplicit bias, the automatic and

unconscious associations people make based on discriminatory stereotypes” (Gray, 2019). The

first primary step to solving this issue is for Americans to become more aware and acknowledge

the reality of what it is like to be a Brown, Black, Asian, or Native American living in this
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country. Once we, as a society, acknowledge that there is a problem, then we can take steps to

solve that problem. There are already anti-discrimination laws that exist, but they must be

enforced, and we must continue to push for legislation that protects minorities.

One of the main things to do is accept accountability, and it starts at the top. When we

look at the news, we can see that progress is happening. More and more people are willing to call

out injustices, and when voices are banded together, they can make waves and create real

change. People who have been afraid and complacent are now becoming bolder. George Floyd’s

murder “sparked days of unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul and mass protests across the globe

over the treatment of Black people by police. Since then, lawmakers both nationally and locally

have debated police reform and whether law enforcement officers must change how they do their

jobs. In schools, educators and students have tackled discussions on race and equity” (The

murder of George Floyd, 2022). If it had not been for the brave witnesses and the unrest around

the world, Floyd’s murderers may not have even been fired, let alone charged with a crime. It is

imperative that minorities continue to use their voices for justice and that those who are not

affected by racism, whether in a professional setting or societally, become allies to further

amplify the voices of people of color.

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References

Persechino, S. (2022, January 11). School Dress Codes Perpetuate Sexism, Racism, and

Transphobia. Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-new-hampshire-action-

fund/blog/school-dress-codes-perpetuate-sexism-racism-and-transphobia

Samuel, I., & Wellemeyer, J. (2020, July 4). Black students experience trauma from racist

incidents at school, experts say. NBC News. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-students-experience-trauma-racist-

incidents-school-experts-say-n1232829

Jameel, M., & Yerardi, J. (2019, February 28). Workplace discrimination is illegal, yet it

persists. Here’s why. Vox. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from https://www.vox.com/policy-

and-politics/2019/2/28/18241973/workplace-discrimination-cpi-investigation-eeoc

Gray, A. (2019, June 4). The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards (SSIR). SSIR. Retrieved May

15, 2022, from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_bias_of_professionalism_standards#

Neuliep, J. W. (2017). Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach. Sage Publications,

Inc.

The murder of George Floyd. (2022, May 20). MPR News. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from

https://www.mprnews.org/crime-law-and-justice/killing-of-george-floyd