Recognizing Intersectionality: Queer, Disabled, and Multiracial Asian Experiences

Cultural CompetencyRace and EthnicityAsian Heritage Month

May 2

The Myth of a Single Asian Experience

When we talk about Asian Heritage Month or Asian inclusion, it’s tempting to think of "Asian" as a single, unified experience.

But Asian identity is not monolithic.

It spans vast regions, languages, religions, cultures — and it intersects with many other identities, including gender, sexuality, disability, and multiracial heritage.

Queer Asian employees.
Disabled Asian employees.
Multiracial Asian employees.

Each of these experiences carries unique challenges — and unique strengths — that are often overlooked when inclusion efforts flatten identity into a single dimension.

True inclusion demands that we honor the full complexity of Asian identities.

It means recognizing that race, gender, sexuality, disability, and heritage are interconnected — and that workplaces must create space for the full richness of these experiences.

Intersectionality isn’t a buzzword.

It’s the foundation of belonging.

Why Intersectionality Matters

Coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality describes how different systems of oppression — like racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia — intersect and compound experiences of exclusion.

For Asian employees, this means that experiences of racism may be intensified — or complicated — by other aspects of identity.

When we fail to recognize intersectionality, we risk:

Overlooking the unique challenges faced by queer Asian employees navigating both racial and sexual identity bias.
Ignoring how disabled Asian employees face compounded barriers in accessibility, visibility, and belonging.
Erasing the realities of multiracial Asian employees who may experience identity invalidation or "not being Asian enough" narratives.

Without an intersectional lens, inclusion efforts inevitably leave some people behind.

Real-World Workplace Impacts of Overlooking Complexity

🔹 Queer Asian Employees

Face dual stigmas of racism and homophobia/transphobia.
May feel invisible within broader Asian community spaces and broader LGBTQ+ spaces, leading to unique isolation.
Often underrepresented in leadership or ERG spaces.

🔹 Disabled Asian Employees

Navigate compounded stigma: ableism layered with racial bias.
May face barriers in both disability accommodation systems and cultural assumptions about productivity and resilience.
Disability conversations often lack culturally nuanced language and understanding.

🔹 Multiracial Asian Employees

Often experience "racial ambiguity" — feeling pressure to "prove" their Asian identity.
May be excluded from Asian ERGs or heritage celebrations that center monoracial narratives.
Face complex dynamics around belonging, visibility, and identity validation.

Intersectional exclusion is often invisible — until workplaces intentionally seek to understand it.

Practical Actions to Center Intersectionality

✅ Acknowledge and Celebrate Intersectionality Explicitly

In DEI statements, heritage month programming, and ERG initiatives, name and honor the complexity of Asian identities across gender, sexuality, disability, and heritage.

✅ Diversify Representation and Storytelling

Ensure that speakers, panels, and storytelling initiatives include queer, disabled, and multiracial Asian voices — not just cisgender, able-bodied, monoracial perspectives.

✅ Audit ERGs and Affinity Spaces for Intersectionality

Create pathways for cross-collaboration between Asian ERGs, LGBTQ+ networks, disability groups, and multicultural teams.
Encourage ERGs to reflect the full diversity within their membership.

✅ Embed Intersectionality into Leadership Development

Recognize that systemic barriers to leadership are often compounded for those holding multiple marginalized identities.
Offer sponsorship, mentorship, and leadership programs that center intersectionality, not just single-issue representation.

✅ Invest in Intersectional Education and Training

Go beyond "diverse hiring" to offer training that addresses the unique challenges faced by employees at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and ability.
Normalize complexity — moving away from checkbox DEI.

Conclusion: Inclusion Means Seeing the Whole Story

There is no single Asian experience.

There is no single way to be Asian — to live Asian identity, to navigate the world as an Asian person.

Queer.
Disabled.
Multiracial.
First-generation.
Adopted.
Refugee.

Each experience holds layers of strength, struggle, resilience, and brilliance.

True inclusion is not about fitting people into neat categories.

It’s about seeing — and celebrating — the fullness of who they are.

At Erin Davis Co., we help organizations move beyond surface-level DEI to build workplaces where complexity is honored, and every story matters.

📩 Ready to deepen your inclusion journey?

Connect with us at erin@erindavisco.ca to start building truly intersectional workplaces where every individual — in their full humanity — can thrive.

References:

Erin Davis