Growing up DEI was never something I thought of
As a product of a diverse and culturally rich family background, the concept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) wasn’t something that initially occupied my thoughts. My family’s history, woven with tales of migration, identity concealment, and inter-ethnic relationships, painted a vivid picture of the complexities of identity and belonging.
Growing up, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) was never something I thought about. The story I was told is that my great-grandparents were Jews living in Spain who left Europe to come to the US, telling everyone they were Mexican and Catholic upon arrival. My grandmother couldn’t legally marry her first husband because he was Black. My mom dated a man who was white for some time and I was a result of that tryst.
My grandmother had two other daughters with a Mexican man, and their husbands are both white. Most of my cousins have children with people who are not white. At a family reunion, we look like a box of M&Ms tossed with Skittles, even more so if you inquire about sexuality and beliefs.
I’m fortunate that most people have looked at me and often thought I was whatever they were. That said I’ve always been aware of racism and discriminatory comments, from other couples in disenfranchised neighborhoods I’ve lived in telling my spouse they need to be with someone of their skin color to co-workers asking why we haven’t had children yet and insisting we should or will even after telling them it’s not something we want, nor are physically capable of.
I’m aware many face far worse struggles, even those living in diverse parts of New York and California. However, based on my own experiences, I never once considered the need for DEI initiatives. Nor am I ever someone who wanted to answer the ethnicity, gender, or disability questions that are always asked on employment forms. That is until at least around 2016 when it’s become apparent that people need some sort of humanity training.
What is DEI Training? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DEI training emerged as a tool with the purpose of fostering more inclusive workplaces. It aims to illuminate unconscious biases, prejudices, and inequities, particularly those rooted in race, gender, and sexual orientation. Through education and awareness, DEI training endeavors to cultivate a culture where every individual feels valued and heard.
But do Companies Truly Care about DEI? Not all.
A key question is whether companies genuinely care about DEI or just use it for marketing purposes. Unfortunately, it’s easy to see the lack of authenticity in many companies that use DEI solely as a marketing ploy.
A recent example highlighting this issue is Square Enix, whose game FFXVI was banned in Saudi Arabia in 2023 due to LGBTQ+ storylines. The company made no plans to change their game, and as a result, lost potential revenue from that source.
On the other hand, Blizzard hosted Overwatch 2 esports in Saudi Arabia after changing their LGBTQ+ character backstories to comply with Saudi’s laws that criminalize same-sex relationships.
It’s actions like Blizzard’s that lead people in the US to cry out against “wokeness” because people can see how disingenuous the inclusion of diversity is. Instead of something of actual importance, it’s just something done to sell more products. If it happens to impact sales in a certain market, they’re far too quick to reign in their “DEI “woke” agenda.
DEI Challenges from Elon Musk and Dani Lalonders
If you look around your workspace and only see one type of person, you should examine your hiring practices and potential conscious/unconscious biases. However, many have misunderstood DEI’s goals, going out of their way to not hire or promote workers who disagree with their personal beliefs. We’ve seen numerous examples of conservative companies not hiring liberals and vice versa, which Elon Musk has called out numerous times.
Another troubling example is a viral video from Dani Lalonders stating “there are no white people on our team” and “wanting to be around people who are just like me” which causes many to cringe. Her dialogue echoed white supremacist rhetoric of not hating people of color but insisting on “not intermixing” – a sentiment I’m glad my parents didn’t share or I wouldn’t exist.
A shame as in much of Lalonders’ video she made some great and valid points about teams aligning with the subject matter. Her question about if your game is about a teenage girl, then why would you have only adult white men working on it? is the type of thing companies should be asking themselves because no one needs another Gods of Egypt. However, that doesn’t mean teams should be homogeneous either, and not just because it would obviously violate US laws.
The Way Forward – A Reform of DEI
The essence of DEI should transcend corporate agendas, revenue, and ideological affiliations. It should embody a universal principle of coexistence, where individuals from all walks of life can converge, share experiences, and celebrate diversity without fear or prejudice.
Ultimately, every person on earth should be able to sit down next to someone, eat a meal, cheers a pint, enjoy an activity together, and coexist without fear of being ridiculed or attacked – even if they do not share the same goals or beliefs. This does not mean we have to be 100% comfortable. In some instances, I’d suggest it’d be beneficial if we all spent time with people we don’t agree with, understand their point of view, and maybe you’ll be surprised how quickly that uncomfortableness can be eased.
And fear of microaggressions shouldn’t keep you from interacting with people. Someone is always going to do something that you find annoying. Being able to recognize that we’re all in different places due to our unique experiences is part of being human, imperfect creatures. That isn’t to say we let it get out of hand, if there is an issue, speak up, and let someone know you’re bothered. But don’t let the preconceived ideas based on what someone looks like or where they’re from cause you to avoid meeting new people.
Break out of your Echo Chamber
If you feel you may be surrounding yourself in an echo chamber of people who think and act and look exactly like you do, maybe you should think about expanding your horizons more. You can start by checking out these competing viewpoints to get a better understanding of why people feel the way they do based on their experiences.
Hodge Twins | Gothix | John Oliver | John Stewart | Soft White Underbelly