DEI Rollbacks Are Personal!
Since the inauguration of Donald Trump, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across the country have faced devastating setbacks. These aren’t just changes in language or branding—they’re structural reversals that carry real-life consequences. Across sectors, companies are shuttering DEI departments, slashing supplier diversity initiatives, and even withdrawing support for LGBTQ+ programs and events (Bloomberg, 2025).
In the federal workforce, where representation and protections have always been fragile, the stakes are even higher. Employees have lost jobs simply for acknowledging or advocating for their marginalized identities. For my family, this shift is deeply personal. My wife, once a DEI consultant, was forced to pivot her career as corporate commitments to equity quietly vanished. She’s far from alone—thousands have faced similar upheaval.
But it’s not just jobs that are disappearing. When DEI structures dissolve, so do the tools that protect people from discrimination, the networks that empower visibility, and the spaces that allow authenticity. The ripple effect impacts workplace culture, mental health, and the basic sense of safety for anyone who doesn’t fit the dominant mold.
The AAPI Experience
For Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), these challenges are layered with cultural and historical complexities. The stereotypes may be different, but their impact is just as damaging.
According to Pew Research:
78% of Asian adults say they’ve been treated like foreigners—even when they’re U.S.-born.
63% have experienced the “model minority” myth, which paints AAPI individuals as uniformly high-achieving, obedient, and apolitical.
These myths not only flatten the diversity of the AAPI experience but also is isolating. They make it harder for their pain to be recognized, their advocacy to be taken seriously, and their need for support to be heard.
Microaggressions like, “Where are you really from?” or being complimented on English proficiency aren’t just awkward—they’re reminders that belonging is conditional. Add the silence of dismantled DEI programs, and the message is loud: You’re on your own.
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
Even in a climate of retreat, there are ways to foster strength, visibility, and support for AAPI individuals:
1. Support Isn’t Performative—It’s Ongoing
Check in with your AAPI colleagues, friends, and neighbors. Not just during AAPI Heritage Month, but consistently. Ask how they’re doing—and mean it. Support can look like listening without judgment, validating experiences, or stepping in to advocate when others stay silent.
2. Recognize That AAPI is Not a Monolith
The AAPI umbrella includes over 50 ethnic groups and more than 100 languages. Acknowledge the different challenges faced by East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander communities. Not everyone has access to the same privilege or visibility within the AAPI identity. You don’t need to be an expert to be an ally. Cultural humility means being open to feedback, making space for discomfort, and holding yourself accountable.
3. Create Space for Authentic Voices
Push back against the “model minority” myth by celebrating creativity, leadership, and vulnerability. Amplify AAPI voices not just in DEI panels, but in decision-making rooms, creative work, and leadership pipelines.
4. Draw Strength From Community and History
AAPI history in the U.S. is one of resilience in the face of exclusion, surveillance, and systemic racism—from the Chinese Exclusion Act to Japanese internment camps to post-9/11 Islamophobia. Remembering our history isn’t just about honoring the past—it’s a blueprint for how we keep going.
As civil rights activist Yuri Kochiyama once said:
“We are all part of one another.”
This is more than a quote—it’s a directive. In an era when institutions are abandoning equity, we must show up for each other.
