How many times do you attend the masquerade ball? Once in a blue moon, you might say? What if that was the story of your everyday life? Wouldn’t it be tiring to dress up in a tight costume and a mask on a daily basis?
Unfortunately, this might be the norm for some immigrants in the workplace, where one feels like they have to act a certain way to fit in.
Because they have learned to deal with systematic racism as they assimilate to the lands of “plenty of opportunities”.
The belief that having a North American education might give you some added padding is only a privilege known to a few. Some people have learned to “fake it till you make it” and by the time they leave work all they want to do is to leave their authentic life without the “suffocating outfit”. The face of racism in the workplace is really exhausting. You come in trying to assimilate to a culture or a system only to be repaid by the negative impact of racism like “increased survival mode, worry, decreased trust, feeling of powerlessness, second-guessing things” and “decreased hope of my future and the government” (Real Depression Project). Unfortunately, these issues do affect people’s mental health and eventually overall health.
Many immigrants have learned to live in the workplace donning their costumes as soon as they get to the door. I know that too well because of my own experiences and the countless stories that I hear about the constant worrying, having a powerless feeling, and questioning oneself which have been a result of systematic issues such as:
- Systems that have promised immigrants education but don’t have diverse and inclusive provisions for the individuals to find employment in those countries. Eventually one finds themselves in a situation where they have to fend for themselves by doing menial jobs in spite of being a qualified professional.
- Let’s not talk about countries where many have come via professional worker programs but upon arrival have to navigate the system on their own. And to add to the disappointment, their qualifications “suddenly” do not qualify them for the same programs they were qualified for during the application process.
- Employers who do not understand the process because there are no systems to learn and/or the system is too complicated and time-consuming for them.
- Companies that have diversity policies or posters but nothing in their work culture embrace diversity.
You ask, when will you remove your masquerade outfit? Well, until we have an honest conversation about the realities of systematic racism. So for now the masquerade outfit stays on because this is the only way I know how to stay sane before this whale of systematic racism swallows me.
