Asian Spotlight | April 2023
Not Your Typical Auntie
“Thank you, Seema Auntie!”
My daughter’s friend’s tiny, happy voice rang out as she bounded up the stairs after coming down to get a drink of water from the kitchen. Her words shot through my brain like an electric shock straight to my heart. “Seema AUNTIE?!?” When did THAT happen?
I thought back to the Aunties in my life. They were a force to be reckoned with, individually or as a group. I remembered the very “Auntie-like” stereotypes and thought about how for the most part, at least in my experience, they had held true.
As I reassured myself about just how atypical of an Auntie I am, I thought about how much has changed since the time in my life when the Aunties were so prominent, and many things remain the same. Though progress has been made in ways for working women, we continue to experience the challenges of those who came before us, plus more. Asian American women still only make up a small percentage of STEM professionals – only 4% according to New Scientist. And thanks to advances in technology, we are doing more in the same 24 hours than the Aunties before us. Yet, we continue to show up dedicated to it all – the work, our families, our colleagues – determined to do our best and help those around us. We are definitely not your typical Aunties.
As Asian women in STEM, we’ve overcome (and are overcoming) cultural and language barriers, discrimination, and so much more. We bring the often-undervalued skills of empathy, navigating busy schedules, and organization to our roles at work, come home, and do it all over again. In the process, we subconsciously barter our own well-being and happiness for the sake of others, grappling with how to honor ancient cultural norms and beliefs in modern times.
But we have something that the Aunties of generations past didn’t have – the upcoming virtual SASE Women’s Leadership Conference. In just a few short weeks, the women of SASE are coming together to support, learn, and inspire each other as we grow as professionals and people. We will be coming to a life-changing conference where we learn to integrate work and home and create innovative solutions as we do. This conference is a place where we can learn to lead our lives with more confidence, fulfillment, and joy while still honoring who we are and the beautiful cultures from which we come. A place where we as atypical Aunties are celebrated for trailblazing paths in STEM. A place where we can set up environments that are more inclusive and welcoming to our daughters, nieces, and those who will come after them. A place where we decide to no longer place the needs of others above our own so that we can actually go further and accomplish greatness with less stress.
Whether you are an Asian woman that has been in STEM for 25 days or 25 years, you belong at the SASE Annual Women’s Leadership Conference. We can’t wait to see you there!