Many people immediately recognize explicit racism. Far fewer recognize covert racism because it frequently appears subtle, socially acceptable, or even complimentary. Statements such as ‘All Asians are brilliant at mathematics,’ ‘All Indians are excellent IT professionals,’ or ‘All Vietnamese people are talented nail technicians’ may sound positive on the surface. Nevertheless, reducing millions of individuals to a single characteristic or profession removes individuality, reinforces stereotypes, and shapes expectations that influence hiring, promotions, education, leadership opportunities and everyday interactions.

In this podcast episode, we’re exploring what covert racism is, how it differs from overt racism, why positive stereotypes remain stereotypes, and how these seemingly harmless remarks can contribute to unequal treatment inside organizations. Furthermore, we’re examining the psychological, historical and organizational mechanisms that allow covert racism to persist even within workplaces that genuinely value diversity and inclusion.

Moreover, we’re discussing practical leadership strategies for creating multinational organizations where every employee is recognized as an individual rather than as a representative of a racial, ethnic or cultural group. Whether you are an executive, people manager, entrepreneur or individual contributor, this episode provides practical guidance for fostering a workplace culture built upon respect, curiosity, fairness and psychological safety.

I would love to hear your perspective, beautiful. Please share your opinion and, if applicable, your personal experiences by e-mailing coucou.goddess@gmail.com.

REFERENCES

• Banaji, M.R., Fiske, S.T. and Massey, D.S. (2021) ‘Systemic racism: individuals and interactions, institutions and society’, Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 6(82).

• Dovidio, J.F. and Gaertner, S.L. (2004) ‘Aversive Racism’, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 36, pp. 1–52.

• Kroskrity, P.V. (2021) ‘Covert Linguistic Racisms and the (Re-)Production of White Supremacy’, Journal of Linguistic Anthropology.

• Ni, P.C. (2021) ‘What Are Overt and Covert Types of Racism?’, Psychology Today.

• Sue, D.W. (2010) Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. Hoboken: Wiley.