This section presents personal stories and experiences of some of our community members. In this issue we highlight Gina Pham, Kyrstie Lane, Toni M. Thomas, and Lyuba Zarsky.
Gina Pham
MPA Student, Allies at MIIS Core Member
Fall 2017-Now
Which one of your identity/ identities would you add in the blank space?
Vietnamese-American. Complete answer: I would love to define myself on my own terms without race/ethnicity/nationality (trust me I’ve tried, but I’ll invariably get these in the form of follow-up questions); the reality is that society sees me and treats me as an Asian woman. If pushed to reveal my ethnicity (which is often), I explain that I’m Vietnamese-American. I understand human brains love boxes and simple labels, but I shouldn’t have restricted options for my identity when some people enjoy the freedom from race/ethnicity/nationality labels and from feeling pre-defined.
How did you experience your identity (as identified above) at MIIS?
I wanted to skip mentioning the typical microaggressions I experience, but they introduce a larger problem. “Where are you really from?” “Is Gina your real name; what’s your Asian name?” My Asian (read: other) appearance prompts these questions. The questions themselves aren’t necessarily problematic; I welcome curiosity. What’s problematic are the typical reactions to my answers — doubt, follow-up questions, refusal to receive me as I am. If people dismiss my answers to the most basic of questions about myself as my name and where I’m from, how will I be received in deeper discussions and academic dialogue with these people? I get these questions and feel unreceived outside MIIS as well, but in a higher ed environment heavily based on dialogue, I would’ve hoped my authentic voice would be received more fully. Grad school is the first place in my life that I entered with more relevant experience than many of my peers. Previously, in school and entry-level jobs, I was usually the youngest or very inexperienced, so I accepted that I was dismissed sometimes. Yet in classes and groups at MIIS, my appearance and the accompanying implicit biases (young-looking, Asian, woman), more than my credentials, seem to determine the power (or lack thereof) of my voice when I observe and compare whose voice is given space/authority and whose isn’t. The silver lining is I’ve learned to speak up more, give up less, and want to be a better ally to others whose voices are ignored.
Tell us about one memorable concept/ lesson that you learned in connection with your identity or diversity and inclusion broadly from a MIIS community member/s?
Galtung’s center-periphery model, which I was first introduced to in Pushpa’s Decolonizing Knowledge workshop, was pivotal in my understanding of who wields the power and privilege in society, and thus whose lens I see our world through without ever having questioned it. I’ve found the center-periphery image is helpful to introduce the concept of power and privilege to people so that we can initiate dialogue on controversial topics.
How has your time at MIIS prepared you to deal with power and privilege in the world outside of the Institute?
Before Allies and a couple of Pushpa’s workshops, even when I noticed situations were problematic, I stayed in my comfort zone — stayed quiet and accepted the situation as if it couldn’t change (at most, I may have grumbled about it after it was over and just hoped it wouldn’t happen again). Now I’ve developed a need to lean into discomfort and call people out or in, and I suppress that need much less. I understand that by staying quiet, I perpetuate the status quo of inequitable power and privilege; and I want to change that status quo. Being a core member of Allies at MIIS has trained me to speak up for myself better, initiate in dialogue more capably on controversial topics, and practice how to speak up courageously and appropriately for others whose voices may be silenced.
What is one suggestion you have for the MIIS community?
You could start by examining your own implicit biases: Take this test. Everyone has them. These quick-reaction tests on different categories can help increase your awareness of the biases you bring to human interactions, which could heavily influence such things as who you subconsciously give authority to and who you are quick to dismiss among other things.
Kyrstie Lane
Alumna, CCS Team Member
2010 – 2012
Which one of your identity/ identities would you add in the blank space?
White woman – though more identities became important to me post-MIIS
How did you experience your identity (as identified above) at MIIS?
I benefited immensely from the diversity at MIIS, and learned so much about the experiences and backgrounds of others, but there wasn’t usually much expectation placed on me to contribute to that diversity. I felt like a lot of students were expected to share how concepts or ideas would be applied or understood “where they were from” – but being white and from right here in California, I could listen and learn. On the other hand, as a woman, during my time at MIIS I did way too much listening. In retrospect, I should have spoken up more and not let male classmates dominate conversations. For the most part, I usually felt comfortable and respected at MIIS – though at that time I did not spend nearly as much time examining my identities as I do now.
Tell us about one memorable concept/ lesson that you learned in connection with your identity or diversity and inclusion broadly from a MIIS community member/s?
I grew up in communities where most people looked like me, and where I could be fairly passive in my approach to diversity. I thought about identity in an academic sense – but MIIS and my faculty mentor Dr. Iyer pushed me to realize that just because I wasn’t thinking about it didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. My white and cis identities mean that in most cases I can get away without thinking too deeply about my other identities. Learning from classmates, faculty, and research at MIIS pushed me to see how lazy this mindset was, and how it really wasn’t benefiting anyone.
How has your time at MIIS prepared you to deal with power and privilege in the world outside of the Institute?
My experiences at MIIS pushed me to work on being a better intersectional ally and a better feminist. Whatever other identities I may hold, the sheer fact that I’m white means that I’m playing the game of life on an easier level. White women as a group don’t have a reputation of being very good allies, in a variety of ways, and I’ve sought experiences and trainings that could help me be better. Today, I run grants supporting first generation, low-income college students, and it’s crucial that I constantly examine the ways my identities impact them as they are seeking support and empowerment. When can I use my privilege to give a voice to my students who aren’t being heard, and when does it mean I need to sit down? How can I be a powerful and professional female role model? How can I promote their cultures and knowledge without appropriating capital that isn’t mine? Navigating these questions is crucial to being successful in my role, and I’m grateful for the ways MIIS pushed me to consider them.
How has your time at MIIS prepared you to deal with power and privilege in the world outside of the Institute?
I believe the MIIS community needs to be careful not to get overly comfortable in its diversity. Yes, it’s an incredibly diverse space in so many ways, and I consider myself lucky to be a part of it. However, it’s easy to sit back and say “look at all the places we’re from,” and ignore the ways in which we’re not diverse or not supporting various identities. Sometimes when we’re in more progressive spaces, we assume that basic stereotypes and microaggressions won’t be happening or can’t hold much power – but this shuts out students (and staff) who feel like their identities aren’t being given space. This is not to say we can’t recognize the positives, but we have to keep a growth mindset and always strive to be better and more inclusive.
Toni M. Thomas
Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of International Policy and Management; Program Manager and Academic Advisor: Business Management; Alumna
1998 – Now
Which one of your identity/ identities would you add in the blank space?
Woman
How do you experience your identity (as identified above) at MIIS?
Overall pretty well. I have had quite a few opportunities to advance and contribute. I have heard other female colleagues share concerns that their gender has impeded their access to participation and promotion.Particularly if they don’t play sports, or are not included in certain extra-curricular activities with male colleagues. One way to address this may be to invite themselves along. I have found that it is a phenomenon of the working world that many times relationships that flourish outside the workplace can help with advancement and access inside the workplace.
Tell us about one memorable concept/ lesson that you learned in connection with your identity or diversity and inclusion broadly from a MIIS community member/s?
I recall a situation when a male colleague was sharing info in a faculty meeting about some great work he had been doing. I knew for a fact that his graduate assistant and I had actually done the work. Instead of calling him out on it, I looked at what he did, and learned that I needed to be proactive in promoting my work to others in the organization if I wanted to be acknowledged for my contributions.
How has your time at MIIS prepared you to deal with power and privilege in the world outside of the Institute?
I have had a number of opportunities to learn more about concepts of power and privilege, and to check my own beliefs around these ideas. I appreciate the chance to work with a diverse group of students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni and employers, to hear many different perspectives. I am constantly learning ways to use my position of power to help others with less voice be able to actively participate in the educational community.
What is one suggestion you have for the MIIS community?
Provide opportunities for those with less power or privilege to get their views heard. Challenge statements, particularly from those with power or privilege, that don’t honor all voices. Make sure that your female colleagues and students have a chance to share their ideas. If they don’t seem to get opportunity, say something like, “I’d love to hear what Sally has to say on this topic.” We women are an integral part of the workforce and our organization suffers if our voices are not part of the meaningful discussions about how it is running.
Lyuba Zarsky
Professor of International Environmental Policy
2007 – Now
Which one of your identity/ identities would you add in the blank space?
Woman
How do you experience your identity (as identified above) at MIIS?
MIIS has generally been a collegial environment for me as a woman. I’ve had opportunities to innovate and collaborate and I’ve felt appreciated and respected by both male and female colleagues. The times that I have been cut off mid-sentence by a man or made to feel excluded from a conversation are few and far between. I’ve felt frustrated at times about what seem like obstacles to my taking leadership, but I suspect that is more likely due to poor management than anything specifically about me. But I do find myself–more and more often–in situations wondering why the GSIPM male-female faculty (and leadership) ratios remain so high and pondering the following questions: 1) Why, after four turnovers since I’ve been here, has GSIPM not had a female dean? We could blame the applicant pool but all four deans were appointed from within our ranks. 2) Why is it that most of the people who speak out at faculty retreats, town hall meetings, etc are male? 3) Why do students seem to value and trust the views and teachings of male over female faculty? 4) Why does speaking-out-in-class by female students seem inversely related to the number of male students in the class? 5) Why do we not have a more collaborative culture?
Tell us about one memorable concept/ lesson that you learned in connection with your identity or diversity and inclusion broadly from a MIIS community member/s?
I was once the target of student disgruntlement in one of my classes. I spoke to then-Dean Kent Glenzer about student concerns, some of which suggested that students felt insufficiently mothered. I asked if students hold women faculty to a different, more demanding standard than men. He said that was absolutely the case. For the first time in ten years, I wondered if my class evals were skewed by gender.
How has your time at MIIS prepared you to deal with power and privilege in the world outside of the Institute?
I am much more aware of how, despite good will, barriers to women’s leadership persist in academia (and beyond).
What is one suggestion you have for the MIIS community?
I have a few suggestions:
1) have conversations about gender, e.g. in faculty retreats, program meetings, town halls
in order to better understand ourselves;
2) set some targets for gender balance in staff and faculty appointments and in leadership positions;
3) provide training on cross-gender communication, implicit bias etc.
