46. "Commercially viable" poc
Commercially viable: a product or idea that has the potential to generate a profit and be successful in the marketplace.
poc: person of color; a term commonly used to describe individuals who belong to racial or ethnic groups that are non-white or have historically faced discrimination or marginalization based on their race or ethnicity. It is a broad and inclusive term that encompasses various racial and ethnic backgrounds.
If we interpret the phrase, a commercially viable person of color refers to an individual from a racial or ethnic minority background who possesses qualities, skills, or attributes that are valued or "sought after" in a commercial or "approachable" way. This could include individuals who have unique perspectives, diverse cultural insights, specific expertise, or other qualities that can contribute to the success [of something].
I got this from a TikTok that my friend sent me (I don't really use TikTok, but I do like being a fly on the wall and knowing what's up with today's culture or whatever heh). Jokes aside, I think she's right.
As a commercially viable POC, you can: hold the weight of representing your entire community on your shoulders; hear people wonder whether you earned it or just fulfilling a diversity quota; have endless knowledge about your culture while still being relatable to everyone! Start juggling guilt, pressure, and gratitude today as a commercially viable POC.
I think that, because I grew up in the US, I understand a lot of the #relatable content like this. I already sampled a taste of what it's like both blending into the culture and fading into the background, but also being an outsider in both Western and Eastern countries actually. It probably is a "third culture kid" thing? You just don't fit in anywhere, and to me, that's totally fine. Humans have a natural tendency to classify/categorize and fit things into nice little boxes. Sometimes, life on earth a little more complex.
I was shopping with my friend today and recalled an experience I had in my first year of uni nearly 7-8 years ago. [For story context, my friend and I are both from Asia! we both were laughing about how silly it is- not in a mocking, derisive way, but like, maybe a very "absurd" way...]
I joined a business club to learn about management skills and to try to make some friends. Honestly, I didn't know what to do I just joined for the kicks. I was just testing the waters and trying to figure myself out and what I liked (I wasn’t really passionate about finance business courses really… I was just dabbling in a lot of stuff when I enrolled into college..).
So basically, I joined this 100-member club had a lot of "WASP-y" frat kids in it. There were about 4 non-white American kids in it which included me, one Indian girl, one Mexican guy, and one black girl.
One day, we had a "TEDtalk" type seminar with this one white guy from Boston who talked to us about diversity. I want to mention that I think that having a conversation about diversity is actually a very good thing. In my opinion, we really should openly discuss about various cultures and have it be normal to ask questions around this topic. Valuing and celebrating the differences of others is what ultimately brings us all together and can be key to a open and a fair work culture, right?
But dear god, holy hell. It was the most uncomfortable talk I've ever seen (maybe it was just cringey for me because.. uh, I'm not a frat boy I guess?) I honestly didn't know how to feel because it felt, so so strange to have the speaker just stare at me directly in the eyes as I sat at the end of the middle row.
"I worked in Beijing for 3 months guys. I hosted "diversity in the workplace" talks and it was one of the most enriching experiences I've ever had" he said, as he looked directly at me, (girl... 😭 unfortunately I'm not Chinese...) "I didn't really learn any Mandarin, because I didn't have to! People were super nice to me and I learned how to use chopsticks!" Looking at me if I should congratulate him... I mean, that's cool bro?
Ok- I'm not knocking his experience at all. I think it's wonderful that the man had an opportunity to have that kind of cultural experience, but it was a bit weird to be a bit singled-out in the crowd like that. Like he was directly speaking to me? "You see, I'm not like the other Americans, I saw the world"
I think I should consider his perspective because he's speaking to a big crowd of white guys in their first year of undergrad and he's trying to talk about this as sensitively and relatable as possible. Like, he wasn't trying to be malicious at all.
"It's important to celebrate people's differences guys. Now let's do an exercise where we talk to the person next to us and share a fact or two about what sets us apart from other people."
I sat at the end of the aisle so I could only speak with the person next to me. The frat guy looked at me and said, "I was the only one of my pledge class that could hold their breath underwater for longer than 2 minutes."
After a couple of minutes, the TEDtalk speaker guy called for our attention and asked the audience if they were willing to share a "diversity" factoid about the person they spoke with. This really tall guy stood up and talked about his conversation partner, Kyle, in which he proclaimed, “Kyle is very allergic to peanut butter.” The speaker praised him immensely. People were clapping? Not sure if it was a weird mocking thing or... idk I kept quiet and felt a little awkward. I did not know what to do?
Out of the corner of my eye, the one black girl left the auditorium really quickly and no one else really noticed her, except for me. Well, I followed her out lol. We went to get coffee together.
We sipped on some iced coffee and I broke the ice- “that was so awkward… that felt really white” we both laughed.
Listen, I don’t know how to phrase this comment well? (Not “well” per se, but sensitively) I think it’s the lack of fluency around race that western societies tend to have and that’s what makes it kinda funny to talk about. It’s a little difficult trying not to trigger unsavory emotions about racial division but also speaking very deliberately and matter of factly about this stuff…. I’m just an Asian kid who grew up in America.
That was super awkward. That was super American culture core. That was “weirdly woke but not really” vibes.
Actually, a lot has changed these past years. I think a lot more people are more culturally aware and knowledgeable these days and that's cool to see.
~ a mandatory diversity in the workplace seminar,
<3 K