The United States prides itself on its culture, and the broad contributions and rich history of Asians and Pacific Islanders to our country adds to its character.
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, a commemoration that started as a weeklong celebration in June 1977 and was eventually lengthened to an entire month in 1992. The month of May was chosen to celebrate Asian-Pacific Americans in honor of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the May 1869 completion of the transcontinental railroad, the tracks of which were laid by Chinese immigrants.
In honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month and the contributions this segment of the American population has made throughout U.S. history, BIZ interviewed two successful and diverse members of the Asian-Pacific American LGBT community—Marvin Reguindin, LGBT business owner of Spokane, Wash.-based Thinking Cap Communications & Design and president of Inland Northwest Business Alliance, and Trung Tieu, marketing project coordinator at PepsiCo, a National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® corporate partner.
BIZ: Tell us a little bit about your business or corporation and how you got into that line of work.
Marvin Reguindin: I own an advertising and graphic design firm. I'm a creative person but my dad said I needed to find a profession where I could earn a salary. He wasn't going to pay for college just to have me paint houses. I found advertising and liked it. But I didn't go in as an art major; I went in as a business communications major with an advertising emphasis so that my parents would be okay with the fact that I wasn't going to paint houses for a living. What I love about the business is that every day is different—we are challenged to solve marketing or advertising communication problems on a daily basis. Off-the-shelf thinking isn't encouraged at Thinking Cap. Everyone at my company loves what they do and the challenges they are presented, so that makes for a very cool and open work environment.
Trung Tieu: Basically I'd describe myself as a project administrator. When new products launch out of my division there are lots of details ranging from basic information like flavors and weights of products to more specific data requirements to get it onto a grocery store shelf. A lot my job is shepherding these projects through the various processes and systems to make sure they get on the shelf on time.
BIZ: Had you always planned to go into this line of work or did you have another career?
Reguindin: I didn't plan on going into business for myself, but after working at a company where I was subtly harassed about my sexual orientation, I felt the way to control who I worked for and how I work was to work for myself. I found the local LGBT business group and immediately offered my services to design and produce their third business directory. It has snowballed from there, and 13 business directories later I'm still involved more than ever as the chamber president and also as Pacific chairman of the NGLCC Council of Chambers and Business Organizations.
Tieu: Definitely not. I thought I was going to be an actor or professor in rhetoric.
BIZ: Have you seen significant changes during your career in the way Asian-Pacific American business owners, business leaders and those in corporate America are treated or welcomed by the larger community?
Reguindin: Unlike Seattle's large Asian Pacific Islander population, the racial demographic in Spokane is 92 percent white, so any minority business owners or professionals are very much welcomed, almost to the point of overly welcomed as the Spokane chamber and business community try to "show off" any minority diversity to potential larger companies looking to base in Spokane. Spokane tends to lump all minority businesses and professionals together as their "diversity business community."
I can't say that there are a lot of Asian Pacific Islander professional-sector businesses in Spokane at this time—not enough for those businesses to form a chamber.
Tieu: Honestly, I think being at a large company that embraces diversity and inclusion has actually made me aware that there was ever a difference. Let me explain. Other companies that I worked for didn't provide any diversity and inclusion training, and therefore I was blissfully unaware of the non-inclusive behaviors. Since joining PepsiCo, this is no longer a blind spot for me, so I can only really speak to how I see things here. I think our Asian employee resource group (ERG) has made huge strides in drawing attention to key behaviors and communications styles that can be flexed both by Asian American employees and by their managers to build successful relationships. This has driven some amazing conversations and opened a lot of doors all around.
BIZ: Have you faced specific challenges being Asian-Pacific American and a small business owner or an employee at a large corporation? How do those challenges compare to being an LGBT business owner or at a large company?
Reguindin: I would say the challenge is "being" Asian Pacific Islander on a daily basis. In Spokane, when you look at your customer base and its 92-percent white, you tend to not think of yourself as Asian Pacific Islander—you see white and you start to think white. When you do meet an Asian Pacific Islander business owner or professional you have an instant connection, very much like meeting another LGBT business owner or professional. But instead of thinking, "wow we have the same sexual orientation and everything that is associated with being gay," I think, "wow, let's make some Asian food and eat!" Some of my white business associates think the same thing only it's more like, "do you make Lumpia? Will you make some for me?"
I think the challenges are greater for LGBT business owners because our minority status is not immediately visible. Not until businesses and clients begin the chit-chat conversations is one's sexual orientation given or discovered.
Tieu: I can't say that I've faced challenges being Asian American here at PepsiCo. My business teams have always been extremely inclusive and eager to share our diverse backgrounds and leverage them. I imagine that most Asian Americans here at PepsiCo are comforted by the fact that we have so many Asian American senior leaders—to see that success isn't hindered by your heritage provides so much security and a sense of belonging here. The challenge for the LGBT employees at any company will always be the invisible nature of our diversity. It is definitely more of a challenge for LGBT employees to find role models.
BIZ: Has being a business owner or an employee at a large corporation who is both Asian-Pacific American and LGBT presented any additional/different challenges for you?
Reguindin: Discrimination happens in so many ways and I'd have to say that as an LGBT/Asian Pacific Islander business owner, my discrimination radar is always on—not because I face blatant, overt discrimination, but because subtle discrimination happens all the time and can be worse than the overt type. I have to decide if the subtle "no thank you" or "we've decided to go with someone else" over the phone or from an e-mail are because I'm Asian Pacific Islander or LGBT, or just a faux pas—then I need to decide if I should do something about it. It's easier to tell when you are face-to-face with a client. The subtle facial clues or body positions speak volumes.
I am often asked to speak at diversity forums and always get a chuckle when I'm asked because I know I'm being used as the token double minority. When I begin my talk by addressing LGBT issues I often try to relate them to racial issues. What I often end with is telling the audience that diversity is more than the color of your skin, and I think they start to get it. Sometimes it's hard to get that across because people who grow up in Spokane have very little everyday contact with minorities, and with the city being in a very conservative part of the state, few feel that they know any LGBT people.
Tieu: When it comes to my layers of diversity, I jokingly say that I'm gay first and Asian second. Yet, to your question, this is a challenge at times. I want to be extremely supportive of the Asian ERG here, but I am ultimately more familiar with concerns of the LGBT population, so I lead that ERG.
BIZ: Would you say that being an LGBT Asian-Pacific American has worked as an asset for you as a business owner or in corporate America? (i.e., have you been presented with more business opportunities or been able to develop more community support).
Reguindin: A lot of my best business is really gained by referrals. With very few minority business owners in Spokane, we are embraced and encouraged by City Hall and the chamber of commerce. But I don't believe that it has really brought me more opportunities, not unless I'm out there beating the bushes for it. Supplier diversity isn't really understood in Spokane, but I'm one of the few businesses waving that banner and getting corporations to understand it. Fortunately, my life partner and business partner is also waving the supplier diversity flag—he grew up in Spokane and it's great to have his support because it does become a chore on a daily basis.
Tieu: Definitely. I leverage aspects of my diversity everyday. Nothing provides a better perspective than multiple lenses from which to view or tackle a problem. I'm sure this sounds simplistic, but I often ask myself, "How would my parents or family respond to or handle that?" At the same time I get to ask, "How would my LGBT family and friends respond to that?" At PepsiCo, this has been encouraged and rewarded. Being able to provide so many viewpoints has made me stand out as a thoughtful and sensitive leader.
BIZ: You are an LGBT-certified business owner by the NGLCC. Do you have any other certifications for your business? If so, what kind of certification, and why did you decide to get that certification in addition to an NGLCC certification?
Reguindin: Thinking Cap was one of the first two LGBT-certified businesses in Washington. We are also certified through the Northwest Minority Supplier Diversity Council, and are awaiting official certification through the State of Washington Office of Women and Minority Business Enterprises to gain state government and public agency work. It was important for me to get my LGBT certification first since I am most active in that community.
I wasn't really keen on getting certified as a racial minority because I didn't want that "token" label but I have since changed my mind. Someone I really respect got me to realize that I was viewing minority certification as a detriment but it really is a business asset. For me the thought of getting work through any sort of affirmative action didn't sit well in my mind. I wanted to gain work because we do great work, not because the client was fulfilling a quota. But what I realized is that if I compete against an agency with the same credentials, my certification would be the one asset I have that would tip the decision in my favor. It's a subtle difference and I've come to accept it.
I know how hard it is to gain work using your certifications. The floodgates don't open right away, if at all. I know my minority certification is the first thing they recognize. My LGBT certification is second or even ignored if the client doesn't recognize the LGBT certification. For me, my certifications are a validation that I'm for real and that I choose to stand up and be noticed and counted.
BIZ: How have your certifications benefited your business and your business opportunities?
Reguindin: Certification has broadened my customer base. I now go after work I didn't think was possible. Certification helps validate your business to potential clients. It is a slow process though. We have received two local projects over the past two years that I know are a direct result of certification. We are trying hard to gain more, but the current economy makes it hard. If anything, our certification in this economic climate keeps me optimistic that it will pay off with projects outside of my area.
BIZ: Do you feel that the nation's current attitudes about race and diversity make it less challenging or more challenging to be an Asian-Pacific American business owner, business leader or in a large corporation?
Reguindin: That's an interesting question. I think that it's good for the nation to talk about race and diversity. It brings the issue to the kitchen table, casual conversation and to business boardrooms. Without the conversation, change will not happen or will take a long time. I believe this, not because I'm Asian Pacific Islander, but because I'm gay. I witnessed how the outing of Spokane's very homophobic, anti-gay mayor, who was also a former state senator, made national headlines. In a very conservative town the "G" word was used and talked about openly, and because of that I believe Spokane's LGBT community gained a lot of allies.
As our nation's colors begin to blend, race will become less of an issue, just as LGBT issues are not an issue for today's youth, who generally support our struggles. But it takes minorities of all colors and persuasions to be noticed and counted before attitudes will change. Unfortunately, I think there are still a lot of challenges for minority businesses of any color or status. I try to be colorblind when doing business, but I'm very supportive of LGBT businesses, mostly because I'm so involved in the LGBT business equality movement through Tieu: I definitely feel like it's less challenging. That's not to say that it's easy, but I think that we've made huge strides. Again, I think it's so important that we have visible role models. Although we can always use more, we've definitely got some top names like Indra Nooyi to aspire to.
