While Asian Americans populate the front lines of health workers and own businesses generating $700 billion in annual GDP in the U.S., the negative impact of COVID-19 on this highly productive community has gone largely underreported and unnoticed. Yet, increasing discrimination is taking its toll, potentially spurring a mental health crisis.

In this panel conversation, we will discuss the findings of a recent report issued by McKinsey & Company about the economic, social and psychological challenges facing the Asian American community as a result of the ongoing global pandemic. Some of the report’s findings are:

• Asian Americans experienced a 450% increase in unemployment rates from February to June 2020—the largest percentage increase in unemployment among racial groups
• Asian American workers and businesses are disproportionately highly exposed to the negative impacts of COVID-19
• Asian American workers are overrepresented in 72% of essential, high-contact medical professions
• Asian-owned businesses comprise 26% of US accommodations and food services, 17% of retail trade, and 11% of educational services businesses—all sectors hit hardest by COVID-19
• Evidence also suggests that Asian-owned businesses experienced declines in activity nearly a full month before others as a result of unfounded xenophobia against Asians
• Mental health support texts have increased by 39% in the first quarter of 2020 and at least 1,900 anti-Asian hate incidents were documented by organizations across 46 states

McKinsey’s latest research takes a deeper look into major barriers Asian Americans face amid the pandemic and how agencies can take immediate actions toward relief and recovery for Asian Americans. Moderated by Asia Society’s Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski, this discussion features Subha V. Barry, president of Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation; Cindy Hsu, Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter at CBS 2 News in New York City; and co-author of the report Harrison Lung, partner and Asian ERG Leader at McKinsey & Company. Please join us for a timely and important conversation on ways we as a community can help.

Download the Report

Speakers

Subha V. Barry is president of Working Mother Media. She oversees Working Mother magazine, workingmother.com, Diversity Best Practices (the leading corporate membership organization supporting diversity and inclusion), the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and Culture @Work. Subha’s career spans 30 years of experience in front-line business, operational, and leadership roles where she has built cohesive and productive teams to be agents of change. She has taught gender policy at Columbia University and speaks passionately about the ability to drive innovation by embracing diversity and creating a culture of inclusion. She serves on a number of boards aligned with her passions—education, cancer research and women’s advancement.

Cindy Hsu is an Emmy Award winning anchor and reporter who has been at CBS 2 News in New York City since 1993. Recently, Hsu was awarded “Reporter of the Year” from the NY & NJ Asian-American Law Enforcement Organization. Her personal adoption story, “Bringing Rosie Home,” was nominated for an Emmy Award and won the New York AP Broadcasters Award for Best Feature. She has received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Single Hard News Story. Hsu spends much of her off-duty time performing community work and is strongly involved with the Asian-American community. She is a Big Sister and has served on the Advisory Board of APEX, a group that pairs Asian professionals with recent immigrants and young people who need guidance. She’s served on the Board of Directors of the Museum of Chinese in the Americas and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as well as the Newswatch Advisory Council. Hsu has been the co-chair of Cooks for Kids, and she is actively involved with The Children’s Miracle Network. Hsu is also a former President of the New York Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in communication studies and lives in New York City with her daughter.

Harrison Lung is a partner for McKinsey & Company, a leading global management consulting firm, based out of New Jersey. Previously based out of McKinsey's Hong Kong office, Harrison serves clients across Asia, North America, and Europe. His passion is about helping telecommunication and high-tech clients capture the full benefits of large-scale digital transformations, using his in-depth knowledge of IT and operations, to help them achieve impact at scale. He is a core leader of Asians at McKinsey (AAM), a diversity and inclusion group within McKinsey, aimed at fostering and advancing of Asian Americans in the workplace. He is also on Asia Society’s Global Talent Initiative council. Harrison has also been a frequent speaker and panel moderator at leading industry events, such as Mobile World Congress (MWC) and his work has been cited by leading publications (ABC, CBS, Forbes etc.). Harrison is a graduate of Cornell University (US), Queen’s University (Canada) and the University of Waterloo (Canada).

Tom Nagorski (moderator) is Executive Vice President of Asia Society. He joined the Asia Society following a three-decade career in journalism — having served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News. He serves on Princeton University’s Advisory Council for the Department of East Asian Studies, and the Advisory Board of the Committee to Protect Journalists.