Join us for our next Social Behavioral Interest Group (SBIG) Colloquium on September 10, 2026!
Speaker: Franki Kung (Purdue University)
Beyond Foreigner and Model Minority: Understanding the Dehumanization of Asian Workers in the United States
Throughout history, dehumanization has enabled exclusion and unjust treatment. In this talk, I present a framework and empirical evidence from my research team suggesting that Asian workers in the U.S. experience mechanistic dehumanization. Beyond stereotypes of the perpetual foreigner and model minority, they are often perceived as machine- or robot-like. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, we examine the workplace antecedents and consequences of these perceptions and introduce a systematic measure comprising seven dimensions of Asian dehumanization experiences. Together, these findings illuminate workplace inequities facing Asian communities, highlight implications for organizations, and underscore the importance of recognizing our shared humanity in fostering more inclusive workplaces.
The Social Behavior Interest Group consists of members of the university community who are interested in social psychological research. The SBIG supports an active program of visiting speakers. The group meets weekly to hear speakers describe their recent research. Since 1990, SBIG has brought in numerous distinguished visiting speakers. Presentations have included contemporary issues in the study of attitudes, social cognition, prejudice & stereotyping, and also applied research questions in the domains of health and consumer behavior.
