Identity Based Resources: BIPOC

BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, People of Color

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As an individual who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC), your identities bring strength and unique experiences into a workplace environment. However, structural inequities, implicit bias, and racism present challenges for BIPOC throughout their careers. 

When entering the workplace, it is important to have awareness of, and strategies to deal with, the following:

  • How to deal with unconscious bias and stereotyping (implicit bias) throughout your career journey;
  • Navigating representation and presentation in terms of dress, accessories and hairstyles in the workplace;
  • Being the only or one of a few person(s) of color in their working environment;
  • Language expectations and feeling the need to alter the way one expresses themself.

Career Advisors will provide individualized support to help identify and explore your career interests, values, and goals. Please reach out to acac@humboldt.edu to book an appointment with your career advisor to discuss strategies for entering the workforce and discussing the above questions. 

Whether or not an employer adheres to them, the laws regarding discrimination are clear: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination: Unfair treatment because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

Illegal Interview Questions

It is against the law for employers to ask you certain questions in a job interview. Any question that asks about race, religion, ability, gender, age, pregnancy status, citizenship, marital status or number of children is illegal for employers to ask. However, employers may still ask these questions. 

How do I respond to illegal questions?
  1. Gracefully steer the conversation elsewhere.
  2. Keep your answers short, broad and general.
  3. Redirect a question to your interviewer.
  4. Reenforce to the employer that you have the skills and abilities required for the position.

Discrimination in the workplace

If you experience discrimination once you have started a job, here are some tips and information about dealing with employment discrimination. Some employers are proactively looking to increase diversity. Many organizations are interested in recruiting students from diverse backgrounds and cultural experiences. To find these organizations and/or opportunities via Handshake and other job boards, there are specific keywords you can use to enhance your search.

  • Your identity (e.g. Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian American, Indigenous/Native etc.)
  • Identity specific programs will often contain the terms/phrases “people/students of color strongly encouraged”, “diversity”, “underrepresented”, “minority”. 

General Resources

Asian/Pacific American

  • National Association of Asian American Professionals – The NAAAP a non-profit organization that cultivates and empowers Asian and Pacific Islander leaders through professional development, community service, and networking. It offers a diverse range of professional development programs including a career center and job board.

  • National Council of Asian Pacific Americans – A directory of links to Asian Pacific American organizations, many with career sites of their own. The links also include website and contact information for networking and internship and job search purposes.

  • Ascend - Pan-Asian Leaders - Largest, non-profit Pan-Asian organization for business professionals in North America. Established in 2005, Ascend has grown to serve professionals and corporations across various professions and across multiple industries.

  • The Center for Asian Pacific American Women - The Center for Asian Pacific American Women (formerly The Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute) is the only national, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing and enriching leadership skills for Asian-American and Pacific-Islander women leaders.

Black/African American

  • African American Professional Associations – Compilation of links to the leading African American professional associations, many with career and job sites of their own, collected by Monster.

  • National Urban League Job Network – The Urban League Job Network is backed by the National Urban League and is dedicated to helping diverse students find employment opportunities.

  • United Negro College Fund – UNCF is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority group members. It manages various scholarship, fellowship, and internship programs.

  • Black Career Women’s Network - Is a national career development organization dedicated to fostering the professional growth of African-American women. 

Hispanic/Latinx

  • The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute – Learn more about a congressional internship program in D.C. 

  • Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities – A compilation of internship and job boards sponsored by the association, which represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain.

  • Hispanic and Latino Professional Associations – Compilation of links to the leading Hispanic and Latino professional associations, many with career and job sites of their own, collected by Monster.

  • iHispano – Job board sponsored by the Professional Diversity Network.

  • Latino Careers – Job board sponsored by LATCareers.com.

  • LatPro.com – Source for connecting Hispanic and Latino bilingual job seekers with recruiters searching for skilled diversity candidates.

Indigenous/Native American

  • Native American Professional Organizations – A list of 21 organizations and professional associations  serving the Native American community.

  • Indian Country Today – A magazine that covers topics pertinent to Native Americans. The website includes internships, a scholarship guide, and job search database.

  • National Congress of American Indians – A list of job opportunities submitted by employers that are American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native businesses, governments, or organizations. It also includes opportunities submitted by organizations seeking Native American applicants.

  • Native American Jobs – A job search database for Native American job seekers which includes Tribal and Non-Tribal companies across the nation.

  • Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education – A magazine for Native Americans in higher education which includes a job board.

Internship Resources

  • INROADS  - The mission of INROADS is to develop and place talented minority young people in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership.

  • Lagrant Foundation - The LAGRANT Foundation seeks to enhance the academic and professional development of undergraduate and graduate ethnic minority students pursuing careers in advertising, marketing and public relations by providing scholarships, career and professional development workshops, mentors and internships.

  • SEO - SEO’s mission is to place underrepresented students of color into paid summer internships. SEO places interns in banking, private equity, corporate leadership, law, non-profit and other business sectors. Students receive competitive pay, rigorous training, support through mentors, and broad access to full-time professionals and industry leadership.

  • The Getty Foundation Multicultural Undergraduate Internship -The Getty Foundation aims to encourage greater diversity in the professions related to museums and the visual arts. The program provides funding for internships at cultural organizations across Los Angeles.

  • T. Howard Foundation - The T. Howard Foundation is an internship program for minority students interested in the multimedia and entertainment industry. In addition to a full-time paid summer internship, it also provides interns with networking opportunities, professional development training, scholarships, and mentors.

  • United States National Park Service - The Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program provides a career exploration opportunity for diverse undergraduate and graduate students ages 18-25 in historic preservation/cultural resources work. The program places interns with National Park Service park units and administrative offices, other federal agencies, state historic preservation offices, local governments, and private organizations.