Ask Code Switch: Am I the “token” at work?

You’ve heard it before – someone being referred to as a “token.” Like the token Black friend, the token Asian – and tokenism isn’t limited to race or ethnicity, either. You can be the token lesbian, the token Gen Zer, the token hetero bff… you get the idea. Being a token usually means you’re in the minority within a certain group. It’s not inherently a bad thing, but the underlying implication is that you’re holding it down for your people where they wouldn’t otherwise be represented. And that what you represent might be the reason you’re in the group in the first place.
When it comes to being a token in the workplace, it can make you feel like you’re what some people refer to as a “diversity hire.” This week on
, Robby Strunk, a college student in Alaska, asked what he should do when his co-workers have turned him into “the token Native”.
I know I’m not alone when I say I can relate to his experience. I’m sure a lot of us have a story about being young and eager only to later see ourselves, or be seen, as nothing more than a “diversity hire.”
To answer this question for Robby, I wanted to connect with someone very specific – a fellow Alaska Native with a bit more perspective on navigating the white workplace as an indigenous person. I found the person I was looking for in Neetsaii Taa’ąįį, a Senior Scientist at the
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a former tribal chief, and a father.
This week, Neetsaii Taa’ąįį shares how the long history of the treatment of Alaska Natives continues to play into power dynamics for people like Robby in the workplace.
Listen to his advice for Robby right now on the Code Switch feed on
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or wherever you get your podcasts!
Send us your questions on Instagram @nprcodeswitch, or email us at [email protected].