Nowadays, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have become buzzwords for many companies. However, some companies promote DEI just for its financial outcome and reputation rather than aiming to establish an inclusive work environment for minority groups. This study defines and differentiates between superficial and authentic diversity in the workplace, specifically gender and racial diversity in the US management consulting industry. I focus on consulting because DEI-related studies were rarely done in this field. Additionally, consulting is a newly-emergent and high-paying industry where if inequality exists and is overlooked, it will influence other businesses for the worse. The research purpose is to validate the thesis that superficial diversity is currently appearing in consulting companies and investigate what factors will contribute to superficial and authentic diversity respectively. Research findings will be based on interviews conducted with consultants coming from different racial and gender backgrounds. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed through the thematic method to identify a pattern of what particular behaviors or actions will lead to superficial and authentic diversity across a chain of recruitments, promotions, and retentions. The expected result will tease out the underlying logic that could promote impactful DEI culture and generate practical suggestions based on this insight. Along this line, the research findings will help employees differentiate between superficial and authentic diversity and allow employers to recognize what type of DEI they are committing to so that they can avoid self-deception regarding DEI initiatives. By uncovering the nuances between superficial and authentic diversity, we can make transparent which company is pursuing authentic DEI for a higher level of social equity and which company is just conducting lip service for its own interest. Ultimately, this study intends to reduce racial and gender inequity in the US consulting industry and the entire workplace accordingly.

In the spring of 2021, a man suffering from what he called a “sexual addiction” obtained a gun and attacked three different Asian massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia, killing eight people – six of whom were Asian women. This event, alongside the rise in violence against Asian American women since the beginning of the pandemic, motivated me to investigate the role of stereotypes in portrayals of violence against Asian American women. I first conducted a literature review on the history of Asian American women in the United States, the stereotypes that have arisen, and their lasting impacts. I chose to perform thematic analysis on the coverage of the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings in order to investigate the effect of stereotypes in the portrayal of significant act of violence against Asian American women that received intense media attention. I analyzed 48 articles from 4 different news sources within a 48 hour and 2 week time frame, coding for relevant themes. Ultimately I expect to find that the coverage reinforces historical stereotypes that sexualize, objectify, and dehumanize Asian American women, and fails to address the nuances of the shootings. By becoming aware of the ways that stereotypes of Asian American women inhabit their portrayals, we can begin to confront these stereotypes and prevent their presence when taking action against violence against Asian American women.