About Us

Our Asian Voices

Family | Fear & Violence | Allyship & Support | Identity | History

Editors note: We originally published this story in 2021, following the murder of six women of Asian descent in Atlanta. It was one of the most horrifying examples of an alarming international trend that year. We have since updated the article.

Amid a decline in hate crimes generally, those committed against Asian Americans rose by nearly 150 percent in major U.S. cities in 2020. And police data in the U.K. indicate a 300 percent rise in hate crimes towards people of Asian descent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in the previous two years.

As stark as these numbers are, they don't capture the fear, anger, and grief Asian communities are feeling. In this feature, 72 Asian colleagues at McKinsey raise their voices and share their stories—on what Asian identity means, what allies can do to support them, and how they’re processing this moment. As we share these stories, we acknowledge our colleagues only represent a part of the conversation, a part of the Asian experience. To that end, we hope readers will find, listen to, and amplify the Asian voices in their own communities and beyond.

Family

Last week, I told my mom and dad not to walk the dog too far in their own neighborhood.

Feifei, Atlanta
Hear from other McKinsey colleagues on concerns for and from family members—and the instinct to not say anything at all to protect them

Fear & Violence

I didn't step outside of my apartment for three months during quarantine—not because of COVID but because of hate crimes toward Asians after hearing my friend got hit on the street in New York.

Michelle, Dallas
Hear from other McKinsey colleagues on experiencing harrasment—and being afraid to leave the house

Allyship & Support

It's like years, decades, centuries of people telling you your problems aren't real problems.

Richard, New York
Hear from other McKinsey colleagues on solidarity from friends and colleagues—and ways allies can help

Identity

I grew up in San Francisco. The recent Asian attacks brought back my fear and anxiety from 30 years ago, when my sister and I were attacked at Stonestown Mall in broad daylight. I worry a lot about my elderly parents and the possible violence against them, with my dad still in Chinatown to this day. And as a single mom, how do I keep my kids safe?

Yvonne, Bay Area
Hear from other McKinsey colleagues on fitting in, feeling left out, and the many other dimensions of the Asian experience

History

History

My family is from South Asia. So while we haven’t suffered from the recent wave of anti-Asian prejudice, the events have reminded me of the time after September 11th, 2001. That’s when my siblings and I were constantly called ‘terrorists’ in school, we were always stopped for extra screening at the airport, and my mom was told to go back to Saudi Arabia in the grocery store in front of her children.

Muneeb, Chicago
Hear from other McKinsey colleagues on fear for their ancestors and elders, the legacy of the Asian experience, and the long history of racism