| IMI Conference keynote highlights forgotten history of discrimination by matt getty Discrimination against white Americans may be the last thing that comes to mind for most people discussing racism, but for renowned diversity trainer Lee Mun Wah, it was one of the first. Delivering the keynote speech for the first day of last week’s Intercultural Management Institute, Lee (whose surname precedes his given name in accordance with Chinese custom) detailed the history of discrimination against German Americans to forge cross-racial bonds and spark discussion among audience members. 
Photo by Jeff Watts
During last week’s IMI conference, Lee Mun Wah describes the “secret history” of discrimination against German Americans. Bringing all of the conference attendants with a German family heritage to the front of the room, Lee revealed how German Americans were forced to move, intimidated into abandoning their language and culture, and even tarred and feathered during World War II. Then he asked the group to look into the eyes of all of the people of color in the audience and closed by asking only that they remember. “If you do not remember what your grandparents gave up, you will never know what it feels like for those people who are standing before you,” said Lee, who first gained fame in the 1990s with his documentary probing how Asian, African, and European Americans experience race, The Color of Fear. The conference, “Best Practices and New Directions in Intercultural Relations,” brought together business, education, and training professionals to explore the impact of culture in the workplace. In addition to Lee’s speech, the two-day event offered discussions, workshops, and exercises on such issues as cross-cultural marketing, language in an online world, and negotiation strategies among Asians and Westerners. |
