Is There a Bamboo Ceiling? The Asian-White Gap in Managerial Attainment for College-Educated Workers

Abstract

While public perceptions allege the existence of a “bamboo ceiling,” that is, a disadvantage in managerial attainment experienced by Asian workers, academic research on this question is relatively scarce and provides inconsistent findings. This study proposes that the opportunity of achieving managerial positions varies not only between White and Asian workers, but also across Asian subgroups defined by their place of birth and education. Using the data from the 2017 National Survey of College Graduates, this study finds significant inequalities in the probabilities of managerial attainment among Asians. Foreign-born Asians who have received no American education or only higher education in the United States are significantly disadvantaged relative to U.S.-born Whites and other Asians. This study also shows that this pattern of inequality associated with the place of one’s education is more salient among East Asian immigrants than among their counterparts from South Asia. These findings extend and enrich the theoretical understanding of the shaping of the “bamboo ceiling” and suggest directions of future studies.