Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Speaking Up and Hearing My Own Voice

By Annabelle Louie, Vice President, Operations Support

My siblings and I were born in a village in China. When I was young, we immigrated to the United States to join my relatives in San Francisco.

My parents didn’t have the opportunity to attend school in China after the fifth grade. Despite not receiving much formal education, they were intelligent and hard-working. They wound up working several jobs and went to night school to learn English to obtain their citizenship.

My siblings and I appreciated receiving the education our parents didn’t have. We attended English school and Chinese school every day. It was important to our family to take advantage of better opportunities in the U.S. while remaining connected to our Asian heritage. Being multi-lingual and growing up with American and Chinese influences helped me learn to adapt to different cultures.

After graduating from college, I worked for a book publisher in Oakland and used my translation skills to help expand our printing operations to Asia. My boss noticed I had a knack for business and encouraged me to get my MBA. After graduating from the University of California, I was recruited by PG&E, which caught my interest because of its position as the energy leader in California.

A big leap

Transitioning to a massive and hierarchical company like PG&E was daunting. Despite my education, I felt underqualified because I didn’t have experience in electric or gas operations. So I deferred to my leaders’ opinions and decisions, accepted any assignment, and rarely spoke up with my ideas or concerns.

Mustering the voice to question a leadership decision I didn’t agree with was completely at odds with how I was raised. There weren’t many Asian American leaders who could serve as mentors to me, and few females with non-technical backgrounds who I could confide in when faced with unconscious bias. Despite these challenges, my work ethic helped me build a track record and opened doors for other assignments.

Still, I much preferred playing a support role where I contributed through my actions, not my words. I was more comfortable preparing briefings for my leaders rather than asking if I could join them at the decision-making meeting. No one ever said to me, “You’re not welcomed.” I just didn’t feel I had a place at the table.

But my approach to “do more, speak less” didn’t work when I took a supervisor role in field operations. I had to explain safety procedures and work methods to my teammates. I was responsible for overseeing crews and stopping the job if safety practices weren’t followed. If something didn’t feel right, the difference between saying or not saying something could get a coworker seriously injured.

The power of words

As I became aware that speaking up was necessary, I realized it also mattered how I communicated. A colleague once told me, “It doesn’t just matter what you say, it matters how you make others feel when you say it.”

To resolve department conflicts or meet operational goals, I had to build relationships and gain buy-in from coworkers who didn’t report to me. Sometimes I’d write a long email only to get no response. I eventually gained cooperation by putting myself in others’ shoes to better understand their perspectives and priorities.

I made it a point to get back to people and followed up on their requests, regardless of how minor they were. I also found it more effective to call someone directly or meet them in person. I could get to know that individual on a personal level. What I got for these efforts were authentic interactions. When I spoke up, others would hear me because they understood who I was and what I stood for.

No matter what new role I take on, I’ve learned how much speaking up matters to get a job done right. Speaking up effectively requires us to take the care and time to relate to one another, no matter how different someone is from our own culture or belief systems.

#StandTogether

Storytelling is a powerful tool in building relationships and understanding, and it’s a key part of the heritage months we celebrate at PG&E, including Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

In the coming weeks, we’ll share stories from our coworkers about the meaning of the month as well as a first-person story about speaking up at work. Our Asian Employee Resource Group, founded more than 30 years ago, will play host to various online events such as a panel discussion on career development with our Women’s Network ERG and another on how to take advantage of corporate benefits to achieve career goals.

#StandTogether is the theme for PG&E’s AAPI Heritage Month. Whether our community is taking a stand against anti-Asian crime or improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace, helping everyone speak up and stand up for what matters most to them is what allows us to build a stronger culture.