What could I have done to prevent my work’s offensive Christmas party?

I work for a company that embraces diversity, but I think they went about it the wrong way with one of their Christmas parties. Several years ago they had one with a Japanese theme.

I, along with my colleagues of Asian descent, were uncomfortable with the idea as we felt it would lead to cultural appropriation and people from other backgrounds mocking our traditions. And that did happen; people walked around with chopsticks in their hair and white face paint, pretending to be geishas. It was humiliating and embarrassing.

We ended up walking out in disgust, but what should we have done to address this with the organiser and HR in case this happens again?

Cultural celebrations in the workplace are important and, when done well, have numerous benefits. But they don’t always go as planned.Credit: John Shakespeare

I asked Dr Raymond Trau, a senior lecturer at Macquarie University and currently a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, about your question. Much of his research concentrates on workplaces, and he has studied discrimination and stigmatisation, among many other subjects, in detail.

He told me that cultural celebrations in the workplace are important and, when done well, have numerous benefits.

“Cultural celebrations at work can play a critical role in fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace environment by acknowledging employees’ diverse backgrounds and providing opportunities for employees belonging to a culture group to share their unique experiences and bring their authentic selves to work,” he says.

“These celebrations also offer organisations a valuable opportunity to demonstrate that their diversity, equity and inclusion values are not just principles but are actively put into practice.”

Trau acknowledged that such celebrations don’t always go as planned or as hoped. And sometimes they are so poorly thought out that they deeply insult people. The Christmas party you’ve described sounds like one of those, and I’m not surprised you walked away.

“It is unfortunate that, in some instances, cultural celebrations can be uncomfortable or offensive to some employees for the reasons you mentioned,” Trau says.

“It is important to recognise that some people learn cultural stereotypes only through the media, which often fails to accurately or fully represent some cultures. As a result, employees belonging to a cultural minority group may find it offensive when their heritage is being mischaracterised or misrepresented during these celebrations.”

Trau said that the organiser – or organising committee – would be the best person or group to address this with. If the human resources team had some hand in arranging the party, you could discuss it with them as well.

“The first step is to express your honest feedback and offer constructive recommendations. The organising committee needs to take proactive steps to advise participants to be sensitive and respectful of cultural symbols, clothing or practices.”

I’m amazed that any of your colleagues, let alone several, thought it would be a good idea to walk around with chopsticks or dress like a geisha. Another part of the event that we had to remove from your original question because it was quite specific was (arguably) even more offensive.

As astonishing is the fact no person from an Asian background had a say in the theme or how the party might be run. That seems like a woeful oversight, especially at an organisation that says it embraces diversity. Trau mentioned this as well.

“During the planning process, it’s essential for any committee to consult colleagues belonging to the cultural group or someone with deep knowledge of the culture to ensure the event creates a positive and enriching experience for everyone,” he says.

“You may find it beneficial to join the organising committee to offer input into these cultural celebrations.”

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