How Identity Has Influenced a Professor's Career at University of San Diego
Professor Tito's minority immigrant identity presented both challenges and advantages in navigating a career in the United States; initial language barriers and "levels of doubt and self-questioning," including imposter syndrome, eventually gave way to leveraging a unique cultural perspective and diverse skillset as assets, echoing Michelle Obama's message to "be first a person who delivers" while utilizing one's background as a strength.
Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Imposter Syndrome, Cultural Perspective, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tito Zamalloa
Professor
University of San Diego
Cal Poly Pomona
UCLA MBA
Marketing
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Professor Tito's experience as a minority immigrant significantly impacted his career journey, presenting both challenges and opportunities. He highlights initial difficulties with language and cultural adjustment, leading to self-doubt and imposter syndrome. However, he emphasizes leveraging his unique perspective and cultural background as an asset, bringing diverse insights to the American business world.
2. Tito's advice is to focus on professional expertise and value delivery first. He uses Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey as examples of successful individuals who excelled in their respective fields while also embracing their identities. He underscores that one's background can be an additional asset, rather than a hindrance.
3. He encourages perseverance despite skepticism and challenges, emphasizing the importance of using one's diverse background as a strength to enrich the workplace. His message promotes resilience and leveraging diverse experiences for career success.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a minority immigrant, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
I would say in some ways greatly, and in other ways, an asset, but at times also a point of question and even doubt. I came to the States when I was in my teens.
The portion of video to learn the language more adequately and properly, and to learn the social cues, became a challenge. Of course, we also have our by, the way you look. So those two things, being a person of color or minority, as an immigrant, do play into your levels of perhaps doubt and self-questioning, attached to imposter syndrome.
But it could also be an asset, right? That you view the world from a different perspective. I grew up in my teens in a different environment, but I could also bring a level of cultural perspective to the foray of American business.
So it is both. I would tell you, in the past, it has been a level of overt question on my end, but also a point of doubt. Ultimately, I leverage that as an asset.
Most recently, during the DNCA a couple weeks ago, Michelle Obama had a speech. She stated that she and her husband are a successful couple, very well entrenched, influential, who happens to be black.
So as you develop your level of expertise, no matter if you're on the right or left, be first a person who delivers. Even Oprah, she happens to be a media executive. I'll be blunt, a badass woman in business, who happens to be black and a woman. That's great. But you first are the professional, the consummate, the deliverer of value, who happens to bring an additional level of asset to be your language, your accent, your gender, your pursuits, your diversity, your immigrant status.
So use that to your advantage and have that propel you into success and move forward. Fall eight times, get up nine. Fall 10 times, get up 11. Keep going because you're about to have skeptics. But at the same time, leverage that as a level of richness you can bring into the American workplace, and it will serve you well.