Expatriate assignments are well-established, pivotal growth experiences that shape talented individuals into global leaders — not something many encounter every day. But this year, FleishmanHillard’s diversity fellows did. After an impressive period of growth and expansion, FleishmanHillard bolstered its Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship program, a U.S.-based internship for diverse young talent, with the Cross-Cultural Connections program, a virtual expatriate experience for industry up-and-comers.

Fellows who opted in were paired with peers from Asia-Pacific on a project of their choosing for three months. These unique collaborations gave participants an all-encompassing experience with a glimpse at PR work beyond their current borders. 

The program was designed to help fellows and their partners:

• Understand and appreciate cultural differences
• Learn global PR, communications and media best practices
• Experience the scale of an international network
• Foster growth and connections outside their everyday teams

This year’s Cross-Cultural Connections participants include:

We met with a few to learn more through a little Q&A. These are the highlights:

What excited you about the program?

“I joined the program because my role as a fellow in the Los Angeles area was 100% focused on external client work. I didn’t have a lot of connections to our internal network or DE&I-related work. My client work is primarily on a national scale, so I was looking for an opportunity to work on a global scale.” – Breeahna Dobson, Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellow, Los Angeles

“I wanted to explore an overseas working culture, and to connect with our U.S. colleagues.  I saw that there are many differences, but also that we have things in common.” – Leo Chung, Senior Account Executive, Hong Kong

“I joined the program mostly because I wanted to branch out of my traditional office work and meet other people outside of the country. I knew that this program was the first of its kind and I thought it would be cool to participate.” – Julia Mariano, Assistant Account Executive, Sacramento 

How did the program build your experience with international colleagues?

“This is the first time I have had a chance to work with someone from a global office.” – Julia Mariano, Assistant Account Executive, Sacramento 

Carmen Fanning studied abroad in college, but this program was her first opportunity to partner with people from other countries in a work setting. 

For Cheryl Pan, who has extensive international work experience, the program offered a chance to form deeper connections. 

“My work with BlueCurrent and FleishmanHillard has given me the opportunity to work with colleagues across the U.K. and the U.S. and I have always benefited from that work. However, this program was an opportunity to do a deep dive, connect with colleagues in another part of the world, and understand their culture by working on a passion project together.” – Cheryl Pan, Vice President, BlueCurrent Hong Kong

How did you decide your project’s focus?

Breeahna and her partner Cheryl studied the intersection of tech and diversity and inclusion. Coming from two major bay areas, Breeahna from the San Francisco Bay Area and Cheryl from the Hong Kong Bay Area, they presented a ‘bay-to-bay’ comparison between the two regions. 

“DE&I is discussed a lot in tech and the industry plays a big role, so we wanted to take a closer look at what they think and see if their perspective would be helpful in our future work.” Breeahna shared her key takeaway, “I learned that as a California Bay Area native, our DE&I initiatives are typically focused on inclusivity, LGBTQ rights, the gender gap, and People of Color. However, in Hong Kong, their DE&I focus in on gender equality and rights. LGBTQ topics are taboo. I learned a lot about the Chinese culture, especially in Hong Kong, and what is driving their conversations about DE&I initiatives.” – Breeahna Dobson, Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellow, Los Angeles

Cheryl and Breeahna met with colleagues in the tech industry to hear their perspectives first-hand, which taught them an important lesson. 

“The biggest takeaway was that context really matters. The historical backgrounds of the two bay areas are quite different, so the DE&I focus in each area is different – rooted in both culture and history. So, if we want to take this to our clients in the future, we need to know the cultural and social context, so that we can provide specific and accurate counsel.” – Cheryl Pan, vice president, BlueCurrent Hong Kong 

Julia and Leo examined the different social platforms used in the U.S., China and Hong Kong. 

“When there are political issues between countries, I learned how our colleagues in the U.S. receive news and messages from social media, and how we in Hong Kong and China see our own news. We thought we were using the same apps, but actually, we are in a completely different position when we see information.” – Leo Chung, Senior Account Executive, Hong Kong

“I thought it was interesting that a platform like LinkedIn is not used that much in China for marketing, but in the U.S., we use it for thought leadership and ads. Our conversations helped uncover these differences.” – Julia Mariano, Assistant Account Executive, Sacramento

As issues surrounding mental health and well-being continue to take center stage across the globe, many of our program participants focused their research on the importance of work-life balance. 

“A lot of people think work-life balance is just shutting off your computer, but there are things that you can do to be productive even in your time off. I learned that activities that you enjoy, like working out, along with getting enough sleep are what give you energy.” – Carmen Fanning, Account Executive Kansas City

“Learning about this topic inspired me to think about how I can add more balance to my schedule. For example, now I pay more attention to scheduling, and using my holidays and annual leave to help me get rest.” – Leo Chung, Senior Account Executive, Hong Kong 

How did you manage work across different time zones?

Working in essentially opposite time zones was not without its challenges. However, the teams found a way to make it work. Cheryl and Breeahna took advantage of the time difference, realizing they could each work while the other was sleeping. When asked about working across two vastly different time zones, Leo Chung said, “I think it is about being inclusive. We were willing to invest the time to build that relationship with each other because we know that we each had a lot of work to do outside of this project, so it was important that we invested our own time to work together.” –  Leo Chung, Senior Account Executive, Hong Kong

How did this experience shape your view of FleishmanHillard’s global network? 

“Sometimes it is easy get stuck in a U.S. mindset, but we are global firm. I also didn’t realize that as a global agency we have a big impact around the world, and that things are just as busy and robust in our global offices as they are in the U.S. and that was great to see.” – Carmen Fanning, Account Executive Kansas City, MO

“This project opened my eyes to the plethora of resources available across our network. There are networking opportunities, and opportunities to connect to others on a global scale. Often, we are just doing our work and we don’t get a chance to see all the global connections and the options that they bring. I want to take advantage of that more as I grow my career at FH.” – Breeahna Dobson, Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellow, Los Angeles

“The project made me think deeper about what it really means to be the most inclusive agency in the world, and how it is reflected in our daily lives. The way Breeahna and I worked together was so smooth because we respected one another, and we learned from one another. We inspired each other because of our different perspectives. This inclusive culture in our agency is valued by everyone and it is reflected in the different aspects of our work experiences, personal connections, and interactions around the world.” – Cheryl Pan, Vice President, BlueCurrent Hong Kong 

We look forward to future iterations of our Cross-Cultural Connections program. No matter how it evolves, it will remain dedicated to connection, inclusivity and growth opportunities for our firm’s future leaders.

You can learn more about openings in our Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship program by visiting our careers page here. 

Approximately 6,500 languages are spoken around the world and, according to The Washington Post, nearly half of the world is bilingual. Yet, those who identify as bilingual and multilingual are often greeted with more challenges in the face of communication, rather than praise. 

As advocates and allies, it is important to look at how we can create inclusive measures for people who are multilingual. Through collaboration, patience and the willingness to understand, we can reimagine different languages not as a barrier, but a bridge builder. 

Colleagues across our Chicago office share their personal experiences as multilingual speakers and how exposure to different languages can make us better communicators and expand our larger, global perspectives. 

—

I was born and raised in Thailand speaking Thai, so English is my second language. My English lessons began when I was in pre-school. It started by learning the English alphabet and simple vocabulary. 

Growing up, my dad would purchase English encyclopedias, magazines and newspapers for my brother and me to read — or more so to look at – during that time. While I was too young to understand everything then, I was excited to see books that were written in a different language. The desire and curiosity I felt for the books written in English encouraged me to keep learning. Despite my concerns on whether my accent is too strong or if I will stumble on pronunciation, I take every new word and pronunciation I learn as an accomplishment. 

While it comes with a unique set of challenges, being multilingual has opened countless doors to ample opportunities to meet people from all over the world and discover my passion for a career in global communications. I would not have made it this far without support from people who are willing to understand me, even when there were words I cannot pronounce. I am grateful for these opportunities and look forward to creating similar opportunities for others. 

Kara Freeland, senior account executive

I grew up as my mother’s voice. From grocery stores, gas stations, and phone calls, I was often the one speaking on behalf of my mother. She, who I looked up to as my childhood hero, just wasn’t comfortable speaking in English. Both my parents immigrated from China to California before I was born, so I was raised speaking their familial language, while learning to speak English with my friends and classmates.

At home I speak Cantonese, a spoken language that exists in the southern regions of China. My parents also sent me to Chinese School every weekend, where I learned Mandarin, the main native language of China. 

As the honorary interpreter for my parents, I realized at a young age how important connotation can be in conversation. Sometimes the direct translation of a word doesn’t epitomize the meaning, leaving little room for error and the potential to easily steer a conversation the wrong direction. 

Understanding the variety of connotations also allowed me to see the differences between my parents’ perspective of the world as Chinese immigrants and my perspective, an English-speaking, first-generation American citizen. Over time, my interest in communications and public relations stemmed from my bilingual experience. It broadened my point of view and showed me the impact language has on how one speaks, listens and believes.

Miranda Xie, assistant account executive

As a first-generation Indian American, I grew up speaking, learning and listening to many different Indian languages at home. While we speak Konkani, pop culture and my parents’ childhoods in Mumbai allowed us to learn Hindi as well. This multilingual foundation was set up even before I started school, with my parents switching from Konkani and Hindi to English in front of me. 

As I grew up, however, I faced second-hand embarrassment of my background and, like most first-generation kids, did the most to make sure I fit in with the rest of the kids at school. This thought process bled into the way I saw my parents, as I often found myself embarrassed whenever they would mispronounce something while ordering food or shying away from their heavy accents in public. I would frequently correct them, looking down on the fact that they were unable to speak what I saw as basic English. I never stopped to think about how incredible it is that my parents, my hardworking, immigrant parents, were able to speak so many different languages, and how my closed perspective contributed to their struggle for acceptance. 

Now as I reflect on my experience, growing up as a multilingual, first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants has taught me to live life with an open mind. Appreciating cultures and different languages is important today more than ever as we have become so interconnected both professionally and across our personal lives. While it may not seem like a big deal for those of us who have grown up in America, inherently balancing different cultures and knowing and understanding multiple languages is something to be proud of and should be celebrated. 

When you encounter someone who didn’t grow up with English as a first language, I encourage you to take a step back and approach them with understanding, instead of jumping at the chance to correct them or target their mispronunciations with judgement. Take the time to appreciate their efforts and who they are as people. 

Shruthika Kamat, assistant account executive  

I was born in Guam and raised in America. I moved to the U.S. when I was almost six years old and consider English to be my first language. My family speaks Ilocano, a dialect of the Philippines, but the main dialect is Tagalog.

When I first moved to the U.S., I was self-conscious about the way I spoke. Sometimes an English word is not pronounced the same when you have a Filipino accent or grow up speaking a dialect of the Philippines. For example, instead of saying futon in our house, it was pronounced “puton.” I constantly compared myself to my peers because I felt like I didn’t speak or write as well as them. I would wait for someone pronounce a word first before I would say it, or dread being called on in class to read aloud because I was afraid of being laughed at. 

To this day, I am still conscious about the way I pronounce things and how they appear on paper. As I grew in my career, I remember being so nervous to write my first press release, my first blog post for a company and even my first professional email. At first, it was discouraging to get edits because my insecurities of growing up mispronouncing my words or not saying the right word would come flooding back. 

Although these feelings resurface occasionally, growing up with exposure to multiple languages has allowed me to connect more with my culture and with my parents. Being multilingual does not mean you are less than, it means you are a better listener, speaker and advocate.

Constructive feedback helps us grow and allows us to keep improving in our craft, though we should also be conscious of the way we deliver this feedback. First, we should take the time to learn about our peers and know that sometimes tenses or pronouns are different in another language. Also, consider asking the person what they meant or to clarify what they were trying to say instead of assuming. By doing so, we can work together on creating spaces for everyone to bring their full selves to work. 

Valerie Del Campo, assistant account executive 

Interested in joining our global business? We want to work with more bridge builders. View our job openings here.