Diaspora's Career Challenges

South Asian Heritage Speakers Ready to Spark hosted by Sweta Regmi, Founder & CEO, Career & Personal Branding Strategist.
Winning journalists, Emmy-nominated producers, Best-Selling Authors, LinkedIn Top Voice, TEDx speakers, and influential figures rooted in South Asian heritage, our lineup promises to ignite your passion and inspire.

Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84BVm5ou7Nc&list=PLHfPGHqV-5PjYtp3MA3Iu3scrsup-9W1W

TOPICS: How to Pitch to Media 5 Actionable Steps to Conflict Resolution at Work How to Get Featured on LinkedIn News How to Get Paid What You Have Earned and Deserve 4 Ways to Engage and Connect with the Audience Why TEDx Matters and How it Will Elevate Your Career and Legacy How do You Network with a Company You Want to Work For? How to Get Hired at Amazon Using Leadership Principles Speakers: National News Anchor, Award-winning Journalist Angie Seth Emmy Nominated Senior Producer & Host LinkedIn Live Editorial, Nina Melendez Ibarra Ex-Canada News Editor at LinkedIn now PR at Indeed Jessy Bains WSJ & USA TODAY Best Selling Author, LinkedIn Top Voice, Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact Mita Mallick and more...

How Diaspora and Immigrants Navigate Bias Through Name Changes on Resumes.

Do Immigrants Navigate Bias Through Name Changes on Resumes?

Are they Breaking the Mold?

What would they do to fit in?

Would you change your name to an English-sounding one just to land an interview?

If you’ve never thought about it, it’s likely because you don’t have an ethnic or non-English name. For many immigrants and diasporas, the pressure to fit in starts with their resumes. They are often forced to “whiten” their resumes—removing any trace of cultural identity—to navigate biases in the hiring process.

Welcome to the world of resume whitening, where changing your name could be the difference between being called for an interview or being overlooked.

But why? It’s because companies that claim to value diversity still sometimes gravitate toward familiarity—the kind that doesn’t challenge their comfort zones.

And so, people with ethnic names are left with a choice:

• Do you embrace your identity and risk being ignored?

• Or do you conform by changing your name, all to survive in a biased system?

Some even go so far as to legally change their names to sound more “acceptable.”

And honestly, I don’t blame them. It’s survival of the fittest out here, right?

Until next time, this is Breaking the Mold: Diaspora Career Challenges, where we unpack the struggles of fitting in and the strength it takes to stand out.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

1. What Is Resume Whitening?

• Resume whitening is the practice of anglicizing names or removing cultural identifiers to reduce bias during the hiring process.

• Many job seekers, especially immigrants and diasporas, resort to this practice to improve their chances of landing interviews.

2. The Cost of Fitting In:

• Erasing a name or cultural identity can feel like losing a piece of who you are.

• This is especially true when jobseekers feel pressured to conform to workplace norms that don’t value diversity authentically.

3. Diversity & Inclusion: The Irony

• Companies often tout diversity but unintentionally perpetuate biases through hiring practices.

• The pressure to “fit in” highlights how far we still have to go in creating equitable workplaces.

4. A Message for Immigrants and Diasporas

• You’re not here to fit in. You’re here to stand out. Your name, your accent, and your identity are assets, not liabilities.

5. Resources for Job Seekers

• Looking for help to overcome bias and stand out? Check out free career and job search resources at

Career Resources for Immigrants & Newcomers by Sweta Regmi: Free Resume, Interview, LinkedIn, and Job Search Help in Canada | Teachndo

If you’ve faced challenges like these, you’re not alone. Don’t let the pressure to conform strip away your unique identity. Instead, let it be your strength.

Book me to speak

Sweta Regmi - Top Global Speaker, Career Strategist & Personal Branding Consultant | Teachndo Canada

Diaspora's Career Challenges Podcast | Sweta Regmi - Career Strategies for Immigrants & Global Professionals Teachndo

Welcome to Diaspora’s Career Challenges, the podcast dedicated to empowering immigrants and newcomers as they navigate the complex journey of settling into a new country. This isn’t just about job searches—it’s about everything that comes with being part of a diaspora: career growth, workplace struggles, navigating bias and discrimination, and overcoming the unique challenges that arise when trying to build a life in an unfamiliar environment.

Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, transitioning careers, or finding your place in a new industry, this podcast provides real stories, expert insights, and actionable strategies to help you thrive.

What You'll Learn:

Cultural Fit vs. Cultural Add: The delicate balance of staying true to your heritage while adapting to a new culture—without compromising your identity. The Cost of Code-Switching: How constantly altering who you are to meet corporate norms can impact your sense of self and limit career growth. SEIB Quotas: Seen: Being included for diversity quotas, but not truly valued. Exploited: Tokenism and being used for appearances or PR purposes. Isolated: Exclusion from decision-making spaces and career advancement opportunities. Blocked: Facing systemic barriers that prevent true career growth. The Silent Struggles: Tackling identity crises, imposter syndrome, and the mental toll of being a marginalized professional in spaces not built for you. Discrimination & Bias: Confronting racism, bias, and microaggressions in the workplace and beyond, and how to cope with, challenge, and rise above them.

Why This Podcast Matters: For too long, the struggles of diaspora professionals have been overlooked or swept under the rug. From feeling like an outsider in the workplace to facing systemic bias and discrimination, many immigrants and newcomers have navigated their careers in silence. As someone who has lived through these challenges, I’m here to break that silence. This podcast is for anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, who’s faced barriers based on their identity, or who’s had to constantly code-switch to survive in a new environment.

Together, we’ll share stories of resilience, offer actionable strategies for overcoming career obstacles, and advocate for the change we deserve. It’s time to stop pretending these challenges don’t exist and start addressing them head-on.

Subscribe now and join a community dedicated to turning struggle into success. Let’s build our careers, reclaim our power, and pave the way for the next generation of diaspora professionals.

Free Career Resources: Career Resources for Immigrants & Newcomers by Sweta Regmi: Free Resume, Interview, LinkedIn, and Job Search Help in Canada | Teachndo

Speaker Contact: Sweta Regmi - Top Global Speaker, Career Strategist & Personal Branding Consultant | Teachndo Canada

In this powerful episode of Diaspora's Career Challenges, award-winning CBC journalist Angie Seth opens up about the often overlooked emotional impact of the question, "Where are you really from?"

Through her personal journey of navigating multiple cultures and raising children in a mixed-race family, Angie sheds light on the deep-rooted biases that shape our identity and how they affect both personal and professional lives.

From the internal identity struggles of immigrant families to the stereotypes faced by children in multicultural households, Angie shares candid reflections on how this question can trigger difficult conversations about belonging and heritage.

As someone who’s worked at the intersection of culture and journalism, Angie provides a unique perspective on how hidden biases can affect career paths, opportunities, and the professional growth of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

In this episode, we explore:

• The emotional toll of being asked, "Where are you really from?"
• How mixed-race families navigate identity in a multicultural world
• The role of stereotypes and cultural assumptions in shaping career paths
• The complexities of balancing heritage with modern identity
• Personal stories from Angie’s life as a background South Asian-Canadian journalist

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the challenges faced by individuals from diaspora communities, and how these challenges influence their careers, relationships, and personal growth.

Podcast Host: Sweta Regmi, Founder & CEO Teachndo, Award-winning Career Strategist.

Speaker Contact:teachndo.com/speaker

In this eye-opening episode, we reveal how AI is secretly shaping who gets hired, promoted, or fired — and why it’s a disaster for immigrants, diaspora, people with accents, and marginalized groups. With Emmy-winning investigative journalist Hilke Schellmann, we dive into the hidden biases baked into AI hiring algorithms, from accent discrimination to gender bias.

AI Bias in Hiring: From One-Way Video Interviews to Resume Screening

This isn’t science fiction, it's happening right now. Tune in to learn how AI is impacting your career, and what you can do to fight back before the robots make all the decisions.

Guest Speaker, Hilke Schellmann, Author of "The Algorithm", Assistant Professor of Journalism at New York University | Keynote Speaker | Emmy-award winning investigative journalist

Host: Sweta Regmi , Certified Career & Resume Strategist @ Teachndo

AI is rejecting you during an interview: Here is how to ace and fix it.

Your Interview Could Be With AI, Ace Job Interview!

Diaspora's Career Challenge Podcast Episodes: Diaspora’s Career Challenges | Sweta Regmi Podcast| Teachndo

Book me to speak

Sweta Regmi - Top Global Speaker, Career Strategist & Personal Branding Consultant | Teachndo Canada