At the National Association of Black Journalists’s convention, former President Donald Trump told the audience that Vice President Kamala Harris had “turned Black.” He went on to accuse her of “only promoting Indian heritage.” He also said, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black.”

“Is she Indian or is she Black?” he asked.

Vice President Harris is both. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was Indian. Her father, Donald Harris, is Jamaican. Harris said that her Indian mother “knew she was raising two Black daughters . . . but that’s not to the exclusion of who I am in terms of my Indian heritage.” 

She was raised to appreciate both cultures. Growing up, she attended both a Black church and a Hindu temple. She visited India frequently with her sister and mother. She attended Howard University, which is a top-ranked historically Black university. While in college, Harris joined the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. And as a senator, Harris was a member of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Today, an estimated 33.8 million Americans identify as multiracial. But over the years, I have watched too many colleagues have their racial identities questioned, dismissed, or even attacked. Some workers feel the pressure to defend themselves, and will provide data and evidence to back up why they identify the way they do. Some employees may not want to talk about their identity, feeling that work is no longer a psychologically safe place to share. And some workers wonder why their colleagues allow this line of questioning to happen in the first place. 

Leaders are responsible for creating a team environment where everyone feels like they are included. So here are three key things to focus on when it comes to respecting multiracial workers.

Don’t question how someone identifies 

My husband and I once attended an evening work event together, ready to mix and mingle. Over a drink at the event, we met a woman and got to know each other better. As the conversation went on, the topic of racial identity came up. My husband had shared that he identifies as Indian. The woman was in disbelief. “But you are so light-skinned, I could have sworn you were European.” She continued on: “I can’t believe you are Indian, are you sure?” It became awkward and uncomfortable, with my husband having to defend his racial identity. We finally moved on to converse with another group. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the first or last time this would happen to him.

When colleagues share how they identify at work, here are just some of the responses I have heard. And here’s what you should avoid saying:

• “No, really? But you are so light-skinned. I would never have guessed.”
• “Okay, but where are you really from? How do you really identify?”
• “But you never talk about India. Have you ever even been there?”
• “You look nothing like that, wow.”
• “Have you ever done ancestry.com to see what your real ethnicity is?”

Too many times, we want to put people in a box—into neat categories—and label people based on how we think, look, or act. And when people don’t fit into our stereotypes of them, and how we perceive them, we have a hard time accepting what they are telling us. 

Ultimately, it is disrespectful to question, challenge, or make someone defend how they identify—and it is undeniably unprofessional. 

How to respect multiracial identities at work

According to the U.S. Census data, Americans increasingly identify as multiracial. In 2010, 9 million individuals self-identified as a multiracial. In 2020, 33.8 million individuals self-identified as a multiracial—a 276% increase. It is therefore increasingly important for us to educate ourselves and understand that many individuals we work with identify as multiracial.

If someone tells you how they identify, your response is simple: Accept it. Before responding to what someone shares, stop. Interrupt the bias that may be showing up in your mind before you say anything. You can pause and offer the following responses in return:

• “Thanks for sharing that with me.”
• “I appreciate knowing that about you. Here’s how I identify.”
• “It’s great to learn more about your background. I would love to learn more and share my background as well. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Boston.”

The importance of intervening when you see bias at work

Years ago, I was developing a sponsorship program for Black and African American talent. It was an opportunity for the participants to get paired with senior leaders who would guide them, open doors for them, and help take their careers to the next level in our organization.

After walking into one of the first workshops I held, my former boss pulled me aside to give me some startling feedback. He said to me, “Why is this person in the group? They don’t really look Black.” I felt a large pit forming in my stomach as I managed to blurt out, “Because they identify as Black.” He walked off before we could continue the conversation. I was left feeling rattled and regretting that I didn’t say or do more.

My former boss’s response is a reminder to intervene when we see bias in action, especially when it comes to how someone identifies:

Here are some ways to interrupt someone’s thinking with open-ended questions:

• Why are we questioning how they say they identify?
• Why does it make you uncomfortable if they share they identify both as Black and as Indian?
• How would you feel if someone was challenging how you identify?

It’s important to intervene and challenge each other’s thinking and the biases we may hold.

Trump falsely accusing Harris of “turning Black” is a reminder of what also continues to happen in our workplaces. It’s all of our jobs to create a team culture where everyone feels like they belong, and that no one feels marginalized because of their multiracial background.