My DEI Story By Monica Michaan

My DEI Story

By Monica Michaan, Senior Manager, Brand and Corporate Marketing, FiscalNote

Who are you?

What are you doing here?

For as long as humans have been able to express ourselves--whether through poetry, music, or visual art--we’ve been questioning our identity and purpose. Why? Because humans have a fundamental need to belong.

In fact, this line of thinking has sparked my career as a brand manager. By day, my job is to ensure that my organization has a clear brand identity with succinct answers to questions like “Who are we?” and “Why are we here? To be successful, it’s important for organizations to clearly articulate their mission, purpose, and value for their customers.

While I spend my days helping organizations develop brand systems that are authentic and meaningful, I can’t help but draw the parallels to my own quest for answers.

Let me tell you a bit about me.

I was born in Costa Rica to a Nicaraguan mother and a Jewish-Egyptian father. Three weeks after I was born, my mother and I went back to Africa to join my father and sisters. We spent the next 14 years moving from Africa to Asia, the Caribbean, South Florida, and now I call the DC-area home. I was raised across six countries, three continents, and had learned four languages before turning five. Most people hear this and say “Wow! How interesting!” My usual tongue-in-cheek response is, “yes, and confusing.”

As you can imagine, the topic of “identity” was not an easy one for me. I spent the better portion of my childhood moving from place to place, attending new schools, and trialing how to answer the question “Where are you from?” I was constantly battling feelings of not belonging. I never felt like enough of one thing to fill a whole box on a form.

With my dark hair and olive skin, I am often asked if I’m Italian, Greek, Persian, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican or Spanish. Growing up in places like the Congo, Cambodia, and Haiti, my family was often called “white,” but since moving to the US, “white” doesn’t quite fit. Someone will preface a question to me with, “as a woman of color, how do you feel about...” I acknowledge that I grew up in an extremely privileged environment, therefore I’m not comfortable speaking on behalf of marginalized groups in this country. At the same time, I have to recognize that how a person is perceived can mean the difference between life and death in America. So...how do I reconcile the two when I’m somewhere in the middle? I feel membership in many places and cultures, and that creates attributes that are unique to me and not always easy to pinpoint or explain.

Sometimes it feels like every part of my anthropology contradicts another. I’m the Latina one in my american friend group. I’m the american one in my family. I never joined the Girls Scouts, nor did I have a proper quinceanera. My cultural identity is a tapestry of ethnicities, experiences and cultures--and I can’t always define myself using other people’s standards.

At this crossroads for myself, I can’t help but question the fundamental issues presented to those that seek meaning and membership: 

1. How does compelling individuals to define themselves with one single identifier impact our inclusion efforts?
2. Is it time to rethink our reporting and metrics and embrace the kaleidoscopic spectrum that is a human?
3. How can I feel empowered to embrace my Latinx or Middle Eastern roots without becoming the spokesperson for all people who share my heritage?
4. What else should I be learning?

There’s a movement happening in America--one that is long overdue. In order for me to be most useful to the cause, I can’t be obtuse about how my own biases impede my ability to  understand the perspectives of others. Understanding my place in the fight matters to me. The opportunities to nurture equity and inclusion happen every day, and so I ask..what do we need to tear down in order to rebuild a place that has room for us all?          

The WGR “My DEI Story” Blogs are featured monthly, highlighting the story of a DEI Committee Member or supporting ally. These blogs are designed to shine a light on the amazing diversity that exists within our community, and to recognize that EVERYONE has a DEI Story. Interested in having your story featured?  Please send an email to dei.wgr@gmail.com.

Join us at our upcoming Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit! To learn about some of the ways your organization can get involved, contact us.