The brightest and most ambitious Asian-Australians are doing their best to break through the bamboo ceiling but say there is still so much work to do.
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Vietnamese-Australian lawyer Tu Le was named as the overall winner of the 40 Under 40 Influential Asian-Australian awards on Tuesday.
Ms Le, who works in the community law sector, ran against Labor's Kristina Keneally in a preselection contest for the federal seat of Fowler, a largely Vietnamese and culturally diverse electorate in western Sydney. She lost to former senator Keneally, who was defeated in the May election.
"We should really be recognising everybody, the fact that these awards exist shows that there are barriers in place that stop people of colour, Asian Australians in this case," Ms Le told AAP on Tuesday.
"The award provides a platform for these voices and the chance to showcase the amazing expertise and talents and work they do in their respective fields."
But experts say there is still a long way to go.
"There is still a lack of recognition and focus on leveraging Asian-Australian talent," Australian National University Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership director Jieh-Yung Lo said.
"Nearly one in five people in Australia has an Asian cultural type, yet only about three per cent of senior management positions are held by Asian-Australians.
"We need to call out and address the negative impacts created by the bamboo ceiling."
Associate Professor Rona Chandrawati moved to Australia from Indonesia when she finished high school.
The winner of the awards' science and medicine category said although she had heard of the bamboo ceiling and racism, she had been lucky not to have experienced it herself.
Prof Chandrawati is now Australia's leading researcher in colorimetric food sensory technology, with her patented colour sensors attached to food packaging to help prevent spoilage.
Other Asian-Australians honoured on Tuesday night include property and construction professional Belinda Bentley, playwright Michelle Law and Angelina Inthavong, who already has a formidable career in youth politics, championing "period poverty" and mental health issues.
Australian Associated Press
