“You’re so well-spoken for a Native person.” 🙊🚩
“We’d love for you to sit in on this meeting — it’s about Indigenous issues.” 🪶🤷🚩
“Can you wear your regalia for the event?” 📸🚩
“We really need your voice for our diversity campaign.” 📢🚩
“You should be proud — you’re a role model for your people.” 🏆🚩
If you’ve ever been told these things, you may have been a token in your workplace. While they may sound like compliments to the people who are saying them, but for those on the receiving end, they are exhausting, reductive, and isolating. These are textbook examples of tokenism.
Tokenism is the shallow or symbolic inclusion of individuals from marginalized communities — such as Indigenous Peoples, Black people, Asian people, 2SLGBTQ+ folks, and others — in order to create the appearance of diversity, without shifting the dominant culture or power structure. It’s when someone is included because of their identity, not for their insight, and is rarely given the tools, support, or authority to lead.
Tokenism allows organizations to say, “Look, we’re inclusive!” — while continuing to center whiteness, reinforce existing hierarchies, and ignore the lived experiences of the people they claim to represent. Here are some ways it shows up in real life:
- Photo Ops Over Policy: Indigenous or racialized employees are showcased in photo ops, tours, or marketing materials to create the illusion of inclusivity, but are excluded from strategy, policy, or leadership roles. The inclusion is visual — not structural. Another example would be when a Black employee is consistently put forward as the face of the company during diversity-related campaigns or Black History Month events, yet remains in a junior role with no clear path to advancement. Leadership uses their presence to appear progressive while refusing to fund or implement actual equity strategies.
- Singled Out to Represent a Whole Culture: A Yupik employee at a national lab is asked to lead public tours because of his Indigenous identity. Though initially proud, he later struggles with the realization that he might be included because he’s Native, not because of his skills: “I now second guess everything I do… wondering if I’m working on projects because I am Native or because I’m actually qualified.” – Robby Strunk, NPR Code Switch (2024)
- Diversity On Paper, Not In Practice: A Southeast Asian hire is brought onto an all-white team under the guise of diversity, but receives no mentorship, no cultural safety, and is left to manage microaggressions on her own. When she struggles, her performance is quietly used to justify deprioritizing diversity in future hiring.
Mental and Physical Toll on the Individual
Being tokenized is more than just uncomfortable — it’s deeply exhausting.
When you’re constantly asked to represent your entire community, correct stereotypes, or explain racism to your colleagues, and often without pay — it wears on you. Over time, tokenism can result in:
- Mental fatigue from hyper-visibility and always being “on display”
- Anxiety and stress from needing to “prove” your legitimacy in your role
- Burnout and isolation, especially when concerns are dismissed or minimized
- Depression, imposter syndrome, and emotional numbness
- Physical symptoms like insomnia, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues caused by chronic workplace stress
What to Do If You Realize You Are a Token
- Set Boundaries Around Cultural Labour
- Stop doing unpaid work. If you’re being asked to educate, consult, translate, or mentor — ask for compensation, or redirect them to resources like Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., Many Voices One Mind, or CultureAlly.
- You are not obligated to educate others at work.
- Observe and Document Patterns
- Notice when you’re being called upon (e.g., only for cultural insight, media appearances, or DEI topics)
- Track instances that feel performative or isolating, or when you’ve felt sidelined. This can help you make a clear case if you decide to speak to HR or leadership — or leave altogether.
- Educate Your Employer (If You Choose)
- If you feel safe enough, share articles and reports on tokenism, especially ones written by Indigenous or racialized professionals. You don’t owe them education — but if you want to start the conversation, bring receipts.
- Find or Build Community
- Don’t carry the weight alone. Seek out affinity groups, external networks (like Indigenous Federal Employees Network), or mental health professionals who understand systemic harm. Talking to someone who gets it will help you feel less alone.
- Build a community of people who share or understand your experience.
- Speaking to a therapist or Indigenous support group can help replenish your energy and clarity.
- Consider Your Exit, or HR Escalation
- If tokenism persists despite your efforts, consider shifting to a workplace that values inclusion, not just representation.
- You may also report systemic patterns to leadership, human resources, or external bodies if needed.
- Frame your concern in terms of organizational growth and Indigenous safety rather than personal grievance.
Tokenism is something that can happen in any workplace, and these are some tools to help you protect yourself against them. Performance in the workplace should always be in relation to the quality of your work, not parading your identity, and you have the right to protect your wellbeing in any workplace.
