At El Puente Institute, we work every day with leaders who carry the weight of culture in their professional journeys. One common yet often unspoken dynamic we encounter is cultural distancing.

Cultural distancing, much like covering or code switching, happens when individuals mute or edit parts of their identity to align with dominant norms. It often emerges as a strategy of assimilation and survival, a way to avoid judgment, bias, or exclusion in the workplace. For many, it has been the only path to acceptance or advancement.

But survival is not the same as thriving.

Why Cultural Distancing Matters

While cultural distancing may offer short-term safety, it carries significant long-term consequences:

• Mental health impacts – The constant suppression of one’s identity can erode well-being, leading to anxiety, depression, and disconnection.
• Alienation – It creates an ongoing sense of being an imposter, never fully at home in the dominant culture, nor fully connected to one’s own.
• Emotional labor – Policing and editing oneself every day is exhausting and unsustainable.
• Reinforcement of inequity – When professionals distance themselves culturally, organizations unintentionally affirm the harmful idea that some identities are less professional.

These costs are not just personal; they are organizational. Workplaces lose the very creativity, perspective, and innovation they seek when authenticity is stifled.

What Leaders and Organizations Can Learn

• Authenticity is power. Leaders who live and express their culture openly build trust and model courage.
• Cultural differences are assets. What may look “different” from dominant norms often reflects values like relational time or community-first decision-making—that enrich workplaces.
• Naming the practice matters. Recognizing cultural distancing as a dynamic helps us confront it collectively.
• Spaces of safety are essential. Leaders must create environments where cultural expression is welcomed, not punished.

Our Call to Action

At El Puente Institute, we see cultural distancing not as an individual failure but as a systemic challenge. The responsibility lies with leaders and organizations to dismantle environments where assimilation feels like the only option.

Authentic leadership requires cultural self-awareness. It demands that we move from survival to flourishing, where professionals are not only allowed but encouraged to bring their full cultural selves to the table.

By bridging cultures, we create workplaces where authenticity is not a risk, but a recognized strength.

This is the work of leadership: to ensure that the bridge toward belonging is strong enough for everyone to cross—without leaving pieces of themselves behind.

‍