The Monocle Minute

The identity-based corporate and cultural preferences system known as DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – was once so much a part of how America did business that it was considered almost too big to fail. Not any more.

The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, recently announced plans to roll back its DEI programme, which was established in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer after a retail worker thought he had used a counterfeit banknote. The move comes as many leading American businesses are facing pressure from activist investors to place performance and profits before identity and ideology.

As a minority myself, it was clear to me that the backlash against the $9.4bn (€8.9bn) DEI industry had been brewing for years. Both Harvard and MIT recently announced an end to mandatory “DEI statements” for potential hires. Most notably, there was a 63 per cent drop in postings for DEI-related positions in 2023, according to leading employment website Ziprecruiter.

Major DEI initiatives have ended up hitting some corporations’ bottom lines, at times publicly and spectacularly. The April 2023 social media partnership between Bud Light beer and transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, for instance, was a misguided mess. The brewer’s core working-class consumer base was outraged and a subsequent boycott cost its parent company, AB InBev, an estimated $1.4bn (€1.3bn) in sales.

There is little doubt that the outlook of DEI is bleak, though not entirely broken. Once in office, Donald Trump is likely to parlay a handful of recent Supreme Court appointees, undermining DEI even further. Faced with the inevitable progressive pushback, it’s unlikely that DEI will be scrapped entirely. But the subsequent legal outcomes will add rigour and formality to what is essentially an unregulated ideological movement transformed into semi-official strategy and policy. Such clarity might hurt minority hiring and retention in the short-term but ultimately refine DEI’s position within the American workplace.

David Kaufman is an editor and columnist at the ‘New York Post’. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Onsen resorts in several Japanese cities are introducing higher bathing taxes in an attempt to manage rising tourism in the country. The move will raise funds for crucial efforts to preserve geothermal resources, particularly combatting declining levels of spring water. Regions including Hokkaido and Shizuoka have increased tax charges in some resorts to as much as ¥500 (€3) – up from an earlier base of ¥150 (€1).

“Japan’s precious onsens cannot be used endlessly by increasing numbers of people without very high maintenance,” Fiona Wilson, Monocle’s Tokyo bureau chief and senior Asia editor, tells The Monocle Minute. “There has been a tax on these hot springs since shortly after the Second World War. It was always meant to be used to maintain the springs themselves. The levy ensures that they stay clean and functioning without damaging the environment.”

Bottega Veneta, one of the few Kering-owned brands still growing amid the luxury slowdown, has released a series of surprising new projects. This includes creative director Matthieu Blazy’s playful capsule collection paying homage to American author and illustrator, Richard Scarry. Blazy’s fond childhood memories of reading Scarry’s books led him to create a leather cover for the author’s Biggest Word Book Ever!, in Bottega Veneta’s signature intrecciato leather.

The book’s vibrant colours and motifs also inspired a series of accessories, including apple-shaped pouches, bright-red leather belts and striped wallets. Blazy also indulged his love of Italian design by collaborating with lighting specialists Flos, to create a new iteration of the company’s Model 600 table lamp by Gino Sarfatti – once again wrapped in intrecciato leather. Rather than focusing on scale or loud branding like many of its peers, Bottega Veneta is opting for limited-edition, handcrafted designs when it comes to releasing holiday capsules or collaborations – a more considered approach that appears to be the perfect fit for the brand.

Since winning Eurovision 2016 with her song “1944”, Ukrainian singer Jamala has gone on to release the album Qirim, featuring traditional Crimean Tatar folk songs. Monocle speaks to the Shevchenko National Prize-winner about the importance of cultural heritage in her work.

What makes ‘Qirim’ such a special release for you?
It’s a unique album of ancient Crimean Tatar songs featuring more than 80 musicians. It restores the memory of an entire nation through the melodies, lyrics and voices, which fit together like a puzzle. When listening to it, you find yourself dancing and crying at the same time. For me, it’s an immersive journey through the world of Crimean Tatar culture.

What are your early memories of learning about Crimean Tatar history?
Nobody speaks about 1944 or the deportations at that time. But it’s something that changed my whole life. My grandmother taught me all the Crimean Tatar songs she knew when I was five years old. I remember her in every step I make and it’s my mission to continue to be the voice of Crimean Tatar.

How was the album recorded?
We wanted an authentic sound so all the musical instruments were recorded in a very classical, traditional way, without any sound production or design. Through the authenticity of the songs, we have the chance to learn about the mentality and character of the Crimean Tatar people.

To listen to the full interview with Jamala, tune in to yesterday’s edition of ‘The Globalist’ on Monocle Radio.

We’re heading to the salty shores of the Pacific Northwest, where a town famous for its boat building is also gaining a reputation as a dining destination. Monocle’s Seattle correspondent, Gregory Scruggs, took the ferry over to Port Townsend to find out more.