AAPI Heritage Month 2023—Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the US.

AAPI US History

AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated in May because the first Japanese immigrants arrived in May 1843 and the transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869.

AAPI history in the US often isn’t taught in schools—beyond the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese internment during WWII. These moments hardly tell the whole story and don’t give an accurate picture of the Asian-American experience.

This month, commit to learning more:

• 📰 Read more about the history of anti-Asian violence in the US
• 🎧 Listen to Asian American History 101> a podcast by Gen and Ted Lai
• 📺 Watch Asian Americans, a PBS series on AAPI history and impact in the US

This year’s theme is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.”

Did you know? Asian American professionals are the least likely group to be promoted into management, despite not being considered an underrepresented minority.

AAPI employees report biased perceptions as "good workers — not leaders,” leading to the so-called "bamboo ceiling.”

How can your org more equitably develop your AAPI employees and leaders?

• 🔎 Take stock of AAPI representation by level and leadership to understand the makeup of your org
• 📊 Include AAPIs as a category when analyzing hiring, promotion, retention, pay equity and other employee data
• 💬 Analyze performance reviews for biased language and review how leadership and growth opportunities are assigned
• 📝 Incorporate AAPIs in relevant anti-racism or DEI training, like the history of Asians in the US or the model minority stereotype

Showing up as an AAPI ally at work and in your community

There’s been a troubling rise of anti-Asian hate over the past few years, with hate crimes surging to unprecedented rates. Your impacted colleagues may be feeling anxious, isolated and struggling, particularly when there are hate crimes in the news.

Show up as a better ally to your AAPI friends and colleagues:

• 📚 Take Right to Be’s bystander intervention training to help stop anti-Asian harassment and hate
• 🧰 Check out more anti-racism resources here from FAR-NEAR media
• 🧠 On a personal level, AAPIs are often “othered” — broaden your cultural perceptions and celebrate Asian artists in music, movies and literature