Exploring this year’s API Month theme at Dropbox api&___ and how it celebrates the Asian identity

May is Asian Pacific Islander month and we’ve been celebrating remotely with speaker panels, Q&As, special Zoom backgrounds, and even some virtual trivia! This year’s theme is “api&___” which acknowledges and celebrates the vast intersectional identities of those within the Asian community. We chatted with Asians@ co-leads, Mathew Antony and Puja Malhotra, about what this month means to them and more.

Fill in the blank. I’m API & _________ ?

Mathew: a musician. I enrolled in a music school learning piano when I was around nine, but the real interest in music started when I joined my brother’s high school metal band. Many bands and genres later, I’ve found it’s a fun way for me to stay connected to my brother.

Puja: an aspiring sommelier. My older sister took me to Calistoga for my 21st birthday and I nerded out at the wine tastings. Then, when traveling through Europe post-grad, getting to try all the varieties of wine and match locales to the wine they produce was fascinating.

Favorite part of the Asians@ ERG?

Mathew: It connects me with the larger Dropbox community. Being on the Asians@ ERG has introduced me to Dropboxers in teams that I’d never typically with (Comms, Legal, HelloSign, etc.) It’s been fun to both learn about these teams and also have a strong community outside of my core team.

Puja: It is wonderful to have a community to talk to when important events happen in the API community. From Parasite being the first non-English film to win the Oscar for best film, to Lilly Singh being the first woman of color to have her own late night talk show, I’ve had a group of peers just as excited as me to discuss all of these moments with.

What have you learned about yourself from (current or past) API months?

Mathew: API months have always been a month of reflection for me around who I am and what drives me. As someone who’s mostly been on the planning side of API months, I’ve also learned about my strengths and weaknesses as a lead: I’m good at setting strategy and story-telling but usually take a good amount of time to mull it over and get it right, which isn’t always feasible. This is why having a co-lead works great because we can hold each other accountable.

Puja: API month is always a time of reflection for me as I think about how my culture has shaped me, and how my parents’ journey to the US has influenced my life. As someone who is behind the scenes helping to plan events for APIHM, I’ve also uncovered my strengths and weaknesses as a lead. I love bringing people together to brainstorm with each other, but I hate having to make the final call on which ideas we should implement (they’re always phenomenal across the board). Having an Asians@ co-lead & site leads across offices helps me prioritize and commit to drive APIHM events forward.

What part of the office do you miss most during quarantine?

Mathew: Tuck Shop during non-meal hours. There’s so much natural light that comes in, it’s fairly quiet, and the booths on the 7th floor are a great place to get some heads-down work done. It’s also the best place to bump into a familiar face and do a quick 10-minute coffee catch-up and learn about what’s going on in their world.

Puja: I miss grabbing lunch with my team in the Tuck Shop and crowding far too many people at one of the long tables. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the Long Table by Pacific Rim one of these days!

Hobby or skill you’ve been exploring during quarantine?

Mathew: I’ve had a ukulele for the longest time that I’m starting to play more.

Puja: I’ve been cooking up a storm and going through all of my mom’s recipes. The goal is to master all the dishes in my own kitchen where she can’t scold me for doing things differently!

You’re the frontman/woman of a band. What’s the band’s name?

Mathew: Oldplay. We’re a Coldplay-cover band that only play their old songs pre-Viva La Vida.

Puja: WWAD (What Would Aretha Do?). We only sing Aretha Franklin covers.