Representation Matters: Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 2, 2022

This month, we recognize the contributions that generations of Asian Americans have made to our history, society, and culture. It’s a time to celebrate the diverse collection of communities that the month is in honor of. We encourage you to learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and take part in activities within your local community.

Across Acuity, we honor diversity of thought, heritage, and orientation — respecting and celebrating what makes us each unique. Below is a list of resources to help educate, celebrate, and raise awareness of the AAPI experience. Throughout the month of May and beyond, we invite you to spend some time exploring these external* events, podcasts, articles, and books.

Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion here.

External Events

  • Asia Society's Virtual Cooking Series during AAPI Heritage Month 

    • Various Dates/Times 

    • In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, Asia Society is excited to host a series of virtual cooking programs across its centers in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Programs will focus on the versatility and universality of rice across the region – featuring discussions on the ingredient's significance or history in a particular culture as well as step-by-step cooking tutorials. 

 

  • National Association of Asian American Professionals presents
    API Heritage Month: A Conversation about Toxic Invisibility
     

    • May 4, 2022 5:30-7:30 PM PT 

    • In this workshop we’ll share the myriad of ways we find ourselves rendered invisible in daily life. We’ll learn about the historical roots of the external forces, how they persist, and how to effectively combat them. We’ll also learn about the neuroscience behind psychological invisibility, and how to regulate your emotions when confronted with challenging situations. Lastly, we’ll use vocal/storytelling exercises that will help you own your identity, speak up, and speak out. 

 

  • Asians in Advertising: Breaking Barriers Summit 

    • May 5-6, 2022 

    • Breaking Barriers is the first-ever summit for AAPI folks in Advertising, Comms, and Media. As Asian Americans, we face unique challenges, whether at work or trying to work on ourselves. And there are common issues we all face as we try to get ahead in industries. Whether you want to break in, breakthrough, or break out, taking control of your career means breaking critical barriers in the process. 

 

  • Asia Society’s 2022 Global Talent, Diversity and Inclusion Virtual Symposium 

    • May 11, 2022 9:30 AM-2:3 0PM ET 

    • This event is a timely and important annual event that will bring together Asian American Pacific Islander talent, business leaders, diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners, grassroots activists, partners, policy influencers and leaders and supporters to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the AAPI community, and our allies, both within and outside the workplace. 

 

  • National Association of Asian American Professionals presents
    Ly Tran – House of Sticks
     

    • May 18, 2022 8:00-9:30 PM ET 

    • NAAAP welcomes celebrated author, Ly Tran for a discussion on her coming-of-age memoir, House of Sticks. An extraordinary account of resilience and self-realization, HOUSE OF STICKS tells the story of a young girl’s journey from war-torn Vietnam to Ridgewood, Queens, and the challenges of forging her own path amidst a new culture and the weight of family expectations. 

 

Insightful Podcasts

  • South Asian Trailblazers

    • Take a deep dive into the journeys of trailblazing South Asians. Host Simi Shah has welcomed ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, 49ers President Paraag Marathe, and other world-renowned South Asian leaders.

 

  • They Call Us Bruce

    • Journalist Jeff Yang and writer Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America. The hosts interview notable AAPI figures like Your Korean Dad, Jon Chu, mayor Michelle Wu and Domee Shi to talk about racism, representation, and revelation.  

 

  • Feeling Asian

    • Tune into this podcast created by Asian American comedians Youngmi Mayer and Brian Park. Each week, Mayer and Park interview AAPI writers, actors and cultural figures.

 

  • Asian Enough

    • From the Los Angeles Times, “Asian Enough” is a podcast about being Asian American – the joys, the complications and everything in between. In each episode, hosts Jen Yamato, Johana Bhuiyan, Tracy Brown and Suhauna Hussain of the Times invite special guests to share personal stories and unpack identity on their own terms.

 

  • Model Majority

    • A podcast about politics, culture, and life through the eyes of two Asian-American grassroots organizers – former members of (a lot of) political campaigns, the Obama White House, Department of Commerce, the DNC; currently in tech and Hollywood.

 

Inspiring Books and Good Reads

 

Additional Resources

  • AsianPacificHertiage.gov - The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success. 

  • Library of Congress Asian American and Pacific Islander Materials: A Resource Guide 

  • Education @ Library of Virginia Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resources 

  • Georgia Public Broadcasting Asian American Cultural Resources 

  • Stop AAPI Hate - In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition on March 19, 2020. The coalition tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. 

  • Right To Be - Right To Be provides free trainings to the public that are oriented to empower you to make a change and channel attention into simple, creative, and effective action. You will find tools to learn how to respond, intervene, and heal from harassment. We want to empower you with the resources you need to take care of yourself and others because we believe we all have the right to be who we are, wherever we are. 

 

*Opinions expressed in these external events and resources are independent of Acuity Brands. 

 

 

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