In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, YPTC’s Equity Committee learned more about what this month means to some of our AAPI staff members.
Julia Kim, Staff Accountant
YPTC: What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
Julia: It allows visibility, education, and awareness to all those that have and are making great contributions to our country and communities! It also allows a moment to pause and feel a sense of pride for our respective heritages and the sacrifice our families made for the next generation.
YPTC: How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Julia: My heritage carries generations of adversity with a war, colonialism, perseverance, faith, and hope. I know what my parents and grandparents have gone through and it has made me not want to squander my opportunities here in the States and I want to pass that on to my children.
Asha Vyas, Training Content Specialist
Asha: For a long time, the narrative we learned in our public education focused on our collective story as a nation from a perspective that was not inclusive. Any heritage month helps us take steps to focus, learn, and weave representation into general knowledge with the wish that someday we will no longer need these months but have and celebrate a complete, inclusive story.
YPTC: How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Asha: My parent’s struggle and sacrifice for a better life was (and is) real. It’s created a space – a need – to adapt and adopt. Adapting the traditions of our culture and adopting new ones. This mindset leaves us (me) open and curious.
Susan Buck, Talent Acquisition Specialist
Susan Buck, Talent Acquisition SpecialistSusan: It’s an opportunity to be aware of the experiences and contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the US. I recall that in elementary school, I often had to explain where Korea was and that it was different from other Asian countries to my friends. Now with the popularity with Korean pop music and drama, cuisine and the development of high-tech products that’s no longer the case. Now, the same friends are telling me about the newest developments from Korea.
YPTC: How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Susan: Growing up, my father emphasized adopting the best aspects of two cultures, Korean and American. Admittedly, this reminder came when I was responding back to my father’s input about me (or talking back, depending on whom you ask). What’s best would be up for debate, but there’s no doubt that I had more personal freedom to select my life partner, make career choices, make decisions regarding my own immediate family, and declare my briefs with the two cultures as my reference points. As a female Asian woman embodying two cultures, I had the privilege to self-determine my roles as a colleague, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and mother to express my most authentic self.
Check out YPTC Associate Evelyn Wan’s interview from last year!
YPTC’s Equity Committee, formed in 2020, amplifies the causes and work of YPTC clients, supports YPTC’s Culture of Equity where differences are valued, and ensures equitable practices within the company.
