AAPI History / Our History: Celebrating Rich Heritage

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place in May because of two key dates: May 7 and 10. The former marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States, whereas the latter—also known as Golden Spike Day—recognizes the completion of the US transcontinental railroad, connecting East to West. Nearly twenty thousand Chinese immigrants supported the construction of this incredible project, working under brutal conditions in the Sierra Nevada for very little pay. It’s critical that they are given recognition for their courage, hard work and dedication, today and into the future.

The AAPI umbrella term represents cultures from the entire Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. AAPI Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions that individuals and groups of this descent have made to the United States—and there are many. From science, literature, art and sports to government, politics, activism and law, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have significantly contributed to and enriched various facets of American life. Over time, AAPI people, stories, and traditions have become more visible, with Michelle Yeoh taking home an Oscar for Best Actress, Bong Joon Ho winning Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Director for his film Parasite, Marvel launching its first-ever Asian superhero, and Kamala Harris becoming the first AAPI (and female) Vice President of the United States.

As our people spotlights show, representation matters—especially since AAPI people have such a long history in the United States. Records show that Asians first migrated to what is now known as the United States over 15,000 years ago, crossing the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia with North America. This defeats the painful stereotype that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are perpetual foreigners, which entails the idea that they are inherently foreign, other and not truly American.

At Media.Monks, we empower our employees to build, innovate and work together as one team where everyone can feel like they belong and have a voice. Our focus is on fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment by treating people the way they want to be treated, encouraging colleagues to raise their voices, and working together to complement our differences and learn from one another. This ultimately helps create space for employees to share their unique identities and affinities and celebrate both contrasting and common life experiences.

In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month—and the fact that AAPI people are the fastest growing racial group in the United States—members of our AAPI community have come together to reflect on and celebrate their unique histories and heritage.

Nikki Azuma, Office Support Assistant

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

1 year.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

AAPI Heritage Month is a chance for me to celebrate not only my heritage, but other people’s Asian heritage as well. For the longest time, being Asian wasn’t cool—and as I reflect about those early years, I realize that the lack of representation in American media was a huge factor in feelings of self-loathing. It wasn’t until anime really started making a mainstay that I started to appreciate and connect with my Japanese heritage. I think it’s really important to be proud of your heritage, to be able to share aspects of it with others in a safe environment, and to show respect to people who are from different cultures and upbringings. Often in discussing these things, we realize we have more similarities than differences!

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

My mom wanted me to graduate college, become a nurse and settle down with a nice Asian boy. Only one of those things happened. The choices I have made throughout my career have allowed me to discover what I really love and excel at: administrative work. Follow your heart, don’t feel like you’re trapped in a box of expectations, and have faith that the decisions you make will eventually work out. 

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

It all starts with an opportunity, doesn’t it? I was given the opportunity to join this company, and now I feel like I’m thriving. My manager is amazing and gives me ample opportunities to make the office a better place than it was yesterday. Opportunities only take you so far though; it takes recognition and support from those who work both with and “above” you to be successful and make an impact. Every day, I am thankful that I was given this opportunity—but I also recognize that I was afforded some privileges that are not available to all people. The essentiality of recognizing privilege and using that to help uplift others allows me to feel more like “we advanced” versus “I advanced.”

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

I will celebrate AAPI Heritage Month the same way I celebrate heritage every month: by developing a unique ethnic menu for our office’s lunch program, thereby supporting people of that heritage and promoting their brick-and-mortar restaurant (if applicable) by sharing information about it with our team. I often think about how I would like my heritage to be represented, and make sure to apply that same respect in representing another culture. So this month, we’ll be supporting all Asian-owned businesses!

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

While not Asian American, I really love and respect Michelle Yeoh. I remember being in 6th grade, watching Wing Chun and realizing that being an Asian woman could mean kicking @$$. Watching her acceptance speech for winning an Oscar really deepened my love and respect for her, because she earned, deserved and most importantly OWNED that win.

Describe (if you have one) a moment in your family's story that can serve as an inspirational historical moment. 

I’m also half Chinese with strong females on the maternal side. My great-grandmother was a living legend. She lived through two world wars, watched us go from rotary phones to cell phones, and immigrated here as a paper daughter. She lived to be 109 years old, traversing the steep inclines of Chinatown until she was 95 and being in complete control of her faculties until she was 102. Her history of survival, struggles, and finally successes reminds me every day that I am also strong and that I can also overcome challenges.

Jeffrey Leong, VP Biz Ops

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

7 years.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

AAPI Heritage Month represents an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the diverse cultures, histories and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. It's important to me to celebrate as many cultures as we can and show respect to all backgrounds.

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

Identify what goals you want to achieve and then create a roadmap to reach those goals. Separately, if it is important to you, embrace your cultural identity—your heritage is an integral part of who you are, and it can be a source of strength and inspiration in your professional journey. 

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

It's important that we give opportunities at Media.Monks to folks of all different backgrounds. We seek to be a merit-based organization and this theme embodies that ethos.

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

Food! My favorite way to celebrate my own culture and those of others is by experiencing cuisine with other people. 

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

My parents and family for their work ethic, perseverance and unity. 

Describe (if you have one) a moment in your family's story that can serve as an inspirational historical moment. 

My grandmother was the first Chinese-American Woman to own her own real estate brokerage in San Francisco. My family and I are very proud of that and of all the hard work and determination that went into that achievement.

Vivian Huang, Senior Strategist

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

4 years.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

AAPI Heritage Month is an opportunity to reflect on our roots and honor our heritage. It's a time for us to come together and share our experiences as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to celebrate our diverse histories and identities. It's an important time of the year because Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders contributed a lot throughout American history, but our accomplishments and contributions are often glossed over. As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, it's our job to be vocal and proud about who we are and what we bring to society. 

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

Do not be afraid to go into a field that is “untraditional.” Culturally, we are often told that a career such as being a doctor or an engineer is the only path forward. While those fields are certainly respectable, they’re not the only option. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can be artists and entertainers and so much more—we have just as much right and talent as anyone else to exist in every industry. By breaking the mold, we can pave the way for future generations to explore things that they're passionate about and chase their dreams.

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

“Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity” means improving access to executives and influencers for AAPI professionals. It's about breaking structural barriers as well as the misconception that AAPI professionals are hard workers, but not good leaders. It's also about creating a safe space and a platform for AAPI professionals to be more vocal and visible. This starts with organizations understanding the diversity of the AAPI workforce and what barriers or challenges we face, addressing mental health needs or concerns, and truly analyzing whether leadership within an organization is systematically alienating AAPI professionals.

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

I love podcasts and I've started to listen to a new one—AsianBossGirl (ABG)—which is a podcast by three Asian women about the modern day Asian-American female experience. In addition to that, I will definitely try to support more local Asian-owned businesses and look to connect with fellow AAPI professionals as much as possible.

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

Bernice Chao and Jessalin Lam. They're the co-founders of Asians in Advertising, which is a community created for AAPI professionals to foster connections and opportunities, thereby helping Asians elevate to higher positions within the advertising industry. In an industry that's traditionally been a “boys only club,” it's really great to see two Asian women, who are both in positions of leadership within their respective organizations, help bring an underrepresented community together.

Sterling Stovall, Art Director

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

3 years. 

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

I think AAPI Heritage Month is a special time when we can come together to celebrate everything the Asian community has done and how it continues to influence our culture today. It means a lot to me that we are continually seeing more and more Asian representation in our everyday lives, whether that’s in mainstream media or just in the workforce. It’s important because growing up, I didn’t really see as much representation happening, so it’s nice to see that progress is being made.

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

My advice would be to lean into your culture, take risks with what you can do, and be unabashedly yourself. The world and the workplace are a lot better when we have people bringing their unique personalities and perspectives to the table. Also, don’t base your status of success on where someone else is in their journey—we all walk our own timelines and that’s okay.

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

To me, this theme means that we’re trying to do better by giving qualified and deserving candidates the opportunity to succeed and represent our country—because right now, it still seems that diversity is a problem in our government representation. I can only hope that as we move forward into the future, we not only have more Asian representation, but our government is an actual representation of what our country looks like.

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

I will celebrate by spending time with my family, watching a bunch of Asian-influenced movies, and eating delicious Asian cuisine.

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

Growing up, I was always inspired by Jackie Chan. My mom introduced me to him when I was very young and I just loved how he infused his martial art movies with comedy. The fact that he was tough and silly at the same time was something that I really looked up to. It’s amazing to see his dedication to the art and all the work he puts into his stunts, no matter how much it takes to get the perfect shot.

More recently, the cast and crew of Everything Everywhere All at Once inspired me, because they took an insane concept and executed it to perfection with barely any budget. I love all the recognition and awards it’s getting and how it has blasted to the forefront of the entertainment industry.

Describe (if you have one) a moment in your family's story that can serve as an inspirational historical moment. 

My mom is an inspiration to me because she immigrated to the US from Vietnam when she was only 14. While she didn’t know the language, she was trying to spearhead a better life in the States. She worked hard to develop a life out here and raise her kids. She taught me the value of kindness and hard work and I’ll always love her for that. She makes me proud to be a Vietnamese American.