How You Can Support the AAPI Community this Month

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Every year it is used as an opportunity to highlight AAPI voices and celebrate AAPI culture.  At Career Group Companies, we believe in celebrating our nation’s cultural diversity, and the differences that make each of us unique.

As an ally to the AAPI community, now is your chance to take action, check in on your peers or coworkers of AAPI Heritage, and celebrate AAPI stories. Remember, support and allyship don’t end when May does. Instead, use this moment to consider the individual power you have to make a positive impact.

Here are some things you can do right now:

Continue Your Own Learning

Start by educating yourself on what is happening in America today, and then take time to learn about the history of marginalization, discrimination, and anti-Asian sentiment. The AAPI community represents a vast continent of cultures and diverse experiences, so do the work to make sure you’re not conflating them all into one. Celebrating diversity means truly valuing our differences, unique stories, and experiences. It’s always best to seek out informed resources, so if you don’t know where to start, start here.

Engage with Asian Pacific American History and Culture

Explore the beauty and complexity of the cultures within the AAPI community this month. The American Archive of Public Broadcasting spotlights some of the rich contributions to culture from this community in their AAPI collection, viewable here. Dive into some of the many artists from the AAPI community with these lists and collections from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Recording Academy, or the UCLA School of Film and Television.

Speak up

If you see something, say something. The burden of holding our peers accountable falls not only on those who experience anti-Asian sentiment but also on those of us who do not. Oftentimes, it is easier to look past the things that do not directly affect us, however, it is every person’s responsibility to speak up and to treat others with respect, dignity, and equality.

“Equal does not mean that we are all the same. Each of us is different in our own special way, but we also have the common qualities that make us all humans. Each of us should be treated with respect and dignity and treat others in the same way. Everybody has the right to protection from all forms of violence caused by reason of their race, color, language, sex, religion, political, national or social origin, property, birth or another status.” - Voices of Youth

Career Group Companies denounces any form of racism, hate, or bigotry, and calls to Stop Asian Hate.  We encourage you to report incidents through the appropriate channels, whether that is through your Human Resources department or sites like this one.

Support AAPI Organizations

If you’re in a financial position to do so, donate to organizations supporting the AAPI community. Some great ones include Stop AAPI Hate, National CAPACD, Asian Mental Health Collective, or consider supporting organizations local to your community.

Shop local and support Asian Pacific American businesses

One way we can support our local AAPI communities is through our choices in where we shop and where we eat. Sites like Yelp have launched filters to help you find Asian-owned businesses and restaurants local to your area, and other publications are sharing Asian Pacific American Owned Businesses you can support.

It’s important that your support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community doesn’t end when May ends. You can always be an ally to communities that count on your support, you can always support minority-owned businesses, and you should always speak up in the presence of hate, racism, or bigotry. At Career Group Companies, we are standing in solidarity with our peers and coworkers of AAPI Heritage, this month and beyond, and we hope you’ll join us.