by Kaylin Lebo &
Ryan Kartiko
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A population of 20 million, $0.93 for every dollar the dominant culture makes, and an exponential decrease in leadership as positions gain more seniority–What’s wrong with this picture?
Shane Carlin, the President and CEO of Asian Student Achievement, has sought the answer to this question ever since it popped into his mind. The concept linking these three figures together is the lack of representation in leadership that Asians and Asian Americans face in workplaces today–despite a population of 20 million in the United States, the average Asian worker not only earns less than the dominant culture does, but also receives less representation in senior positions as well.1
Driven by the desire to fight the root cause of these issues, as well as his childhood as a Korean American adoptee, Carlin established Asian Student Achievement (ASA) in 2016. From its inception, the mission of Asian Student Achievement has always been to serve the Asian and Pacific Islander community through handcrafted coaching services, educational workshops, and access to a diversity-driven job board–all the resources necessary to equip Asians and Asian Americans with the educational and vocational soft skills required to advance in leadership positions.
We at Asian Student Achievement believe that to succeed, we need to reflect on our histories and embrace others in our communities. To commemorate our diverse yet shared heritage, Asian Student Achievement wishes to celebrate and reflect upon Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
What is the History Behind Asian Pacific American Heritage Month?
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) is a month-long celebration of Asians, Pacific Islanders, and their rich history woven within the fabric of the United States. The idea to introduce the first week of May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week was proposed by House Representative Frank Horton in 1977, with Senator Daniel Inouye introducing a similar bill not long after.
The decision to designate May as the month to honor Americans of Asian or Pacific heritage was twofold: Firstly, it marked the first instance of Japanese immigration with the immigration of fisherman Nakahama Manjirō in 1843. Secondly, it commemorated the completion of the United States’ first transcontinental railroad, the execution of which could not have been done without the onerous work of Chinese immigrants.
Horton and Inouye went through several resolution attempts to make Pacific/Asian American Week into reality, with the penultimate bill on the matter being passed in 1978. However, the history behind this heritage month doesn’t end there–Congress passed Public Law 101-283 in 1990, which expanded the holiday to the month-long observance celebrated across the United States today.2
The Importance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Despite the United States’ reputation as a melting pot, some Americans still deny the American identity to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans strictly based on appearance. The stereotype of the perpetual foreigner, in addition to the systematic erasure of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans from American culture and history, promotes a line of thinking wherein Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are wholly separate from the United States.
Long overlooked in their contributions to history and innovation in the United States, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans often struggle in finding their identity within a larger zeitgeist. To remedy this, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month seeks to not only recognize the rich history of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States, but to celebrate their unique cultures as well.
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have historically had their contributions to American culture either diminished or downright erased, with one of the most egregious examples being the erasure of Chinese immigrants from their work on the United States’ transcontinental railroad through the omission of their names and contributions from business records.3
This systematic erasure of the connections between the United States and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans has long contributed to a wavering sense of identity and belonging within these demographics. This has also led to the rise of the false stereotype of the perpetual foreigner–the notion that one cannot be a citizen of one country if they belong to a minority ethnic group associated with another.4
This false discrepancy has led to appalling consequences for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans–the refusal to recognize the American identities of Japanese Americans during the Second World War led to one of the most egregious violations of civil liberties for Asian Americans within the United States. Prejudice and discrimination led the United States government to assume that Japanese Americans had more loyalty to Japan based solely on their ethnicity. The United States Army declared them a danger to national security and ordered all Japanese Americans to relocate to internment camps. With little to no time to prepare, Japanese Americans were stripped of their homes and belongings, both of which were often never accessible to them again in a flagrant violation of civil liberties.5
The refusal to see Asian and Pacific Islander Americans as citizens of the United States is not a forgotten artifact of the past, rectified by quiet concessions of rights–this notion persists today, often in more subtle ways. In contemporary times, the stereotype of the perpetual foreigner is most profound in the workplace, contributing to the cultivation of the bamboo ceiling.
Borrowing theory from the glass ceiling, the notion that there are systematic hurdles barring minorities from advancing in their careers, the bamboo ceiling refers to the specific, racialized barriers that Asian and Pacific Islander workers face. Jane Hyun, who popularized the term through her self-help book Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians, posits that the bamboo ceiling consists of individual, systematic, and cultural barriers that all come together to impede an individual’s ability to move up the corporate ladder.6
One such barrier is the aforementioned stereotype of the perpetual foreigner–a 2022 report by management consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that many Asian and Pacific Islander professionals found themselves fighting against this stereotype in the workplace. The report found that, as a result, “Asian Americans perceive lower levels of fairness, feel less able to be themselves at work, and are less likely to report that their sponsors are effective at creating opportunities for them.”7 In the wake of this perception being all too common amongst Asian and Pacific professionals, Asian Student Achievement has made it our mission to offer workshops and coaching services for young professionals to gain the skills necessary for leadership and create their own legacies.
In celebrating APAHM, we celebrate not only the rich heritage behind multi-generational Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, but also the struggles they face in assimilating to survive. To combat the continuation of the perpetual foreigner stereotype, as well as other striking struggles, APAHM serves to celebrate our heritage in order to honor and strengthen our community.
How to Celebrate APAHM
When it comes to celebrating APAHM, understanding the history of the holiday and learning about the important contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander individuals to our country is just the start. We asked our ASA interns to reflect on some notable Asian and Pacific Islander figures that have influenced them in one way or another. By learning about these figures who have made tremendous impacts in various fields such as politics, science, and the arts, we can begin to break the stereotypes that Asian and Pacific Islander individuals continue to face today, and garner inspiration for our own lives. Here are some examples they chose to showcase:
When it comes to being famous and influential, Sarah Mun, Asian Student Achievement’s UX/Web Design Intern, says that Michelle Yeoh is the first individual who comes to mind. Mun says that, “She has been a big presence for Asians in pop culture, the movie industry in specific, and has helped to pave the way for more Asians to get in the door and put out more representation in the U.S.”
Abhaya Ladalla, Asian Student Achievement’s Graphic Design Intern, admires Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who served as India’s President while maintaining his status as a visionary scientist. “A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has enriched the lives of millions with his writings and public talks, and inspired them to pursue their ambitious plans with diligence,” Ladalla states. Aligning with the ideas behind APAHM, Ladalla credits Dr. Kalam’s mindset and unwavering patriotism as inspiration for her own life and career.
Ella Moon, Asian Student Achievement’s former Graphic Design Intern, celebrates the month by listening to Asian and Pacific Islander American artists. “I admire IU,” Moon reveals. “She is a South Korean [musical] artist, and the more I learn about her, the more I admire all the efforts she has made to grow her career. She is very successful now, and I hope to have her same work ethic as I dive deeper into my career.”
Xiangyi Fan, Asian Student Achievement’s former Data Analytics Intern, has the same idea on how to spend APAHM. “I really like Teresa Teng. She’s my mom’s favorite singer and I grew up listening to her music,” Fan imparts. “But I fell in love with her as well. I admire the fact that she was able to make her name internationally, and her ability to learn so many languages–she can speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, Hokkien, Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia, English, and Italian. I absolutely adore her music, her angelic voice, her humorous personality, and her ability to constantly reinvent herself for her beloved fandom.”
“One of my favorite artists is Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese American sculptor, furniture designer, landscape architect, and stage designer,” says Ryan Kartiko, Content Writing and Operations Intern for Asian Student Achievement. “He was born in Los Angeles, California, but lived in both Japan and America as a child. His works, which are both subtle and bold, combine tradition and modernity, utilizing various mediums such as stainless steel, marble, balsa wood, and water to reintegrate the arts. In many ways, I believe that he embodies what it means to be an Asian American. His legacy remains as one of the 20th century’s greatest and most influential artists.”
While these are some examples of Asian and Pacific Islander individuals that hold meaning for our interns, we encourage you to explore other ways to celebrate this month, such as:
- Giving to ASA or other Asian and Pacific Islander-led organizations that resolve issues afflicting their communities.
- Reading a book written by an Asian or Pacific Islander author, such as Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior, Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, or Helen Zia’s Asian American Dreams.
- Watching a movie by an Asian or Pacific Islander filmmaker, such as Jon M. Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians or Bao Nguyen’s Be Water. You can also check out ASA’s interview with Bao Nguyen here!
- Visiting museums or galleries that exhibit Asian and Pacific Islander art and history.
- Exploring different Asian and Pacific Islander cuisines.
- Supporting Asian and Pacific islander-owned businesses or using services offered by Asian or Pacific Islander professionals.
- Attending cultural events or festivals that celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.
How ASA is celebrating APAHM
To start APAHM off right, Asian Student Achievement’s President and CEO Shane Carlin attended the Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s Community Kickoff event. Touched by the event’s immersive cultural demonstrations and surrounded by vibrant musical and dance performances, Carlin was ecstatic to connect with Pan-Asian leaders from the Chicagoland area. “As members of the Asian and Pacific Islander community, it is important for us to gather together to celebrate our unique cultures and societal contributions,” Carlin reflects. “However, this month is not just about celebration–it is also about acknowledging the challenges faced by these communities. By doing this, we continue to chip away at the stereotypes and challenges that face us.”
Carlin wasn’t the only Asian Student Achievement executive member to celebrate and reflect upon the significance of APAHM. Michelle Ji, a member of ASA’s Board of Directors, had this to say about APAHM: “As a member of the Steering Committee for [3M’s] Employee Resource Network, representing Asians and Asian Americans, it is extremely important to me to showcase the significant contributions made in Science and Technology by AANHPI individuals throughout history.” Inspired by the “Hallway of Fame” at her workplace, 3M, Ji wishes to commemorate incredible innovators like Peter Tsai, Ajay Bhatt, and Chien-Shiung Wu–known for inventing the N95 respirator, the USB port, and developments in the field of atomic science, respectively. Ji also mentions how, “APAHM means so much to me because it makes me very proud to be Asian American, as I can honor and celebrate those individuals that have inspired me – people who share the same cultural beliefs as I do, coming together to evolve science and technology for the betterment of all people.”
Alana Zhu, another member of ASA’s Board of Directors, reflects on her background and how her local community helps her celebrate the month. She states, “To me, being Asian American is embracing my culture and acknowledging that being Asian and American is what makes me extremely unique and special.” Zhu celebrates APAHM by participating in as many related activities as she could find. “One event I love participating in is Mile High Asian Food Week. It is an event where different Asian businesses have specials and discounts. I love trying new restaurants, so it’s the perfect opportunity to support a local business and the Asian community at once.”
APAHM is important to ASA as an organization because it allows us to connect with students on a cultural level and provide them with the coaching and mentorship they need to prepare for their careers. Through partnerships with other Asian-owned organizations, like Baisun Candle Co. and Sugar Bliss, we are able to get involved with our communities to promote understanding, build bridges, and celebrate the richness of our shared humanity. This month, ASA has teamed up with Sugar Bliss on their AAPI packages–15% of sales from their AAPI specials will go to supporting our mission of moving Asians and Asian Americans through the corporate leadership pipeline.
The delicate relationship between Pan-Asian and American heritage is the entity at the heart of APAHM. It’s important to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and prepare for the future. While the celebration of APAHM helps to achieve the first two reflections, Asian Student Achievement can help with the latter. Through our coaching sessions, seminars, and partnerships with booming Asian-American businesses, Asian Student Achievement hopes to celebrate and strengthen the community it serves. Asian Student Achievement wishes all a Happy Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month!
Footnotes
- Chui, Michael, et al. “Asian American Workers: Diverse Outcomes and Hidden Challenges.” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 7 Sept. 2022, http://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/asian-american-workers-diverse-outcomes-and-hidden-challenges. ↩︎
- “Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month 2024.” Asian/Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, Library of Congress, 2024, asianpacificheritage.gov/About.html. ↩︎
- “Chinese Labor and the Iron Road.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 13 Aug. 2023, http://www.nps.gov/gosp/learn/historyculture/chinese-labor-and-the-iron-road.htm. ↩︎
- Huynh, Que-Lam, et al. “Perpetual foreigner in one’s own land: Potential implications for identity and psychological adjustment.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 30, no. 2, Feb. 2011, pp. 133–162, https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2011.30.2.133. ↩︎
- “Japanese-American Incarceration during World War II.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 22 Mar. 2024, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation#background. ↩︎
- Hyun, Jane. Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians. HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. ↩︎
- Chui, Michael, et al. “Asian American Workers: Diverse Outcomes and Hidden Challenges.” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 7 Sept. 2022, http://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/asian-american-workers-diverse-outcomes-and-hidden-challenges. ↩︎
Images Cited
Hart, A. Heading of East Portal. 13 Aug. 2023. National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, https://www.nps.gov/gosp/learn/historyculture/chinese-labor-and-the-iron-road.htm. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Hyun, Jane. Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians. HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Persimmon-Scented Soy Candle. Baisun Candle Co., https://baisuncandleco.com/collections/fall-seasonal-scents-collection/products/persimmon-scented-soy-candle. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Asian American Heritage Sweets Package (May 1-31). Sugar Bliss, https://www.sugarblisscakes.com/order. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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