Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at ACA Group

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), and ACA 's Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Employee Resource Group (ERG) has organized various exciting events to celebrate this month. This blog post will explore these events and highlight ACA's commitment to building an inclusive workplace.

The APAHM celebrations at ACA Group will begin with a speaker series highlighting the history and contributions of the Asian diaspora and traditions in the West. Dr. Beth Lew-Williams, a professor of history at Princeton University, will be the first guest speaker on May 10, 2023. She will discuss "How Chinese Immigrants Shaped American Law." The second event in the series, on May 24, 2023, will feature Dr. Yong Chen, a history professor at the University of California Irvine. Dr. Chen will discuss "The History and Influence of Chinese Food in America." Finally, on May 31, 2023 yoga instructor Angie Tiwari will lead an in-person session in our London office (also streamed live to other offices) entitled "Celebrating South Asian Culture, Mental Health Awareness & Mindset Coaching."

In addition to the speaker series, ACA's Book Club ERG will read “On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong. ACA’s ALLiance ERG, API ERG and Mental Health ERG, which all have spotlight months in Q2, jointly selected the book which touches on themes relevant to all three ERGs. The club will discuss the book's themes and messages at the Q2 Book Club meeting.

ACA also honors APAHM by donating to the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS). This organization empowers and integrates underserved South Asians and other immigrants into NYC's economic and civic life. SACSS champions healthcare access for all, supports seniors to help them thrive, enables food justice, prepares community members for employment through language and computer learning, provides information on immigration through a legal clinic, develops youth leadership, and engages community members in civic participation.

Through its observance and celebration of APAHM, ACA Group seeks to further its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. ACA recognizes the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the history and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and building an inclusive workplace where all employees are valued and supported.