Coming Together to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

This year39s commemoration lands against a difficult and emotional backdrop Hate crimes against people of Asian descent have recently dominated national news but these attacks have only surged since the start of the pandemic A recent report found a 169 increase in such attacks during the first quarter of 2021 as compared to the same time period in 2020Standing together in solidarity with our AAPI friends colleagues clients and neighbors Clear Channel Outdoor CCO launched a campaign in partnership with its employeedriven Executive Diversity Advisory Council EDAC for this Asian Pacific American Heritage Month The digital outofhome campaign features messages of unity strength and progress in hopes of uplifting and empowering AAPI communities across the nationAmidst this challenging time it39s also become apparent just how imperative it is to hear and amplify AAPI voices I recently had the chance to speak with a few members of CCO39s EDAC who are also part of the AAPI community including John Duong Vice President Real Estate Development below left Preeya Panketh Internal Audit Director center and Eelain Steketee Vice President National Client Partnerships right They spoke on what this month means to them CCO39s campaign and how we can all advance diversity and inclusion in and out of the workplaceHere are some powerful takeaways from our conversation This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and brevityVicky Chen What does this Asian Pacific American Heritage Month mean to youJohn Duong It means being proud of our heritage roots and contributions to this country at large In terms of a quotrootquot perspective there39s a connection to a larger global community of Asians and Pacific Islanders which consists of over 50 major ethnic groups with over 100 languages and dialects spoken There are over 23 million people of AAPI descent in the US representing 56 of the US population The AAPI community itself is so diverse and that39s something to be proud of as an American It39s also important to acknowledge the diversity on the socioeconomic spectrum and recognize there39s still a large underserved population within the APPI community that needs our helpamp160Preeya Panketh For me there are two pieces to it It39s about celebrating the achievements of AAPIs and honoring the contributions they39ve made to our society And it39s about building awareness This month is a bit nuanced given the heightened awareness around some of the challenges the AAPI community has had and is still facing todayEelain Steketee Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is meant to give a lift to a segment that makes up the tapestry of America It39s to show we39re not an invisible segment of this nation39s population This month also takes on a bit of a new meaning for me There is a collision right now where it39s about both celebrating AAPIs and bringing awareness to what is happening to our communitiesChen The EDAC had a key role in the launch of CCO39s campaign for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month What about the campaign or process resonated with you mostDuong There is a devastating event happening to the Asian American community right now and people are speaking out about it Because we39re in the outofhome media business I believe we have a greater opportunity to do good with our platform Our campaign honoring Asian Pacific American Heritage Month just represents one of the many steps we39re taking in doing that amp8211 not only for this month but all year longPanketh At the end of the day we are members of the same society And together we can activate powerful change It was intentional to address that with our campaign through uplifting messages It also reinforces our place as Americans amp8211 and that AAPIs are part of the fabric of this nationSteketee We wanted to showcase what quotunitedquot truly means to us as AAPIs For most Asian Americans growing up our parents have probably told us that quotwe belongquot quotwe achievequot and quotwe are Americansquot These statements are not empty statements They are powerful words for us and part of our belief system These words are weaved into how AAPIs have been brought up in this country and into this campaignChen How can we further amplify and support AAPIs in the workplace and in our society How is the EDAC addressing this at CCODuong All of this has served as a huge call for us to speak up and bring attention to the issues affecting AAPIs Getting involved and engaging in the mainstream conversation is still new for some in the AAPI community But when given a platform people feel more encouraged to speak up including myself Additionally it has been recognized at CCO that the workplace is an intersection of diversity whether it39s from an ethnic or background perspective or who we are in terms of our own personal experiences And we need to highlight that diversity across the organization and in our communities which is what the EDAC is dedicated to promotingPanketh I think it39s what we39re trying to do right now amp8211 creating safe spaces where everyone39s differences are celebrated I39m actually on a subcommittee of the EDAC that39s building out our soontolaunch Employee Resource Groups ERGs They39re designed to foster an inclusive welcoming and safe workplace while providing employees support in personal or career development Employees who join are welcomed to share their own perspectives or experiences in these groups and even come up with solutions to challenges that a particular community faces We39ll also have a tactical approach in how we can engage externally through partnerships in the community The key here is communication amp8211 to let people know what we39re doing and how they can helpSteketee Representation matters Being where I am in my career I hope I can be an example for those just starting out in their own careers When there is proper representation it empowers others to raise their hand use their voice and bring their different ideas to the table But they also need a platform or forum that propels them to do so That39s what the EDAC is actively working on while bringing to light the diverse talent that makes up CCO and makes us stronger as a companyJoin us in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month as we continue our journey to advance DampampI and drive change in the neighborhoods where we live work and serve all year roundClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Coming Together to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

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Vicky Chen

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