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May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM), which brings together a diverse and broad community to celebrate our cultures, heritage and achievements. East-Asian culture is a rising interest and “fandom” across the US, thanks largely to the mass popularity of K-pop and K-dramas.
And, several prominent East-Asian figures have been making waves in pop culture: “Parasite” was the first Korean film recognized by the Academy Awards and the first non-English film to win an Oscar in 2020; Simu Liu became the first Asian to lead a Marvel film; BTS became the first K-pop group nominated for a Grammy; Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars in March 2023.
It’s exciting to see this rise in interest; however, it’s only a starting point.
Asians are often lumped together, but we’re made of up different cultures across India, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and many more. Asians are broadly seen as the “model minority,” in that we’re often deemed to be hard-working; successful; smart (especially with math, science and technology); wealthy; obedient; and quiet. This means that the challenges and barriers we face are downplayed or ignored, but each individual has a different experience living in the US.
APIHM gives us dedicated space to highlight and celebrate our peers and our backgrounds, while addressing barriers. It’s a way to raise the “bamboo ceiling” and continue to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion across the US.
Genesys has employees across the globe and celebrates the diverse backgrounds and cultures of individuals. As we celebrate the start of APIHM in the US, we also celebrate Golden Week in Japan. Paul Ricci Ito, Vice President of Sales at Genesys based in Tokyo, shares more about Golden Week and how he plans to celebrate.
Golden Week is one of the third busiest holiday seasons each year — and it consists of four national holidays in the span of seven days. The eventful week begins with Showa Day on April 29, which celebrates Emperor Showa’s birthday. Then on May 3, we observe Constitution Day, commemorating the post-war constitution that was put into place in 1947. May 5th marks Children’s Day. And, depending on which days of the week these holidays fall on, it could mean we get nearly 11 days in a row to take a holiday from work and relax. This is a very exciting prospect in a country with a working culture that is very company-focused.
