Last modified on June 2nd, 2022
By Jessica Garcia
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, an annual celebration to recognize the historical and cultural contributions of Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
To celebrate the diverse stories, cultures, and backgrounds of the Asian Pacific community at AppFolio, we hosted a special event to encourage education, uplift Asian Pacific voices, and promote the importance of allyship awareness.
The reflections from our panel of AppFolians reveal a wide range of personal experiences and highlight the wealth of diversity within the Asian Pacific American community.
“As a multi-ethnic Asian American woman, I firmly believe that the complexities within the Asian American identity deserve more attention. Learning more about the importance of disaggregating U.S. census data and challenging the ‘model minority’ myth are important ways to help the Asian Pacific American community.”
-Lily Hua, Associate User Experience Designer
“Growing up in a predominantly Asian American community was a privilege. Now that I’ve moved away from my hometown, I find that the best way to share my culture and community is through food. Food is a love language—sharing food is our way of sharing love.”
– Ki Ip, Content Producer, Customer Experience
“As an immigrant, it’s always a struggle to keep true to your roots while also embracing the culture you live in. Growing up, I always felt I was living two different lives, one at home with my very traditional family and the other outside my home living the American lifestyle. As I grew older, I met others who shared my immigrant experience and realized there’s power in sharing our stories, our contributions, and our accomplishments.”
-Kristine Fallorina, Mobility Manager, Human Resources
“Facilitating community in a racial affinity group with so much range like the Asian Pacific American community seems challenging until we learn to watch and listen to the many stories around us.”
-Noah Argao, Talent Coordinator, Human Resources
“Moving to the U.S. was a huge cultural shift for me. Being the first woman in my family to move across the world was exciting, challenging, and intimidating. My experiences taught me that our diversity can strengthen us in unimaginable ways, both personally and professionally.”
– Shubha Mishra, Sr. Customer Insights Data Scientist, Customer Experience
“Growing up as a first-generation Korean in Idaho greatly influenced my experience. At a young age, I did everything I could to assimilate into American culture. Eventually, I learned that my heritage is a part of me and it is now something that I am very proud of. I know that my personal journey here only made me more resilient and fueled my desire to succeed.”
– Michael Kang, Sr. Manager, Compensation, Human Resources
Comments by Jessica Garcia