COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: AAPIHM FT. THE QUAY FAM
In honor of Asian American + Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're celebrating the power of resilience and standing with this vibrant community united as one but made up of many.
We're spotlighting the people, their experiences, and the cultures that fuel this diverse group—kicking it all off with our Quay employees.
ADESHA: FUELED BY CREATIVITY
What is your heritage? Chinese
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's a time to empower and be empowered by all of the amazing people in the AAPI community. It is a reminder to be noticed, seen, and proud of who you are every day.
ALYSIA: FUELED BY HELPING OTHERS
What is your heritage? Chinese
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's a time to intentionally appreciate the diverse culture, influence, and history of the AAPI community. Personally, it reminds me to remember the journey and sacrifices my Grandparents and immigrant parents took to provide a better future for their family.
CAMILLE: FUELED BY PRIDE
What is your heritage? Filipino + Indian
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's a chance to recognize + remember that the AAPI community is so diverse and expansive that we don't always realize how much of society has been touched by it.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? Most people are probably aware that the heavy Spanish influence in Filipino culture comes from centuries of Spanish rule, but because of its geography, there was also a lot of influence from Chinese, Hindu, Muslim, and even American cultures (to name a few!), and all in different parts of the country too.
CATHY: FUELED BY HUMANITY
What is your heritage? Chinese
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's a time to reflect on the struggles my ancestors went through to make it to America. As a first-generation American, it is important to me to honor Chinese traditions and pass them on to the next generation, so our culture isn't lost or "watered down."
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? NYC Chinatown was formed around the early 20th century with a surge in immigration. Because the Chinese weren't granted basic civil rights at the time, they had to form their own communities and support system to survive. It holds a special place in my heart as that is the support system that my family leaned on.
CHELSIE: FUELED BY OHANA
What is your heritage? Hawai'ian + Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's a time to honor and appreciate my culture. Growing up in Hawai'i, I lived in a very diverse community. Because everyone comes from different backgrounds and has different beliefs, this taught me that just life is too short to judge anyone and to respect and support everyone for who they are.
CYNTHIA: FUELED BY MY ANCESTORS
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? Heritage is what has survived from our history. What exists today. This month reminds me to discover more untold/erased stories of my ancestors and to pay tribute to them by preserving and keeping the culture alive for future generations.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played an integral role in US history since the mid-1800s. From Filipino "Manongs" spearheading the fight for fair wages to healthcare to the 20,000 Chinese men who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad, AAPI communities have helped advance labor and immigration laws, as well as the growth of American industry and agriculture.
DANIELLE: FUELED BY UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means discovery. A lot of what I learned about the Filipino culture was from seeking it out myself in college through friends and joining the Filipino club…go Samahan!
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? The history of the Philippines includes over 100 indigenous tribes or ethnic groups. Because they primarily reside in the mountains, they managed to retain their cultural identity from Spanish and American colonization.
EDHEL: FUELED BY FAMILY
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means being proud of my culture.
JEREMY: FUELED BY SELF-EXPRESSION
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's about recognizing a strong community and uniting them to create a voice that truly highlights what being an Asian American means.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? My grandfather, Mario O'Hara, has had many contributions to the film industry that were defining points in his career and defining points in the Asian community. Through his repertoire of awards, he built a community for Asians in the entertainment and film industry that allowed for the visibility of Asian entertainment internationally.
JILL: FUELED BY COMMUNITY
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It's about visibility and recognition. The AAPI community is comprised of so many different ethnicities, cultures, and languages. The diversity and uniqueness of our individual cultures are never recognized, let alone celebrated. AAPI Heritage Month is the opportunity to make those invisible visible.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? San Francisco's International Hotel is an immortalized symbol of identity, solidarity, self-determination for Filipinos. To its residents, the I-Hotel was a sanctuary where those, young and old, could gather and enjoy a shared feeling of unity. On August 4, 1977, the forced evictions left hundreds of residents homeless and stripped a community of a cultural hub. Its destruction-fueled movements for affordable housing in San Francisco.
JIONA: FUELED BY MY VICTORIES
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means embracing the different cultures we all share and celebrating our past and upcoming future.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? Fe Del Mundo, a Filipino Pediatrician, was the first woman to be accepted into Harvard Medical School. She also founded the first Pediatric hospital in the Philippines and was the first woman to be National Scientist of the Philippines in 1980.
JUAN: FUELED BY CREATIVITY
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means we get to share a little bit more of our culture and traditions with everyone. So much of who I am comes from my family and their roots in the Philippines.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? An often-overlooked part of history is the role of Asian and Pacific Islander women in World War II. Judy Bellafaire, a curator of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, said, "Lots of Japanese and Chinese women were trained as interpreters and translators, and some Filipino American women put their lives on the line as members of the underground resistance in the Philippines."
KOA: FUELED BY POSITIVITY
What is your heritage? Hawai'ian + Puerto Rican
What does AAPIHM mean to you? The Hawaiian Culture has brought (and shown me) peace and love.
LEA: FUELED BY FAMILY
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means celebrating and honoring Asian American's who contribute to the history, culture, and community we live in.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? Most Asian American's grow up in bi-lingual or even tri-lingual homes. I have so much respect for my dad, who speaks English, Tagalog, and Ilocano. I've always looked up to him and how he's managed to learn English after already being fluent in two other languages.
MARIEDHEL: FUELED BY COMMUNITY
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means visibility—being seen for our culture, our past and our present, our contributions to cultures and society, and acknowledging the vast community that gives back.
MARK: FUELED BY THE SUPPORT OF FAMILY + FRIENDS
What is your heritage? Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means being proud to be Asian and not being afraid to show my culture or traditions.
MARLESE: FUELED BY FAMILY
What is your heritage? Cambodian
What does AAPIHM mean to you? As a Cambodian-American, I think it is really important to share our stories about our culture and learn more about our history. With the rise of violence among the AAPI communities, we must come together to learn about our fellow Asian Americans' experiences to educate ourselves and help fight against racism and discrimination.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? Asian-American seniors are the most financially vulnerable group, with 1 in 4 living in poverty. Refugee communities, including Cambodians and Vietnamese, experience higher rates of poverty. The truth is Asian-American communities need help, but the model minority myth completely outshines the struggles experienced by so many.
ROW: FUELED BY HUMILITY
What is your heritage? Filipino
What does AAPIHM mean to you? It means recognition and inclusion.
What is a piece of AAPI history people should know? AAPI history month was coined in May to recognize two milestones: the first Japanese Immigrants in May 1843 and the contributions of 20,000 Chinese workers in the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869. Conversely, this is to silently recognize the sufferings of the same Asian Americans who helped build the road brought on by the Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Massacre of 1871.
Whatever it is that fuels you, we move forward to defend, support, uplift our Asian American + Pacific Islander community internally and externally today and every day.
STOP THE HATE, FUEL THE LOVE
The only way to fight racism is to be actively anti-racist—educate yourself, speak up, donate, take action. There is no neutral position on racism.
COMMUNITY IS QUAY
We believe that all people—regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or creed—deserve respect, opportunity, and love.
