AAPI Heritage Month: Brands, Authors, Educators & Influential Figures
May 7, 1843 was the day that the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the United States of America. It was through many bill proposals from 1977 - 1992, that the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities would finally be able to celebrate that Japanese immigrant and many other cultural triumphs every May.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is a time to recognize the cultures of East, Southeast, and South Asian cultures and those of Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian descent. Throughout history the AAPI community has contributed to the U.S. through art, literature, medicine, entertainment, science, government, and more. Many historical figures within these cultures were activists that played a crucial role in achieving racial equality in our country.
The 2022 AAPI theme is Advancing Leaders through Collaboration and so many of those recognized below have done just that. Through activism, arts, perseverance, heritage, and creativity they have continued to pave the way for one another to excel and create lasting change for the AAPI community.
Authors
Amy Tan
Amy Tan is most well known for The Joy Luck Club, which just so happened to be her very first publication in 1989. Through the story of four different, interconnected mother-daughter sets, Tan describes family pressure and how it is different for each generation, along with heritage and resilience. This highly recommended novel is deemed as one of the most influential Asian American books.
Cathy Park Hong
Based on her own personal experiences, research and gained insight, Hong’s Minor Feelings is deemed as a “must read”. A book composed of her own written essays, this Asian American author speaks for those of AAPI cultures about all of the tribulations that others have deemed “minor”, when they were in fact not.
Min Jin Lee
Born in South Korea, Lee is the author of several novels and has more on the way. Her second novel, Pachinko, is a story of four generations of a Korean family that is faced with financial hardship. This amazing story can also now be seen on Apple TV. Min Jin Lee has won many awards and is a highly acclaimed author and speaker on many different issues, in both the AAPI community and throughout the world.
Haruki Murakami
With over 40 years of working experience and more than 20 novels of both fiction and non-fiction, Murakami is a very well known author. Originating from Japan, many of his books have greatly impacted other writers and those of Asian descent, and can be found in over 50 different languages.
Educators & Influential Figures
Bong Joon Ho [1969 – ]
As the director of several movies including Snowpiercer and Okja, this South Korean native has used the screen to portray stories and traditions of AAPI cultures. Ho is probably most well known for directing Parasite, 2019’s first foreign language movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars.
Mary Tape [1857 - 1934]
Not only was she a loving mother who fought for her children, but she also played a tremendous role in ending public school segregation. Tape and her husband filed a lawsuit against San Francisco’s Board of Education when their daughter was denied public school attendance due to her Chinese background. This was one of the main cases that provided a foundation for the desegregation of schools, decades later, through Brown v. Board of Education.
Bhagat Singh Thind [1892 - 1967]
As a political, Indian Independence activist and WWI veteran, Thind is known for his long fight for citizenship and as being the first turbaned soldier for the U.S. Army. After coming to America in 1913 and serving our country a few years later, he had to apply for citizenship multiple times because the Bureau of Naturalization continued to deny him due to his race. Thind’s struggles eventually paid off in 1940 when immigrants from India were qualified for naturalization.
Kamala Harris [1964 –]
Starting as a lawyer before moving on to Senate and then as the first Indian-American being of Asian-American descent, and first African American woman to hold office as the Vice President of the United States; Kamala Harris is an inspiration to many. Her support and encouragement to stop Asian hate during the pandemic significantly increased voter participation in all AAPI communities.
Andrés Bonifacio [1863 - 1986]
Considered a national hero, Bonifacio was the founder of a secret society, Katipunan, that pushed for independence against Spanish rule. Although he was executed by his enemies, he is known as “The Father of the Philippine Revolution” and is celebrated in the Philippines every year.
Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung [1889 - 1959]
Chung fought against all the prejudice battles of gender, race, and sexuality throughout her life, but she didn’t let any of it stop her. Known as the first Chinese American female physician, she cultivated many interesting relationships with a type of adopted family, referred to as her “sons” (American military men, politicians and a few movie stars). She was able to contribute to the Allied war effort through her vast circle of supporters and aided in the creation of WAVES.
Brands
Diaspora Co.
If you love using different spices in the kitchen, Sana Javeri Kadri has created a modern, high quality brand containing fresh ingredients. Wanting to stay connected and supportive of his ancestry, Diaspora Co. has been built through strong relationships with various farms throughout India to cultivate a sustainable supply chain of spices.
Pink Moon
Lin Chen has created an online shop where multiple brands are featured. Pink Moon is an online retail store that showcases brands, most of which are designed by women of color, focusing on wellness and self-care. In honor of her own Chinese culture, Chen launched a few of her own products and donated 50% of the proceeds in the first part of 2021, to the organization Send Chinatown Love.
Prim Botanicals
While visiting Cebu as an adult, Stefanie Walmsley quickly recalled different natural skincare treatments that she had been exposed to, while growing up in the Philippines. This led to her inspiration for her line of different body lotions, scrubs, and oils. Prim Botanicals also has various CBD roll-ons and lotions curated specifically for joint and muscle relief.
Tea Drops
Have you ever felt like loose-leaf tea was too much of a hassle to make, but also can’t find a specific brand of bags that you like? This was Sashee Chandran. As the daughter of a Sri Lankan father and Chinese mother, we can rest assured that she knows a thing or two about tea. Chandran created her own line of tea in the form of dissolvable little balls. Tea Drops not only taste great, but are also essentially mess free and super easy to use!
Fly by Jing
If you want all natural, non-GMO ingredients with a kick of flavor then look no farther! Jing Gao was born in Chengdu, China and is honoring her ancestry and the AAPI community through her company, Fly by Jing. She has created a line of various spices, seasonings, and sauces, all of which are sourced and formulated directly in Chengdu.
During the pandemic those of the AAPI community encountered a significant rise in discrimination, harassment, and violent hate crimes due to xenophobic ideas about Covid-19. It is important that we continue to recognize, encourage, and support AAPI people this month and every month. Aside from supporting brands and authors, there are many organizations that formed to Stop Asian Hate, where you can volunteer with or donate to.
Sources:
“Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month”, History, A&E Television Networks, 5 April 2022, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month Spain, Emily. “20 Brands Supporting the AAPI Community”, E News, 22 March 2021, https://www.eonline.com/news/1251030/10-brands-supporting-the-aapi-community Yang, Sarah. “The AAPI-Owned Wellness Brands You Should Know About (and Support!)”, The/Thirty, 1 May 2022, https://thethirty.whowhatwear.com/asian-american-pacific-islander-wellness-brands/slide6 Summers, Juana. “Harris to Asian Americans: Turn Pain and Outrage Into Political Power”, NPR, 20 May 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998329626/harris-to-asian-americans-turn-pain-and-outrage-into-political-power “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage”, NPS.gov, 2 June 2021, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/aapiheritage/people.htm, People. Wen, Tria. “25 Books by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors Everyone Should Read”, Readers Digest, 20 April 2022, https://www.rd.com/list/asian-american-books/, Arts and Entertainment.