Read on for the best ideas and inclusion activities to promote diversity this Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
AAPI Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the cultural differences, contributions, and impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Congress made this an official American holiday during the 1970s! Nowadays, it's celebrated during May. However, we hope your DEI program celebrates the cultural backgrounds of your diverse workforce all year-round.
Keep reading to discover a few resources & inclusion activities perfect for celebrating the occasion.
The AAPI community is full of diverse backgrounds, with over 16.6 million people hailing from places like Hawaii, India, China, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Cambodia, and more. There are over 100 languages spoken among the population - and that's in the United States alone!
However, Pacific Islander and Asian community members face workplace bias and inhibiting stereotypes in corporate America.
🤔 Did you know…
Recognizing the many forms anti-Asian hate and discrimination take is the first step to bettering your workplace and building inclusive culture for all.
By taking time to recognize AAPI Heritage through inclusion and diversity activities, you're taking serious steps toward unpacking unconscious biases and creating a workplace that champions workplace diversity.
One of the best employee engagement tools to learn, and celebrate culture is art! In an interactive lecture setting, discover & learn about beloved East Asian art installations in museums worldwide through rich storytelling, videos, and vivid imagery.
Plus, teams will explore the emergence of specific themes and traditions and how contemporary Asian artists, like Yayoi Kasumi, incorporate those today. 🎨
Why is this a great activity for diversity and inclusion? Passionate Asian educators & art historians created this inclusion activity to share their cultural heritage & knowledge with other groups across all demographics.
How to get started 👉 Celebrate diverse talents in Exploring Asian Art!
Educational fun with a competitive edge - you've gotta love it.
Led by a knowledgeable host, AAPI History & Culture Trivia is a virtual game show that aims to entertain and educate your remote team. Questions span all across Asia and Polynesia, asking traditional dances of Hawaii, famous monuments in India, delicious foods of Vietnam, and more!
Why is this a great activity for diversity and inclusion? Education is paramount to a company's DEI activities. But making educational team bonding interactive is one of the best efforts to help your team retain what they've learned.
How to get started 👉 Celebrate different backgrounds with AAPI History & Culture Trivia today!
DEI initiatives can be delicious too! Thai food is an Asian cuisine that's well-known for its heat worldwide.
Now, you can learn to make an authentic Thai dish with no cooking experience required. 👏 A Thai culinary expert will guide you through every step in this virtual cooking class!
Why is this a great activity for diversity and inclusion? Cooking traditional dishes from different cultures is a great way to create an inclusive environment! Consider encouraging Asian & Pacific Islander employees to share their family recipes, too.
How to get started 👉 Taste the flavors of Southeast Asia with a Thai Cooking Class!
Boba tea has exploded in popularity lately, but even if your team drinks it, do they know how to make it? 👀
If you take a virtual Boba Tea Making Class, that answer will be a yes. Plus, you'll have the chance to explore the history behind this Taiwanese milk tea!
Why is this a great activity for diversity and inclusion? Boba tea has taken the Western world by storm! This class presents the unique opportunity to connect with the drink's roots & gain a newfound appreciation for its deliciousness.
How to get started 👉 Book a Boba Tea Making Class today!
Get a taste of Chinese history by learning to brew tea using a Gaiwan, a ceremonial brewing bowl used in the Ming dynasty. You'll also dive into the international history of tea across cultures, discover proper tasting techniques, and develop a more intimate relationship with drinking tea.
Oh, and yes, your team will have their very own Gaiwan tea set shipped to their front door. They can use their newfound expertise long into the future!
Why is this a great activity for diversity and inclusion? Your team will gain a newfound appreciation of an ancient practice. It's not every day folks can learn about and physically experience a part of Asian history.
How to get started 👉 Celebrate Asian Heritage Month with a Chinese Tea Tasting class!
6. Create an interactive map 🗺
Here’s a creative idea for AAPI heritage month: ask your colleagues to contribute to an interactive map that you can share with the entire office.
To get your data, ask your employees to share/highlight the Asian and Pacific Island countries they:
Compile your team’s data in a digital map with a clickable legend that displays everyone’s answers!
Why is this a great activity for diversity and inclusion? An interactive map creates a personal and contextual visualization of your team’s backgrounds and diversity and spurs conversations about our similarities and differences!
How to get started 👉 Send your teams a questionnaire so you can start compiling your data!
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: AAPI Heritage is technically honored in the month of May, but that doesn’t mean celebrations & inclusion efforts shouldn't continue all year.
The resources above are meant to use all year to help you improve on your DEI efforts. We at Confetti encourage celebrating your Asian American & Pacific Islander workforce to promote inclusion for many, many months to come. 🎊
P.S. Looking for more virtual DEI activities to put on your diversity calendar? Check out our full AAPI Month collection!
