May 31, 2024

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month

AANHPI Culture Blog Image

EVERSANA INTOUCH takes pride in championing its employees. This month, we recognized and celebrated Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Employees participated in various activities to spread awareness and honor AANHPI cultures.

Jasmine Abraham, Account Supervisor, explained why celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month at EVERSANA INTOUCH is important. “Celebrating this month is important because it fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural diversity within our expansive community,” said Jasmine. “This recognition also helps to bridge preexisting cultural gaps, promoting inclusivity and unity amongst all employees.”

Since 1979, May has been a dedicated time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, but it wasn’t until 1992 that May was officially designated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Then, in 2021, the name was changed to Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to better represent the population.

This year, Jaii Phillips Beckley, SVP, Editorial Director, who co-leads the EVERSANA Asian Pacific Islander Desi Professionals Network, chose the theme “Advancing AANHPI Stories and Culture.” With the theme, we celebrated many firsts, exploring trailblazers in the AANHPI community who’ve achieved significant milestones in sports, the arts, food, STEM and innovation, and the government.

We hosted a Coffee Break Series for AANHPI Heritage Month to highlight a few of our employees. Jonathan Sarmiento, Creative Director; Nidhi Somani, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner; and Zilong Chang, IT SharePoint Team Lead, shared their unique stories and experiences about their culture and heritage, including what it was like growing up and moving to the United States.

Screenshot of speakers from the Coffee Break Series

Additionally, employees had the opportunity to learn about the history of the Hawaiian lei and participate in a ribbon lei workshop led by Angela Fakuda, Executive Legal Assistant. The lei is a symbol representing love and affection and is often given to visitors when they arrive in Hawaii, as well as at birthdays, graduations and retirement parties.

Lastly, Michael Tatasciore, Manager, Culture and Events, interviewed Sahra Nguyen, an Asian American artist, writer and producer. She’s passionate about activism, entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, culture and the Asian American experience. Sahra is the Founder and CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, America’s first specialty Vietnamese coffee importing and roasting company. She enlightened attendees on her identity and heritage, how she started her company and her passion for expanding and bridging cultures worldwide.

We pride ourselves on not only talking the talk but walking the walk when living our core cultural value of “embrace diversity.” “Our dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space for the AANHPI community, as embracing diversity is a fundamental value for my colleagues and me,” said Jasmine. “EVERSANA INTOUCH strongly believes in creating equal opportunities for all people of color and is truly committed to fostering this environment.”

Interested in joining our diverse and inclusive team? View our open positions here!