Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions, backgrounds and languages within the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, along with acknowledging their contributions to the United States throughout our history.
In honor of this celebratory month, follow along as some of TBI's employees talk about what this AAPI Heritage Month means to them and how they are honoring different cultures in their everyday life. Today, we feature TBI's Program Manager - Enterprise, Anne Pheuphong.
What is your role at TBI and how long have you been with the organization?
I am a Program Manager on the Post Sales team and have been working at TBI for 10+ years.
May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. What does this month mean to you?
This is a month to recognize and celebrate the culture of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions and influences on the United States. There are multiple generations living here. It is a chance to explore their rich history and spotlight the culture and individuals.
How have your culture and heritage played a role in your experiences at TBI?
My culture and heritage is from Southeast Asia, namely Thailand and the Philippines and I am fortunate to have been immersed in both cultures and languages. When the deadly tsunami of 2004 wiped out parts of Thailand, I found an organization through the embassy that was sending a response team out and I helped collect and raise funds. I shared what I was doing with my TBI family and they were very generous and supportive. It meant a lot to me that so many people were willing to help a cause near and dear to me.
Why do you think it’s important to celebrate the different backgrounds of individuals?
I think it is important because everyone is unique and come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. It is helpful to have different opinions and different points of view. There are times when someone else can bring a different perspective on a topic that you might not have even thought of.
How does TBI promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Our Diversity and Inclusion committee, Resonate, was started almost two years ago. There is a new Recipe Book that includes favorite dishes shared by individuals that are inspired by different backgrounds and has special meaning to them.
TBI offers the opportunity to share a day in the life of employees with the entire company. I enjoy listening to those and getting to know them and learn more about their life that I would not have otherwise. I am amazed at how many things we have in common.
Connect with Anne on LinkedIn and learn more about how you can celebrate Asian-American and Pacific Islander Month by visiting the official holiday website.
