May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month – a time to honor and recognize the contributions and influence Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have made on the nation’s history, culture and achievements.
“Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, and yet it isn’t a group that’s often talked about,” said Akshay Sood, MD, a University of New Mexico Department of Internal Medicine professor and assistant dean for mentoring and faculty retention in the School of Medicine. “There’s such a rich diversity of culture among AAPIs.”
Since 2020, the HSC Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has amped up its mission to better plan for the commemorative month, as it’s one of the six federally honored heritage months observed on the UNM Health Sciences campus.
“There is new leadership, and the leadership has a lot of energy,” said Sood, who is one of several planners of the AAPI Heritage Month events. “While the month has been celebrated in the past, it’s now celebrated with a lot more gusto and enthusiasm.”
According to Sood, one of the main reasons he got involved with planning for the month-long tribute is because he believes it’s important to swap stories and advice among the AAPI community on campus.
The best way to celebrate this month is to exchange knowledge. And the beauty about the knowledge is that it can be archived forever. Knowledge and wisdom never ever become stale.
“The best way to celebrate this month is to exchange knowledge,” he said. “And the beauty about the knowledge is that it can be archived forever. Knowledge and wisdom never ever become stale.”
On May 18, Sood will moderate a discussion titled, “Finding, Selecting, and Taking on Leadership Roles in Academic Societies or National Committees: Lessons for Asian American and Pacific Islander Faculty.” During the discussion, speaker Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, will review the benefits of serving in leadership roles in academic societies and national committees.
Sood hopes the discussion will encourage career self-promotion among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“One thing that’s really struck me is that Asian Americans generally do not know how to sell themselves. I’ve seen dossiers that were too humble and letters that were too simple, and that clearly tells you that cultural humility – which is a very striking part of the culture of many minorities – puts them at a serious disadvantage when they try to apply for promotions, awards and leadership positions,” Sood said. “Self-promotion isn’t anything to be shy about, and it’s a very important characteristic of American academic medicine.
To kick off the heritage month a few days early, UNM’s new Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center opened its doors April 28 and marked the occasion with a celebratory ribbon cutting. The resource center, which is in the Education Classrooms Building 67 in Room 211, was established as a result of a student-led initiative to create a center that supports AAPI students at UNM.
“Asian American and Pacific Islander students can sometimes feel very isolated,” Sood said. “I think having a resource center – a psychological safe space where they can be with people who are like them and feel welcome – is very important.”
Jim Ninomiya, MD, who was involved in planning last year’s AAPI Heritage Month events, said this year’s events will focus more on being cognizant of challenges AAPI students and faculty face.
In the past couple of years, there’s been a growing incidence of anti-Asian violence, we need to be talking about and acknowledging these ongoing challenges and saying, ‘It’s OK to be Asian.’
“In the past couple of years, there’s been a growing incidence of anti-Asian violence,” said Ninomiya, a professor in the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation who practices surgery at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center (SRMC). “We need to be talking about and acknowledging these ongoing challenges and saying, ‘It’s OK to be Asian.’”
Ninomiya added that he feels a desire to participate because, even though the types of blatant discrimination he faced growing up in America has lessened, examples of racism and implicit biases persist, he said.
“I’m the only Asian up at SRMC. I think I’m the only Asian in the building, and I think there are implicit biases that go along with that,” he said. “We need to address those things and overcome them. Especially in an area like New Mexico where there aren’t very many Asians, it’s important to overcome stereotypes.”
To see a full list of events of this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration, visit the HSC Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion website.
