Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Shines at Gap Inc.
by Christian Cabuay, Business Systems Analyst II & Chair of ASIA
As we’re closing out this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I’m left feeling especially proud of my community and inspired to continue working towards true equality. As Chair of ASIA (Asians Supporting Inclusion and Awareness), one of Gap Inc.’s seven Equality and Belonging Groups, my team and I hosted a series of virtual events to explore our community’s incredible diversity, celebrate AAPI cultural contributions, and also to raise awareness about the challenges we face, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
We Explored the Origins of Yoga
We partnered with the Gap Inc. FIT Studio for a yoga workshop. We stretched both our bodies and minds as instructor, Marisa LaValette, dug into the Asian origins of yoga and how it’s become a global phenomenon before taking us through a yoga flow and getting us to work up a sweat.
We Stood up to Hate and Misinformation
The founders of #HATEISAVIRUS, Michelle Hanabusa, Tammy Cho, and Bryan Pham, joined us for a special installment of our Gap Inc. Be Well + Stay Connected series. Megan Dalessio (Senior Manager, Equality & Belonging – Gap Inc.) interviewed these three Asian American entrepreneurs from very different backgrounds about how they came together to respond to the rise of hate crimes targeting Asian people and the decline of patronage to Asian-owned business with a movement that started in LA to bring together a global community. We learned about their “antidote” to the virus of hate, the significance of face masks in their campaign, and how they seized an opportunity to stand against xenophobia to break the cycle of discrimination against Asian Americans. You can learn more about their work here.
We Celebrated our Diversity and Love of Food
As so many of us are spending more time in the kitchen these days, ASIA organized to share some of our most beloved dishes in our digital Collective Cookbook. My family has shared recipes and cooked together for as long as I can remember. Even now, when we can’t be physically together, we find ourselves preparing our favorite dishes and sitting down for a remote meal together, reminding us that there are ways to feel connected even when we’re apart. I hope you’ll find some culinary inspiration as well as some new favorite recipes as you “turn through the pages” of our Cookbook.
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