Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Mia LeBlon Noir #AANHPI

FWDInsightsCulture
Written By FWD Collective
 

May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here’s your #FWDBrief

  • 2023 Theme: Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity

  • Signed into effect by President Jimmy Carter in May of 1979 and initially recognized as a week-long observance, honoring Asian American contributions evolved into a month-long recognition and tribute by George H.W. Bush in 1992.

  • Formerly Asian Pacific American Heritage Month or APAHM, currently referred to as AANHPI Heritage Month or AANHPIHM

  • AANHPIHM emerged as a tribute to the vibrant tapestry woven by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in America.

  • And...a time to celebrate the vibrant Asian cultures in America today!

“Asian Americans come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. ”
— Mia Leblon Noir

History of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month #AANHPIHM


Originating from the visionary efforts of Representative Frank Horton, Senator Daniel Inouye, and Senator Spark Matsunaga, and inspired by former Capitol Hill staffer Jeanie Jew.

“Jew's great grandfather, M.Y. Lee, left China for the United States in the 1800s before he helped build the transcontinental railroad, according to Time. Lee became a prominent businessman in California and later traveled to Oregon. He was killed during a period of unrest and anti-Asian sentiment.

"Mrs. Jew turned a personal tragedy in her family history into a positive force," Horton later told Congress in 1992. (NPR).

But Why May?

“May 7, 1843, marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States. And May 10, 1869, or Golden Spike Day, recognizes the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.” (NPR).

The transcontinental railroad was made possible through the tireless efforts and contributions of approximately 15,000 to 20,000 Chinese immigrants. Despite facing challenging conditions and inequities, the determination and hard work of AANHPI communities connected our nation from coast to coast, leaving an indelible mark on our history

“Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPIs) represent us at every level of government, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Vice President of South Asian descent; Ambassador Katherine Tai, the first Asian American United States Trade Representative; and Dr. Arati Prabhakar, who is the first South Asian American to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  Earlier this year, I was also proud to nominate Julie Su to serve as the Secretary of Labor.” (The White House)

Q & A with Mia LeBlon Noir

About Mia

Mia is a multi-hyphenate, which includes being a leader in Digital Product and UX Strategy. She’s currently the Head of Digital Product at goodbuy, a shopping tool aimed at supporting values-aligned small businesses while encouraging shoppers to shop consciously aligning to values such as AAPI-owned, LGBTQIA+ owned, sustainable, etc…Her background includes over 15 years of experience in the digital space, from ad agencies to music tech to other startups. Mia is also the Creative Director of Asian American Collective and Product Advisor at Mama. The rest of her time is spent songwriting for artists, DEI consulting, or taking it to the streets protesting for any human rights-related movements.

Connect with Mia on Instagram.

Can you share with us your personal experiences and the significance of Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month in celebrating the diverse cultures and contributions of AANHPI communities?

How much time do you have? APAHM Month is, indeed, important. I’m finding that when this month comes around, the amount of programming, events, etc…can get overwhelming. I love that we get a chance to tell our stories and share our experiences with people who have been through something similar and for those who haven’t. 

Do I wish we were doing this at this level of eagerness, throughout the entire year? 100%. I wrote a poem sometime ago about society chasing hashtags and while I think it’s a good way to bring awareness, it can start to feel like an unnecessary pressure. If we don’t do as many events during this month, does that mean we don’t care or that we don’t want to celebrate the AAPI cultures? It almost starts to feel like a badge we need to earn each year. 

I’m hoping that as each year progresses, we will be able to focus more on the celebratory aspect rather than the awareness aspect. We still have a ton of work to do. I want to see more South Asian, Pacific Islanders, etc… representation in the public panels/events. I know you’ve all heard it, but we as Asian Americans are not a monolith. Until we are free of having these awareness types of conversations, our work is not done. So we must keep going!



What notable achievements or contributions by AANHPI individuals do you find particularly inspiring or significant? How do these achievements impact the wider AANHPI community and society as a whole?

I’d be remiss not to mention the founders of Asian American Collective (AAC): Zeena Koda, Grace Lee, and Caroline Yim. The 501(c)(3) non profit organization began at the core of their knowing, music. I got involved around 3 years ago and witnessing the progression of growth into all creative spaces, astounds me. 

Our big impact on society as a whole was at the rise of the Asian Hate crimes where media outlets weren’t covering the stories. We decided to create a petition, which really got our community and beyond to speak up and rally together. Regardless of the petition's success, it created a moment for us. We aren’t just sitting back. We are doing something, together.

AAC has truly created a community for  youth to have other AAPI folks to lean on, while giving experienced individuals the opportunity to mentor and spread their knowledge and stories. We just had our very first summit centered around Creativity (partnering with Neuehouse), which included a full day of panels, workshops, speed mentoring, and a final keynote. If I step back and look at it from a 10,000 foot view, I can (with no doubt)see the impact, motivation, and inspiration AAC (from the founders to the volunteer team) has created.



Could you shed light on the challenges that AANHPI individuals have faced and continue to face? How have these challenges shaped your experiences and what efforts are being made to overcome them? 

I don’t think it was until the 501(c)(3) org, Women In Music, asked me to host/moderate a panel for APAHM a few years ago did I embrace my AAPI-ness. I finally had to face my reality, learn, unlearn, and accept that I am an Asian American woman in this country. 

I’ve always been someone who felt the need to speak up for others, who felt like they couldn’t. It was easy to defend and protect others. However, when it came to standing up for myself, it would send me to the back corner shivering in fear. 

Coming from the big agency world, [where Mia spent her early career] AAPI folks weren’t prevalent in the creative fields. In addition, to have an AAPI woman speak up on behalf of others was even more of an odd occurrence. So much so that I’ve been pulled aside on more than one occasion from executives (who identified as men), to discuss the tone of how I talk. To have a 5’3’’ Asian American woman speak with confidence was a threat. Perhaps it’s because they expected me to be submissive. Perhaps, I inadvertently exposed their incompetence. Either way, whether it impacted my career negatively or not, I was going to continue to fight for others because my efforts resulted in change. Thinking through these experiences led me to realize that I needed to be doing this for myself, as well. Nothing I do is done without my north star in mind: integrity. 



In your opinion, how important is representation and inclusion for AANHPI communities? How can increased representation and inclusive practices positively impact the experiences and opportunities available to AANHPI individuals?

Increased representation could never hurt. We need more AAPI folks in leadership positions, the ones making decisions. These positions can then foster more inclusion, in all industries. I attended a panel recently to support a friend, Melissa Tuan. She really got my mind spinning when she mentioned that although we’re seeing Asian representation at large music festivals (like Coachella), with acts like Blackpink or BTS taking the stages, they aren’t Asian AMERICANS. *Poof* Mind. Blown. It’s true! 

I’m also seeing an increase in representation in film/TV. It’s great. I want to see more representation here because a lot of America is sitting on their couches streaming, so the more they see the more we can be accepted as people outside of accounting, medicine, etc…However, don’t hate me for this, I’m now seeing the same faces on the screens. It’s as if, for example, we’ve found our main Asian lead actress, so no need to look for any other talent. Mind you, again, not Asian AMERICAN.

All this to say that the representation I’m talking about is better than not having any at all. I’m hoping we can grow in diversity within our own community, in high profile areas, so that smaller industries can follow the lead. 



Are there any specific initiatives or organizations that you would like to highlight that are working towards amplifying AANHPI voices, promoting representation, and fostering inclusion? How are they making a difference in the AANHPI community?

I mentioned before, but have to reiterate Asian American Collective (AAC). I truly believe that seeing AAPI representation in creative spaces is so important. AAC does that. If you follow @asianamericancollective on Instagram, you’ll see highlighted AAPI individuals. You’ll get to learn about them and continue supporting their endeavors. You’ll get a chance to see yourself in them, empathize, and take action if it warrants such a thing. We have Spring and Fall mentorship cohorts that people can sign up for, meetups in various cities, volunteer/give back programming, etc…We know it’s working when our mentee cohorts create meetups with each other, on their own, without the facilitation of AAC. 

I’ve recently joined the team at Mama, as well. They’re most known for their food nightmarkets in LA, where they bring in all types of underrepresented ethnic food. I love that it’s held near the birthplace of the original Asian American farmers market of LA, founded in 1909. When I think about communities coming together or the easiest way to get people talking, it’s through food. I love seeing generations of today taking tradition and putting their twist on it. What defines Asian American cuisine? I don’t think there’s an answer. It’s whatever we want it to be.


Lions Share is an organization AAC and Mama partner with. They’re a creative community and podcast talking about the very things that bring awareness to the Asian American diaspora.



Anything else we should know?

Asian Americans come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. We may come from immigrant parents, we may not. We may be adopted, we may not. We may have had the most amazing upbringing, we may have not. We may be bilingual, we may not. We may be athletic, we may not. 

We are human beings. Get to know us as individuals. You may need to unlearn things, but that’s ok. That’s growth. 

We aren’t all great at math.

 
 

How we can ALL support AANHPIHM?

Shop AANHPI Owned Business!

Here’s a short list of some of our favs! And cool company alert! You can find a more comprehensive list of AANHPI owned companies and other cultural and underrespresented groups on goodbuy, a small business shopping tool that helps you find small business that align with your values within seconds. (Shout out to Mia who is the Head of Product at goodbuy)

AANHPI Owned Businesses:

  1. Asutra: Check out Asutra, the AANHPI and women-owned wellness company that produces pain, sleep, and skincare products that Venus Williams loved so much she became a part owner and Chief Brand Officer! [Website | @asutra.life]

  2. Mochi Kids: Designs inspired by things kids love and Asian-American culture. [Website | @mochi_kids]

  3. Flex: Flex Disc is a game-changing period product that will help you have the most comfortable period of your life™. [Website|@flex]

  4. Sabai Design: For life on Earth 🌎 Cozy. Conscious. Convenient. Sustainable, ethically U.S made furniture meant to evolve with you [Website | @sabai.design]

  5. The Lunary: WoC owned independent cyberspace for conscious people & purpose-driven brands and change-makers — like you, to shop sustainable, ethical, vegan goods from Women, LGBTQ+, & BIPOC-owned indie brands. [Website | @thelunary_]

  6. Flax Home: [Website | @shopflaxhome]

  7. Cadence: Leakproof, magnetic, customizable Capsule Systems designed to help you stay in rhythm – home and away. Designed from scratch to bring you calm and control. [Website |@keepyourcadence]

  8. Mxt2510: Sustainable elevated basics, clothing brand by mom & daughter duo.
    Asian, Deaf & CODA, and Women Owned. [Website | @mxt2510 ]

  9. Nguyen Coffee: 1st specialty Vietnamese coffee importer & roaster in the U.S.[Website |@nguyencoffeesupply]



Additional Resources & Voices to Follow:

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