The Asian Physician and Professional Association at Penn State Health and the College of Medicine are celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May. They are recognizing this important observance through a multitiered approach that includes nominating trailblazers who identify as Asian and have made a significant impact within Penn State Health and the College of Medicine.
Nominations will be accepted throughout May, with selected trailblazers featured in The RITE Stuff in June. Employees can nominate individuals by sending their nominations to diversity@pennstatehealth.psu.edu. Additionally, Sodexo will be providing an AAPI-themed meal at all regional hospital sites on Thursday, May 23, and Friday, May 24.
The Asian Physician and Professional Association will also host a virtual seminar called “Language Talks” to increase awareness of the language barriers faced by non-native English speakers and promote enhanced understanding across cultures. This seminar is just one of many ways that Penn State Health and the College of Medicine are working to celebrate the diverse heritage of their employees and patients.
The Asian-Pacific area encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Congress created Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in 1978, expanding the observance in 1992 to a month. The heritage month coincides with important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history, including the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States in May 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869, where the majority of workers were Chinese immigrants.
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