Heritage Shouldn't Be Just a Marketing Tool, says Diversity and Nonprofits Expert Unfortunately, the existence of these months is being taken advantage of by companies, using them as opportunities for marketing, engaging in performative or tokenistic actions rather than contributing to actual change, according to Cathryn L. Dhanatya, Co-Founder and CEO of Growing Good Inc.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush designated May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, honoring Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans and their many accomplishments and contributions to the United States. Since then, the occasion has been renamed in 2009 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and in 2021 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. This year marks the 33rd year of its celebration, as well as the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative and President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

The US has had a complicated history with AANHPI, including acts of outright discrimination and aggression, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment camps of Japanese-Americans during World War II, and the overthrowing of the Hawaiian monarchy. Anti-Asian sentiment also rose in the US in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from AANHPI Heritage Month, there are several other national celebrations for marginalized communities, such as Black History Month in February, LGBT Pride Month in June, and National Hispanic Heritage Month in September-October. While these celebrate their respective communities, they also highlight the discrimination members face, and how mainstream American society still has a long way to go towards genuine equality and acceptance.

Unfortunately, the existence of these months is being taken advantage of by companies, using them as opportunities for marketing, engaging in performative or tokenistic actions rather than contributing to actual change, according to Cathryn L. Dhanatya, Co-Founder and CEO of Growing Good Inc. and keynote speaker on issues such as Asian American heritage and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ).

"It seems that companies only see and think about Asian Americans in May, African Americans in February, and LGBT+ people in June," she says. "If an issue is in the news, companies will throw money at it, as it increases their visibility. Once it's no longer in the public consciousness, they pull back their investment. We saw this in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter protests when companies all over the US and even internationally began championing the DEIJ cause. But, once the protests died down, many of those companies were nowhere to be found, as well. If you really want to become a socially conscious company, it takes more than four weeks a year."

Despite Asian Americans being among the most educated ethnic groups in the US and dominating many technical fields, there is a dearth of Asian-American managers in senior management roles in these industries – a phenomenon known as the Bamboo Ceiling.

"Whenever May comes around and I get a speaking engagement, I can't help but wonder whether they selected me because of my skills and qualifications, or is it just because I'm Asian-American and they need to check the diversity box. While this month does indeed have its upsides, there can be a performative aspect of signaling diversity," Dhanatya says.

She adds that AANHPI Heritage Month is unable to encompass the entire gamut of issues faced by the populations it celebrates. First and foremost, Asia-Pacific is extremely large and diverse, home to 60% of the global population. Someone from Afghanistan and someone from Samoa both fall under the AANHPI umbrella, despite their cultures, histories, and languages being vastly different. Furthermore, cultures within this grouping have complicated histories with each other, such as Japan with its neighboring East Asian and Southeast Asian nations during World War II.

Despite its shortcomings, Dhanatya, who is of Thai heritage, believes that the intention and spirit of AANHPI Heritage Month are positive and have contributed to increasing the visibility of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. She recalls that when she was growing up in Los Angeles, most people she encountered were unaware that Thailand existed, and some would even confuse it with Taiwan. Today, most people in the US have at least a passing knowledge of Thailand, thanks to the growth of internet access, more affordable travel, and combined efforts of the Asian-American community and the Thai government's "Pad Thai diplomacy" program.

"In the past 33 years, so much has changed in terms of people's eating habits and their understanding of Asian and Asian-American cultures," Dhanatya says. "However, despite knowing so much, people can't help but essentialize and lump everyone across such a huge geographical region into a single box. The question is, 'Do we still need an AANHPI Heritage Month?'. I believe we still do, because we haven't arrived at a point where it's fully ingrained into society, and there is still a huge need to highlight diversity. But, in an ideal world, there should be no need for these months, because we should be celebrating every day the excellence and cultural richness that individuals and their collectives bring to our society. Until then, we need to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month and lift our voices, which deserve to be heard, just like everyone else's."