Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together
We come together to celebrate the collective strength of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership across generations.
This year's AAPI theme, which is inspired by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, is “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.”
It celebrates the collective strength of communities as bridge builders who connect, uplift, and sustain one another.
The leaders of this theme represent the values of innovation, resilience, hard work, connection, and belonging, and call us to amplify our stories, work collaboratively, and inspire the next generation to carry forward these legacies.
This theme honors pioneers like the late Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, whose life of service and leadership exemplifies the power of acting together to protect and strengthen our democracy.
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Dr. Shveta Miglani is Founder and Principal at Clarita Leadership & AI Strategy and a distinguished leader in organizational development, talent management, and career coaching. With over two decades of experience at companies including Micron Technology, GlobalFoundries, SanDisk, Palo Alto Networks, Google, and Salesforce, she previously served as Head of Global Learning, Development, and Skilling at Micron, overseeing development for more than 48,000 employees across 18 sites. Dr. Miglani has trained over 5,000 professionals in 10 countries. A passionate advocate for empowering professionals through personalized coaching and strategic initiatives, her new book, Navigate Your Career, offers practical, actionable strategies to help professionals step confidently into new roles and achieve a smooth, successful transition.
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What does your participation in this celebration mean to you personally? Living the truth of being someone from a different culture, language, and heritage, trying to make a place for themselves in this new world can get exhausting. It is best to surround yourself with a tribe that understands you, supports you, and becomes your network for strength. That's why my participation in these Heritage and cultural celebrations means so much!
Who/What inspires me: Every day, people inspire me, when they can juggle picking up kids every day, show up for work, and still have a wonderful meal with their family. The dailiness of our lives is the toughest thing to manage, and when I see simple people giving it their 100 percent to everything, it inspires me!
An interesting fact about me: I have lived in over 22 residences in my lifetime. Change is a constant; I welcome it, and it gives me a chance to learn about my new neighbors who end up being friends for life.
Conversation Guide
Use the discussion questions to engage in meaningful conversations during AAPI Heritage Month and beyond. These questions can help facilitate discussions that not only raise awareness but also lead to actionable insights and improvements in organizational practices.
Conversation Starters:
What do you think the early advocates of AAPI heritage observances wanted for future generations? How are we doing at meeting those expectations?
How do you believe acknowledging and learning from our history contributes to the empowerment of AAPI communities and the shaping of a more equitable future?
“Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.” What does “honoring AAPI heritage” look like in practice beyond May?
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Use these questions to drive your own reflection and exploration of the themes raised by the theme Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together
We Recommend: Journaling is a great way to explore this topic! Pick 1-2 questions and free-write your thoughts. -
Want to engage your team? Slack, Teams, or your preferred digital conversation platform can be a great way to keep dialogue going. Try posing these questions in a group chat format. You might do 1 per day or 1-2 each week over the course of AAPI Heritage Month.
We Recommend: Post the questions on consistent days and times so that your team knows when to expect them. -
You can combine the video and these discussion questions as a Lunch & Learn, or All Hands experience for your organization.
We Recommend: Depending on the size of your organization, you may want to use the questions to have small group or table discussions and then invite groups to share with the larger team.
Resources
For even more amazing examples of celebrating the AAPI community in media, art, and other forms of storytelling, check out these additional resources. Also, be sure to support AAPI businesses and creators!
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AuthEthnic: Real stories, bold voices, and the power of lived identity.
Self-Evident: Asian American Stories: Untold truths, lived experiences, and the Asian American voice.
Feeling Asian: Emotions, identity, and everything in between.
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Navigate Your Career: Dr. Shveta Miglani delivers an original and exciting new guide to navigating your career.
The Alchemy of Talent: Leading Teams to Peak Performance: Dr. Vijay Pendakur’s book on teamwork, innovation, and enduring success
Racial Formation in the United States: A landmark contribution to our understanding of how race is created, transformed, and how it shapes identities and institutions.
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Rabbit in the Moon: Uncovering a buried past—Japanese American resistance behind barbed wire.
Bad Rap: Rhymes, roots, and breaking barriers—Asian American rappers find their voice.
Chinatown Rising: From protest to pride—the untold history of Chinatown’s youth movement.
Keep the Conversation Going!
Celebrating diversity and the amazing cultures that make up our society should not be limited to a day or even a month. We’ve already given you a few ideas, but here are even more ways that you can take the topics you explored in this HCC back to your team or organization.
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Listen to podcasts on this topic while you go for a walk.
Use the discussion questions as journal prompts for self-reflection.
Teach it–even if it’s to an empty room! Sometimes, saying things out loud can prompt you to think about a topic differently.
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Use the discussion questions during 1:1s.
Ask your direct report to lead a discussion using one of the questions.
Use the recommendations from the speaker panel to start a book club, watch club, or podcast club.
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Lunch & Learns: Explore new ideas and connect with others in a casual, interactive session—all during your lunch break. It’s a great way to dive deeper into meaningful topics, like the ones in this guide, while fostering conversation and collaboration with your team or organization.
Shared Narratives: Share personal and cultural stories related to this month’s theme through prompts or an open forum. This activity brings people together, sparks meaningful conversations, and celebrates the unique experiences that make you stronger as a team.
Collaborative Art Project: Work together to create a visual representation of the theme, such as a mural, collage, or digital art piece. This hands-on activity encourages creativity, teamwork, and meaningful discussions about the cultural and heritage topics being explored.