to introduce the new Diversity and Inclusion section of the website. It is important that diversity and inclusion are practiced in every aspect of our life.

Sheetal Parikh, MS, RDN, LDN
Vegetarian Nutrition Diversity Liaison

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

This month honors those whose heritage is connected to a very wide region, peopled with many different cultures!

More than 40 countries whose heritage is connected to the continent of Asia and The Pacific Islands of:



In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a month-long celebration that is now known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Per a 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific Islander racial category was separated into two categories: one being Asian and the other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Thus, this Facts for Features contains a section for each.
In the United States Census, Asian American and Pacific Islanders are racial categories comprised of at least 30 different ethnic groups and many more cultural groups.

Asia is home to about 4.46 billion people speaking about 2,300 languages. Many languages spoken across Asia and the Pacific Islands are remarkably complex and use pitch to convey meaning and/or grammatical function (verb tense, for example). The meaning of a word or phrase is altered by the tone used. For single-syllable words, tone alone can change the meaning. The Thai word “na,” for example, means “rice paddy,” “face,” “aunt/uncle/younger than,” and “thick,” depending on different tones.

Traditional AAPI names are often a way of respecting heritage. In the past, AAPI members have had to come up with American versions of their names, but this leads to splitting their identity and today, many are going back to using their traditional names. It only takes a few minutes to learn to say your colleague’s name correctly and it goes a long way in building a stronger connection. This is true in many cultures, in addition to AAPI. Here is the link for more information: https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/