AA and NHPI Heritage Month 2024

As the Principal Strategist for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Employee Portfolio, it is my honor to introduce the 2024 AA and NHPI Heritage Month theme, "Embracing Belonging." Many people in the AA and NHPI community feel as though they live in what they call a "third culture," which involves practicing the act of balancing centuries-old traditions and welcoming the new ones in our ever-changing Western world.

Throughout the month, we will draw inspiration from stories of resilience and innovation and learn how personal experiences enhance professional achievements. In addition, we will have opportunities to discover, or be reminded, that embracing belonging can lead to success and set an example for us today and for future generations.

As the new strategist, I look forward to celebrating AA and NHPI Heritage Month with you and continuing to find meaningful ways to highlight the diversity of our cultures and achievements throughout the year.

Every May, we celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month and reflect upon the community’s expansive diversity. NIH’s theme "Embracing Belonging" highlights the contributions of the AA and NHPI community at NIH, which represents more than 20% of our permanent employee workforce. We are proud of this community’s contributions to fostering innovation across science, encouraging organizational accountability in career advancement, and supporting not only one another but our entire workforce at NIH.

NIH is also committed to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for the AA and NHPI community through research. In 2021, the NIH AA and NHPI-Health Scientific Interest Group for intramural and extramural staff was formed in response to the growing interest in addressing health inequities and advancing research within AA and NHPI populations. Today, it has evolved to foster collaboration and provide scientific strategic recommendations to NIH leaders.

Earlier this year, the employee resource group, NIH Federation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Network, hosted an inaugural town hall and celebrated the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act with a special exhibit at the National Library of Medicine.

To celebrate AA and NHPI Heritage Month, we invite you to attend two events. First, on May 23 at 2 p.m., join us for the 4th Annual Dr. Vivek H. Murthy Distinguished Lecture Series for Public Health Leadership hosted by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council. Second, on June 3 at 2 p.m., please join NIH’s Office of Intramural Research and the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for the annual Kuan-Teh Jeang Memorial Lecture, which highlights the contributions of AA and NHPI biomedical researchers and leaders in honor of the late Dr. Jeang.

Our AA and NHPI month campaign page contains learning and resource materials, past events, voices from the AA and NHPI community, and the latest EDI podcast featuring Bela Mistry Gosine, EDI’s new Principal Strategist for the AA and NHPI Portfolio. By honoring and recognizing this community's contributions and heritage, we continue to strengthen our collective commitment to NIH’s diverse workforce.

We encourage you to visit EDI’s website, subscribe to its blog, follow EDI on LinkedIn and X, and watch EDI’s YouTube channel to stay informed on the exciting things that are happening this month and throughout the year.