May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month in the U.S. and Aramark employees put together a robust calendar of events powered by the company’s AMPLIFY employee resource group (ERG) to engage all employees, inform about the significant contributions of the AANHPI community, and raise awareness concerning anti-Asian and xenophobia-based harassment.
Leadership Through Collaboration
This year’s AANHPI Heritage Month theme is “Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration,” and leaders of Pan-Asian descent offered thoughts on how their cultures and heritage inform how they think of collaboration and leadership.
“To build collaborative and supportive relationships with colleagues, it is important to seek first to listen, understand, and then be understood,” said Raju Sankuratri, Chief Information Officer, Aramark Global Supply Chain and GPOs, who grew up in India. “We must be inclusive in diversity of thought, in addition to diversity in culture and background, as we build and engage teams.”
Linh Hoang, Regional Vice President, Lifeworks, immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam at a young age. She wanted to fit in but learned as she matured the value of diversity and to appreciate cultural differences. Hoang said that making team members feel valued and supported required access and connection. “On my team,” she said, “we are here for one another and are always willing to lend a hand when needed. We do our best to celebrate, recognize, and show appreciation.”
Asked what he takes from his Indian origins and cultural background, Allan Fernandes, Vice President, Aramark Global Safety and Risk Solutions (S&RS), talked about putting others first and leading with a service mindset. “The key to building collaborative and supportive relationships is to be culturally aware of how people think, behave, and process information,” said Fernandes. “Every team member, regardless of experience and tenure on the team, is encouraged to speak up, voice concerns, and share their thoughts and ideas for continuous improvement.”
May Event Highlights
AMPLIFY members led a series of companywide virtual events designed to educate, engage, and shine a spotlight on AANHPI culture and issues while allowing professional development and networking opportunities.
CULTURE THROUGH CUISINE
Employees submitted recipes and stories throughout the month that showcase AANHPI culture. These recipes and personal stories will be compiled into a booklet.
ANTI-HARASSMENT TRAINING
To stop anti-Asian xenophobia and harassment, a bystander intervention training webinar took place on May 5 in partnership with the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance.
ART DISCUSSION
AMPLIFY member Brandon Mathias, Senior Food Safety Specialist, Aramark S&RS, led a virtual presentation on Asian American portraiture featuring the work of Roger Shimomura on May 9. Mathias earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in Art History.
WATCH PARTY
AMPLIFY hosted an end-of-the-day virtual watch party and discussion of the film TigerTail on May 11. The film tells the story of a Taiwanese factory worker who leaves his homeland to seek opportunities in America.
INFO SESSION
Linh Hoang moderated an informational session on May 16 with Grant Shih, Chief Technology Officer, Aramark Uniform Services, who has more than 24 years of experience in technology and value creation in various leadership and executive roles.
VIRTUAL TOUR
Employees learned about Asian American history from the 1800s to the present in this virtual tour held on May 24. Hosted by Unexpected Virtual Tours, participants learned how Asian Americans have impacted life in America and how representation in movies has changed over the last 150 years.
