In Celebration of AAPI Heritage Month: In Conversation with Nancy Phan
With the exponential increase of anti-asian hate and violence this past year, what does this AAPI month mean to you today?
I take it as an opportunity to listen to the issues that other AAPI people face in addition to thinking about my own, and have a further understanding and respect for how different everyone's experiences might be, even amongst those I know. It's a chance to learn more about the issues that may or may not affect me and think about how to contribute finding a resolution, but overall I think it's a spring board to continue to think about and engage in issues that affect not just AAPI groups but POC in general and gain more knowledge and understanding of the struggles and challenges in professional and societal culture today that may be different than my own.
What elements of your AAPI experience shaped the course of your career? What is it like being an AAPI leader today?
My father is a Vietnamese immigrant who came to the US when he was 18, and my mother was first generation American born to Jewish European immigrants and raised in San Francisco. I grew up in a community that didn't have many Jewish, Asian or other families of color or mixed heritage and had many of the usual feelings that kids have when they feel like they don't fit in. As an adult I've come to realize it was a privilege to witness two very different cultural perspectives growing up and witness how my parents navigated the through and around the cultural and language barriers between their two families. I think it is partially what has enabled me to carve my own career path by embracing how I see things from my own unique perspective and also have a deep interest in understanding others' points of view. One of the parts of my job that I enjoy the most about working in manufacturing and design is getting to understand and know the partners I work with overseas and having a deeper understanding of their circumstances, as well as a personal interest in the lives of each individual. It has been exponentially impactful in the professional relationships I've built as well as in my ability to lead teams and foster environments that care us much about support and understanding as they do about hard work.
Why do you think representation matters and how can organizations help to amplify AAPI and other POC voices?
I think that fashion companies are very far behind in discussing and representing these matters, which is very sad considering how much product is made by people of color in the US and around the world. Unfortunately, I don't think many organizations will be proactive about doing or saying anything unless they are being held accountable by consumers or their own employees. I do think a good start is by encouraging people to start dialogues amongst their peers and inviting open discussion, which will hopefully trickle out and up.
What does being an ally with the AAPI and BIPOC communities mean to you?
The kinds of prejudice, societal challenges and threats that certain groups face might be different, but the common thread is that racism and intolerance exists at an alarmingly high level and that we all need to have a better understanding of each other as a whole in order to try to fix it. I'm trying as best I can to listen to what each person within my own community and network has to say about their own struggles and concerns and be a support, advocate or ally for what can and will impact positive change towards more equality and understanding across the spectrum.
LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-phan-144b014
Website: https://www.nancyphannyc.com/
Instagram: @nancy_phan_nyc
The month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States and the co-lab shares in celebrating the vital contributions, achievements, and influence Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have had within our industries and communities. We also use this time to continue recognizing the on-going challenges that face the AAPI community, especially with the increase of violence and discrimination over the last year. As articulated in our DE&I statement, the co-lab unwaveringly stands for equity and inclusion and condemns racist, discriminatory and hateful acts of any kind.
In the spirit of celebrating AAPI Heritage Month and elevating diverse AAPI voices, we are highlighting some of our wonderful AAPI co-lab members on our Instagram @jointhecolab and on our website.
To learn more about Asian American history, the AAPI experience or organizations that are driving positive change towards a more equitable future, please explore our resource library. This is not a comprehensive list, and if there are additional resources that you believe would be helpful, please email us at info@jointhecolab.com.
—the co-lab DIVERSITY COUNCIL
