CELEBRATING AAPI HERITAGE MONTH


Education is Key to Understanding AAPI Communities


BY CAROL EATON M


ay is Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month, dedicated to celebrating


the achievements made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans in history, culture, and society. Perhaps nowhere is it more relevant to


learn more about the AAPI communities than in California, home to nearly one- third of Asian Americans living in the U.S. As one of the country’s fastest growing population groups, Asian Americans are projected to make up 36% of all U.S. immi- grants by 2055, according to Pew Research Center (https://www.pewresearch.org/ fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about- asian-americans/). Tere are currently over 6.5 million AAPI individuals living in the Golden State. In the construction industry, Asian


Americans are severely underrepre- sented – constituting just 2.1% of total workers in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It follows, then, that the AAPI communities represent a strong source of untapped potential for an industry that is focused on attracting


(Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change), an AAPI advocacy group, uncov- ered a range of biases and misperceptions about the AAPI community. Among the findings in the 2021 report


Combatti


a more diverse workforce to help fulfill current and future needs.


Diversity Is Hallmark of AAPI Communities


Despite the common perception of Asian Americans as a homogenous group, the AAPI communities are extremely diverse, spanning more than 20 ethnicities among their total 20 million citizens recorded on the U.S. Census. However, a recent “STAATUS Index Report” by LAAUNCH


by LAAUNCH: • When asked to name a prominent Asian American person, 42% of respondents were not able to – despite the fact that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who was born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, identifies as both a Black American and South Asian American.


• Asian Americans hold only 2.6% of the corporate leadership of Fortune 500 companies (as previously reported by DiversityInc), despite comprising 6.8% of the population. However, approximately 50% of respondents believe that Asian Americans are fairly or overly represented in leadership positions.


• 20% of the respondents agree with a statement that Asian Americans as a group are more loyal to the country of their origin than to the U.S.


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR MAY-JUNE 2022


17


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32