During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, PCI celebrates the colorful cultures and influential achievements of the AANHPI community. We’re capping off the month by sharing perspectives from our colleagues on the how their own identity influences their work, why representation matters in the communications industry and how they celebrate their own heritage.

What inspired you to pursue your career? How did you get into PR/comms/digital?

I first wanted to be a journalist. Then, I discovered PR in college. I was drawn to the idea of crafting narratives and messages and using the power of communication to advance ideas and shape behaviors and opinions. I got a degree in public relations, and the rest was history.

How has your background influenced your approach to communications work?

I’m Filipino, and during the pandemic lockdowns, I knew a lot of Filipino health care workers who were on the frontlines, including my own family members. At that time, I felt helpless as I worried from the comforts of home while they continued worked to treat others and save lives. So, I decided I wanted to find a way to help health care workers. That’s how I made the switch to health care PR, and, specifically, here at PCI. I’m so glad I’m able to have a job in which I can advocate and help communicate for health care providers and celebrate all the work they do for our society.

What advice would you give to young AAPI individuals who are pursuing careers in the PR industry?

Learn everything and do everything. Being a generalist is underrated. You will be a better communications practitioner and counselor for it.

How do you think the AAPI community can be better represented and supported in our industry?

By increasing our own visibility within the industry, we can show future AAPI professionals that they can pursue and excel in the field of communications. We need to build a pipeline to increase representation within the PR industry and have more seasoned PR pros be willing to mentor young professionals.

What is your bubble tea order?

Brown sugar milk tea at a 50% sugar level. With boba, of course!

What is one way you celebrate your heritage?

Eat, eat and eat (OK, that’s three ways!)

What inspired you to pursue your career? How did you get into PR/comms/digital?

As a kid, I really enjoyed watching Michelle Phan’s makeup videos on YouTube and that really sparked my interest in filming and editing videos. I remember I would film videos on my mom’s digital camera and edit them through Windows Live Movie Maker. Then when I was in college, I took the intro course to advertising which taught me the general concepts of brand marketing, that’s when things started to click, and I officially decided to pursue a career in digital marketing.

How has your background influenced your approach to communications work?

I grew up not seeing a lot of Asian representation in media. Now in my social media work for clients, I always share upcoming observances so that we can incorporate the relevant ones into content calendars so that their audiences feel seen and represented.

What advice would you give to young AAPI individuals who are pursuing careers in the PR industry?

Be open to learning new things! Try to absorb as many skills as you possibly can so that you can really find what fits for you. Plus, it’ll give you an advantage to others!

How do you think AAPI representation in media has affected you?

Seeing AAPI individuals in media, especially big motion pictures like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is really empowering just because as a kid, I only saw one Asian actress on TV, Brenda Song on the “Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” Seeing all these actresses do big things really inspires and shows me that people like me can achieve everything we dreamed of.

What is your bubble tea order?

Roasted oolong milk tea, 80% sugar, regular ice with tapioca!

Who are some of your favorite AAPI entertainers?

BTS and Blackpink! 😊

What inspired you to pursue your career? How did you get into PR/comms/digital?

I’ve loved reading recreationally (mostly fiction) and creative writing for my entire life, so being in a field that required some degree of creative writing always made sense for me. Digital marketing and comms has such a wide array of roles, and agency work makes it possible for me to express myself creative in so many ways without having to be locked into one.

How has your background influenced your approach to communications work?

Because one side of my family doesn’t speak fluent English, I’ve always been sensitive to accessibility in digital media. That could be language, colors, readability/legibility, captioning, anything that makes it easier for our clients’ audiences to understand our message.

What advice would you give to young AAPI individuals who are pursuing careers in the PR industry?

Never be afraid to change your career path or try something new. One of my mentors during my internship at PCI taught me so much about video editing and livestreaming, yet her degree was in engineering! Creative joy and a desire to learn are two of the most important qualifications to get into this field, in my opinion.

What is your favorite dish to cook?

My favorite thing to cook is nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice). It’s very easy, I can usually dump almost anything in it and fun to cook for other people because they’ve usually never had it before.

How do you think AAPI representation in media has affected you?

Stories about immigration from AAPI countries always hit hard. I love my dad’s side of the family in Indonesia but seeing them can be difficult. Seeing that in a movie or show is important to me.

How do you think the AAPI community can be better represented and supported in our industry?

This is obvious, but better Southeast Asian representation. Indonesia is the 4th largest country in the world by population and the biggest Islamic country, but I’ve met people who thought it was in Africa.