Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The movement for a national Asian American and Pacific Islander holiday, celebrating the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the U.S., began in the late ‘70s with Jeanie Jew, a fourth generation Chinese American who was instrumental in the acknowledgment of the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience.

Since its founding in 1981, KRA has embraced and practiced DEIBA principles, and is fortunate that two of our Asian American employees are willing to share with us a bit about their experiences, and their families’ journeys. We’ve chosen to highlight these employees’ stories in celebration. To learn more about this wonderful holiday and its history, please visit the sources listed at the end of the article.

The first Asian immigrants arrived in the U.S. in 1587, when Filipinos began migrating to California. Cecilia Parulan, Corporate Financial Analyst with KRA since 2019, writes about her own immigration.

“I was born in 1988, one of five daughters of an immigrant couple. I spent my childhood in the Philippines, immersed in my Filipino-Chinese culture, until moving to California in 2005 at age 16. Immigrating to the U.S. allowed me to achieve my educational aspirations—a BS from the University of California Riverside and an MBA from the California Baptist University. I have always enjoyed working with numbers, and gain fulfillment by knowing I am serving the people and giving back to the community.”

Although a few Korean students and politicians came to the U.S. around 1884, the first significant wave began in 1903, when a shipload of immigrants arrived in Hawaii to work on pineapple and sugar plantations.

Yoon Kim, Quality Assurance Specialist with KRA since 2016, writes, “My father built up a successful grocery store in Harlem, NYC, working day and night, 7 days a week after his immigration to the U.S. from Korea in 1986, with his own hands! I was deeply impressed with his diligent and faithful way of living, and was happy to see my father’s American Dream come true before his passing in 1997. He has always been both a hero and role model to me, and as an Asian American, I can say proudly that I have always tried to work hard with diligence and faithfulness as a valuable contributor to KRA, society, and the Nation.”

We invite you to learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with these sources!