5/9/2024

P&G Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

Yeong Joo riding on the bus smiling

Sustained actions continue to drive inclusion and impact for the AAPI community.

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is a time to uplift the important role AAPIs have played in American history. P&G supports and partners with organizations that are delivering impact for the AAPI community throughout the year and each year during the month of May, we intentionally pause, reflect and celebrate.

Driving Belonging and Authentic Narratives

Inspired by consumer insights that bias, indifference, and even unintentional mistakes can lead to mispronunciation and misidentification of AAPI names, in 2022 P&G released “The Name.” In the first year alone, this film received over 4 billion impressions and sparked meaningful conversations about the importance of AAPI names and inclusion and belonging for the AAPI community. Some were inspired to reclaim their Asian names. P&G continues to drive awareness of The Name and its integrated campaign, including a Dialogue Guide and Name Generator tool, because belonging starts with a name.

We know there is more progress to be made. The 2024 STAATUS Index uncovered that only 38% of Asian Americans completely feel that they belong in the United States. To broaden our impact and further inclusion, P&G has partnered with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) on its mission to ensure AAPIs are seen in their full humanity through authentic stories. Our multiyear partnership ensures representation in front of and behind the camera by supporting, uplifting, and developing future AAPI creatives and executives. Collectively this effort will elevate authentic stories that combat harmful stereotypes and celebrate authentic AAPI narratives.

Five panelists from the 2024 AAFHM Summit, including P&G's Lela Coffey, smile together in front of a black backdrop with Heritage Month Summit branding.

Lela Coffey, P&G VP Multicultural Business Acceleration (2nd from left) with fellow panelists at The 2024 Asian American Foundation Heritage Month Summit
Photo credit: Janice Yim/Getty Images for The Asian American Foundation

The drive for inclusion continues into the newsroom. P&G is also supporting the Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA) and its groundbreaking research on diversity in newsrooms. AAJA documents the experiences of AAPIs and journalists of color which aims to gather data on representation, experiences, and challenges journalists of color face in their newsrooms, including barriers to leadership positions.

Ensuring Reach and Resonance through AAPI Owned & Operated Media Ecosystem

And as we seek to reach more people with superior products and experiences we know that culturally relevant content that appears in culturally resonant media results in more effective programming. Learnings from our work with Black Owned & Operated Media partners have enhanced our partnerships with AAPI owned and operated media companies as they build their capabilities to deliver effective and efficient media and we reach AAPI consumers in an authentic way that best serves and supports them – in everyday life, for their everyday needs.

Enabling Community Impact

We are committed to supporting the organizations that work tirelessly to address barriers and drive impact on the issues that are important to the AAPI community. In addition to TAAF and AAJA, we continue to support Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC) the only national non-profit that focuses on the Pacific Islander community and Gold House whose efforts are focusing on expanding AAPI representation in entertainment, business and social impact.

In our global headquarters city Cincinnati, Ohio, and beyond, our employees and brands proudly join together to support AAPI community events and celebrations in May and throughout the entire year. We are #UniqueAndUnited.

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