Q&A: Reflections from Michigan Ross AABA Members For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

At Michigan Ross, the Asian American Business Association is a diverse, close-knit community brought together through their shared commitment to offer support and make space for members of the AAPI community. The organization’s goal is to celebrate culture and to unite communities against all forms of racism, bias, and discrimination through their programming and events. That includes actively raising awareness of the increasing anti-Asian violence and sharing resources to support the AAPI community at Ross and beyond.

Below, hear from Michigan Ross Full-Time and Online MBA students about being a member of AABA and part of the AAPI community.

Stella Han

Program/year: Full-Time MBA ’23

Summer internship or job: Cisco, human resources intern

Post-graduation career interest: Human resources, technology

As we are in AAPI Heritage month, and we aim to lift and center the experiences of AAPI communities, what is something you want to share that you wish other people understood or should know?

With the pandemic and rise of anti-AAPI hate crimes, AAPI mental health has been brought into sharp focus, and it has also shed light on other stressors AAPIs have faced historically and culturally. According to the National Latino and Asian American Study, Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek mental health services than their white peers. While 18% of the general U.S. population seek mental health services, only 8.6% of Asian Americans do so. I think the reasons behind these numbers are multitudinous, but frankly, mental health was and is still highly stigmatized and seen as a sign of weakness, shame, disability, or succumbing to “Western” practices, which prevents us from seeking help.

During the start of the pandemic, I was fortunate to work with an incredible Korean-American therapist. As a second-generation Korean-American, it was transformational to get specialized care from someone who had a shared understanding of my culture and lived experience and made me feel truly seen in my journey of healing and self-discovery. We worked through a lot of issues together, including my personal inner conflict between American individualism and Korean collectivism, microaggressions/racism/acculturation, intergenerational trauma, death/grief, and fear of failure, to name a few. I know that beyond these mentioned, AAPIs face many more issues and barriers that go undiscussed, including — but not limited to — language barriers, lack of awareness and information, mistrust in our healthcare systems, and lack of AAPI therapists. There is still a lot more research to be done, but I hope this illuminates some of the challenges that the AAPI community faces and that demand additional support.

How has being a member of AABA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience? What does it mean to you to be connected with others who have a shared experience?

Being an AABA board member and now co-president with Eric Chun has given me a great opportunity to advocate for my community, discover my voice, and feel empowered to use it. 

What AABA events/programming do you feel have been the most impactful and why?

One of my favorite events by AABA this past year was Food, Friends, and Culture. We featured various games from different cultures such as South Korea, the Philippines, India, and Vietnam, and then enjoyed a feast of diverse AAPI cuisines. We were very intentional about making this an educational event and featured different AABA members explaining the origin, meaning, and personal memories/experiences with the games. We also facilitated an informative trivia game that featured facts about AAPI leaders and role models, geography, and history that really made this event both fun and educational.

How has AABA collaborated with other affinity student groups at Michigan Ross this year? What were the results of those collaborations?

This past winter B term, AABA collaborated with Michigan Business Women and Human Capital Club to facilitate a self-defense workshop in response to recent and ongoing acts of violence toward minority/marginalized communities. We partnered with a local, Black-owned self-defense school called Close Quarters Combat Academy, and we had over 65 people register and learn and apply practical skills and situational knowledge with the instructors and one another. 

We received positive feedback from the participants and hope to host again in the following terms to make this an ongoing effort and resource for our community. Cross-collaboration is a big focus for AABA next year, and we’re excited to foster more allyship and partnerships with other affinity groups to advance DEI and community for next year.    

Robbin Lee

Program/year: Online MBA ’24 

Summer internship or Job: Executive director, Baltimore Homecoming

Post-graduation career interest: Talent development, organizational culture development

As we are in AAPI Heritage month, and we aim to lift and center the experiences of AAPI communities, what is something you want to share that you wish other people understood or should know?  I have a tattoo on my shoulder that is seemingly three Chinese characters merged into one symbol. The three characters are not real Chinese characters and are actually made-up characters from a contemporary art piece called “Book from the Sky” by Chinese artist Xu Bing.  In the original art piece, Xu Bing lined an entire exhibition hall with scrolls and scrolls filled with over 4,000 of these invented characters. When people would walk through the exhibition hall, he recorded comments like, "Wow, I feel like I'm immersed in thousands of years of Chinese culture!" Ironically, and intentionally, that obviously wasn't the case. There was a bit of humor for me in this. So to me, my tattoo and this art piece is a symbolic metaphor for what it is like to have a hyphenated identity in America. I want people to learn the meaning behind the character and the story behind the human. As AAPI, we are not a monolith. We all have a unique and beautiful story, but it takes going deeper than just eating dumplings or watching anime.

How has being a member of AABA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience? What does it mean to you to be connected with others who have a shared experience? 

Being a member of AABA has helped me to connect and commiserate with fellow AAPIs about the challenges we all face with access, bias in the workplace, and doubts, both from ourselves and others, as we take on and embrace leadership roles. Sharing our experiences with each other, for me, helps to strengthen my resolve when it comes to my career goals to widen access for BIPOC leaders. I grew up in a mostly homogenous small town, and then went on to undergrad at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where diversity from all walks of life was abundant and celebrated. Being connected with other AAPI classmates has been such an important and special way to continue to surround myself with diverse perspectives as part of my Ross MBA experience.

What AABA events/programming do you feel have been the most impactful and why?  

I think AABA's East Meets West storytelling event was an extremely impactful program because it was an opportunity for fellow Ross students to learn the very human, and very relatable, stories behind their AAPI classmates. I know for me, a handful of classmates attended or tuned in virtually, and reached out afterwards about all the things they learned about me that they didn't know.

What is the first thing you tell prospective students about being an AABA member? 

Affinity groups like AABA exist to help students find a sense of community and belonging in the otherwise daunting, and sometimes competitive, environment of business school. Especially as an OMBA student, sometimes our program format can feel isolating, so being a member of AABA has been a great way to meet other AAPI students and to build relationships beyond physical distance.

Maianh Phan

Program/year: Full-Time MBA ’23

Summer internship or job: Clorox Co., brand management intern

Post-graduation career interest: CPG, brand management

As we are in AAPI Heritage month, and we aim to lift and center the experiences of AAPI communities, what is something you want to share that you wish other people understood or should know? 

Something I really want people to know is highlighted in a recent marketing campaign from Procter & Gamble — the #ournamesbelong marketing campaign. I think it’s awe-inspiring, and I want people to know that it is okay to ask someone how to pronounce and spell their name properly. It can make a huge difference in making someone feel like they can show up as their authentic selves and be included and respected instead of alienated and “othered.” 

How has being a member of AABA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience? What does it mean to you to be connected with others that have a shared experience? 

It has been incredible to surround myself with people of similar cultural backgrounds as me. Asian and Western cultures can sometimes differ significantly, and while I enjoy sharing my culture with people that are interested, it is also really special to be around people who just “get it.” The more I’m surrounded by this group, the more I find myself leaning into my nuances instead of straying away from them.

What AABA events/programming do you feel have been the most impactful and why? 

I really liked the fireside chat with Soojin Kwon, managing director of Full-Time MBA Admissions and Program at Michigan Ross. It is inspiring to have such a boss lady share her struggles as she navigated her career. I related to a lot of her stories and it’s comforting to hear that I am not alone in what I have and continue to go through. Socially, I really liked the Soju tasting event. I’ve been exposed to some Korean drinking culture, but there was a lot of history and stories that I learned about that evening. 

How has AABA collaborated with other affinity student groups at Michigan Ross this year? What were the results of those collaborations? 

Three events stick out in my mind from this past year — the Soju tasting event with Korea Business Club, the movie night with Entertainment & Digital Media Club, and A-Pop with several of the Asian affinity groups. All three were social events with a sprinkle of education/culture. It was awesome to see so many classmates interested in learning about some of the culture that makes up AABA members. People walked away exposed to new drinks to try on their own, a new genre of movies to watch, and new music groups and artists to listen to. Not to mention each event was a blast to attend. 

Andrew Suzuki

Program/year: Full-Time MBA ’23

Summer internship or job: EY Parthenon, summer consultant

Post-graduation career interest: Management consulting, healthcare

As we are in AAPI Heritage month, and we aim to lift and center the experiences of AAPI communities, what is something you want to share that you wish other people understood or should know?

I grew up in a community where there were very few minorities, and a common theme that I encountered was being expected to be the representation of all things Asia. “So how authentic is that Chinese place down the road?” “Wow, your mom has no accent!” “Aren’t you supposed to be better at math?” As a high school student who already had conflicting thoughts about his identity as a Japanese American, I was uncomfortable fielding these comments that I had no response to.  

The experience of being AAPI is not a standard uniform across all. Yes, there are many common themes that connect people with each other, but we each are shaped through differing circumstances that mold our personal preferences and values. During this month, I hope that people are not only able to appreciate the AAPI culture as a whole, but also the diversity in winding roads that we all have experienced.  

How has being a member of AABA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience? What does it mean to you to be connected with others who have a shared experience?

Being a member of AABA has allowed me to engage with a community that I truly feel comfortable within. Many of my close friends at Ross are part of AABA, and the interactions that I have through this group reinforces the sense of pride that I have in being AAPI. In addition, the organization has allowed me to be a stronger advocate for my community. AAPIs are often relegated downward in society as a silent model minority — diligent workers too passive and obedient for leadership. As part of AABA, I feel empowered to combat this narrative through the strength of an entire community, versus the pressure of facing this on my own. 

What AABA events/programming do you feel have been the most impactful and why?

For me, East Meets West has been the most impactful for AABA. The event featured six speakers who shared stories of courage and cultural identity, and it was an opportunity for the public to hear about the different experiences that their classmates have gone through as AAPIs. The event allowed for a stronger sense of understanding between the members of AABA and the broader Ross community.  

What is the first thing you tell prospective students about being an AABA member?
One of the main reasons I came back to Ross for my MBA (I did undergrad here, too) was for AABA. I wanted to be part of a community where I could feel comfortable being my own authentic self, and I knew I made the right decision as I got involved with this organization back in August.