Throughout the month of May, MSCI’s Asian Support Network (ASN) hosted a variety of events open for all employees across the globe, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The goal of the events was to celebrate, raise awareness and understanding of the various cultures that comprise the “AAPI” identity.

The mission of the ASN is to create an inclusive space for MSCI’s Asian colleagues. They strive to affirm Asian identities and experiences, promote educational, cultural and social awareness, and empower leadership and professional opportunities.

Read about some of the events that have taken place over the last few weeks:

• On May 5th MSCI’s Linda-Eling Lee, Head of ESG & Climate Research participated in a panel discussion titled Pan-Asian Cultural Connection, where the speakers shared insights about their culture and heritage.
• On May 13th, the ASN organized a cultural trivia contest for MSCI employees, to showcase different Asian cultures and celebrate the various traditions. The winning team even walked away with some MSCI branded merch!
• One of the most anticipated events of the month was held on May 19th, when employees were invited for a Virtual Museum tour with the museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). Nancy Yao, MOCA President, took the audience on a journey through 200 years of Chinese American history through a personally guided tour of MOCA’s permanent exhibition “With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America”. By unpacking the history of anti-Asian racism in America and how these stereotypes originate and lead to unconscious bias, this tour enabled every audience member to emerge with more awareness of one’s own assumptions, and constructively challenge and overcome these barriers to create more opportunities for personal development and institutional growth.
• On May 27^th, MSCI and TD Securities co-hosted a panel discussion and in-person networking event – Advancing Leaders through Collaboration: A Celebration for AAPI Heritage Month. The keynote speakers of the event shared their unique perspectives on advocating for the Asian community. The client panel featured senior industry leaders who shared with us their journey and perspectives on how to promote and advance each other in their careers.

Additionally, the ASN curated a selection of resources each week during the month centered around AAPI Heritage Month. This included videos, news articles, research findings and interesting readings for those wanting to learn more about Asian and Pacific Islander cultures.