Foodies Guide to Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month

Food connects people by sparking conversations with every bite. This AAPI Heritage Month, let’s transform your office break room into more than just a space to grab a snack. Let’s use it to showcase flavors with deep roots, support AAPI-founded brands, and encourage meaningful connections between coworkers.

The beauty of heritage months is that a few thoughtful swaps can go a long way. You don’t need a big budget or a complicated plan. Just a little intention can turn your snack room into a celebration of identity, history, and community.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know and taste for AAPI Heritage Month.

When is AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month takes place every May. It’s a time to honor the cultures, traditions, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the US.

The History Behind AAPI Heritage Month

AAPI Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the cultures, contributions, and resilience of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. The month honors generations of AAPI individuals who have helped shape American history, often in the face of discrimination, exclusion, and injustice.

Here are the origins of how this celebration came to be:

• 1977: Congress introduced resolutions recognizing the first 10 days of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.
• 1978: President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution establishing the week as an official observance.
• 1990: Congress voted to expand the celebration from one week to the full month of May.
• 1992: May was officially designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month through public law.
• 2009: The term "AAPI Heritage Month" gained wider use to reflect the full scope of Asian American and Pacific Islander identities.

May was chosen to commemorate two important milestones in AAPI history:

• The arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843
• The completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, built in large part by Chinese laborers

5 AAPI-Founded Brands to Elevate Your Snack Room

gimMe Snacks

Founded by Annie Chun and her husband Steve Broad, gimMe was the first USDA Certified Organic seaweed snack in the US. Annie grew up in Korea, where seaweed was a daily staple, and she wanted to share that tradition in a modern, snackable form. The brand is still family-run and dedicated to sustainability and organic farming.

Nongshim

This beloved Korean food brand has been serving up crave-worthy instant noodles for decades. Their signature Shin Ramyun is a bold, spicy classic that is perfect for a warm midday break. With roots dating back to 1965 in Seoul, Nongshim has become a global comfort food favorite. It brings heat, flavor, and heritage to lunch breaks around the world.

Biena Snacks

Founder Poorvi Patodia launched Biena to modernize one of her favorite Indian childhood snacks: roasted chickpeas. Her goal was to bring plant-based protein and big flavor into the mainstream, and she succeeded. Biena’s crunchy snacks are packed with fiber and spice, and the story behind them is just as powerful as the punch they pack.

Mylk Labs

Founded by Grace Cheng, a first-generation Taiwanese-American and former model, Mylk Labs was inspired by the simple breakfast rituals of her upbringing. The result is real-ingredient, single-serve oatmeal with no added sugar. It is wellness without compromise, made for busy mornings. Every bowl supports a small, women- and AAPI-owned business.

Looking to level it up? We used Mylk Labs oatmeal in one of our Snack Hack series to create a customizable office oatmeal bar that is as fun as it is filling.

gr8nola

Created by Serena Poon, a Chinese-American health coach and wellness entrepreneur, gr8nola was born at the intersection of clean eating and great taste. With superfood ingredients like charcoal, matcha, and turmeric, gr8nola is a better-for-you pantry staple that turns snacking into a nourishing, feel-good ritual.

Other Ideas to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month 

Snacks are a great starting point, but there are other meaningful ways to recognize and uplift AAPI voices at work. Here are a few ideas:

• Spotlight AAPI voices: Celebrate your AAPI teammates by sharing their stories, career journeys, or favorite cultural traditions if they are comfortable. This could be a Slack post, an internal newsletter highlight, or a short video.
• Invite a guest speaker or panel: Host a conversation with AAPI entrepreneurs, community leaders, or cultural experts. These events can be in-person or virtual and are a great way to build awareness and spark dialogue.
• Support local AAPI-owned businesses: Partner with a neighborhood restaurant or caterer with AAPI roots. Include a note in your order or event materials to share the story behind the business and why your team chose to support them.
• Share educational resources: Put together a list of articles, videos, or podcasts that explore AAPI history and culture. Encourage the team to check them out and reflect together during the month.

Other Resources

Want to dig deeper into the history, identity, and experiences that make up the AAPI community? Start here:

• History.com
• Library of Congress

If you're still unsure, just ask! Acknowledge that you don't know much about a particular culture, express your desire to learn more about and celebrate it, and then ask your team members for their feedback. This is also a fantastic opportunity to tap into your DEI team and ERGs (and if you don’t have either of those, it’s an ideal time to start one!).

Conclusion

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month is about more than checking a box. It is about honoring stories, supporting the community, and building workplaces where everyone feels seen. By curating your breakroom with thoughtful, AAPI-founded snacks and beverages, you create a space for curiosity, celebration, and shared experiences. Sometimes, the simplest way to start a meaningful conversation is over a really good green tea.