Established in 2021 amid rising anti-Asian hate crimes, SOM’s Asian Alliance provides a platform for cultural dialogue, mentorship, and professional growth. Four years later—as we honor Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month—our efforts are still critical in cultivating leadership, fostering community, and elevating the visibility of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American (AANHPI) community within SOM and the broader AEC industry.
With more than 200 members across our global design practice, we are a diverse collective united by a shared commitment to empower and inspire the Asian community at SOM and beyond. Our initiatives are organized around three pillars: presence, community, and leadership. Those pillars take shape through a variety of initiatives, from celebrating cultural heritage to contributing to Asian markets and local communities—such as the “Light Up Chinatown” feasibility study. With events that help our colleagues navigate workplace challenges and promote self-advocacy, the Asian Alliance remains a vital resource for connection, support, and professional development, shaping a future where the AAPNHPI community thrives.
This month, as we recognize AANHPI contributions under the theme of “Common Ground,” we first take a step back to acknowledge the work we’ve done. Have a look at our themes and initiatives over the years.
2021 “Voice”
In our inaugural year, our celebration focused on giving voice to the Asian and AANHPI community. We saw a dramatic increase in violent crimes against Asians, and it became more important than ever to combat stereotypes and generalizations. During that AAPI Heritage Month, we came together in our global fight for equity, taking the opportunity to actively discuss the profound contributions, achievements, and aspirations of the AANHPI community.
Spotlight Event: That year, we moderated a Q+A with Bing Chen, Founder of the Asian advocacy group Gold House. Bing was previously YouTube’s Global Head of Creator Development and one of the original founders of the 500-million-strong influencer ecosystem on social media. He is energetic, incredibly thoughtful, and relentless in his quest to build communities (both online and offline) for what he calls the “new majority.”
2022 “Impact”
If 2021 was about finding our collective voice, 2022 was about taking action, and doing so through celebrations and forums, bringing in guest speakers, and providing professional resources, mentorship, research, and more. That month, we explored three scales of impact—personal, professional, and community—in the form of weekly global events.
Spotlight Event: In a guest lecture with Joanne Kwong, president of Pearl River Mart in New York City, we learned about her incredible career trajectory from law and academia to small business, how she discovered her voice, and the ways she impacted those around her.
2023 “Reframe”
We turned our lens to the theme of “REFRAME,” to invite all to seek knowledge, to look with fresh eyes, and to question our environment in order to find new answers
Spotlight event: In a talk with Jackie Wong, titled “The Invisible Visibility Of Asian American Workers,” we learned key findings from his comprehensive report, “Asian American Workers: Diverse Outcomes and Hidden Challenges.” Jackie is Associate Partner at McKinsey and head of the Race in the Workplace Research Study, and is a former architect and colleague at SOM.
2024 “Confluence”
We explored the ideas that speak to our collective, while still celebrating what makes each of us unique. To celebrate that idea, we began our AAPI colleague spotlight series.
Stay tuned as we explore the theme of “Common Ground” as part of AAPI Heritage Month 2025.
