May is a month of recognition for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage and a very special time in our annual company calendar. This year more than ever, we’re committed to celebrating our diverse heritages and unifying our employees through events. From Boba tea breaks and Bollywood dance parties to leadership panels and open forums on issues faced by the AAPI community, the schedule is jam-packed full of events.
At Oracle, encouraging employees to explore and embrace all heritages forms an integral part of our culture and plays a key role in our mission to nurture a global, diverse perspective – here’s why…
Diversity makes the world go round
Carol Hsieh, who currently works as a cloud solution specialist, begins by explaining a little about her background, “I am Chinese from Taiwan but more specifically I am a Hakka, a Chinese subgroup.” Having lived in both Taiwan and in the US, Carol has developed a unique understanding of Asian and Western cultures which she thinks has helped her incorporate a more diverse and inclusive mind-set. “While I am more American in many ways, I have a deep appreciation for the different cultures within Asia. I am very proud to be an Asian-American,” she reflects ahead of the heritage month.
Part of the Corporate Citizenship team, senior program associate Michelle Fong, shares Carol’s passion for the preservation of individual heritage, and believes it’s what has driven her to work at Oracle. “It’s my job to connect employees to their communities through volunteering. I am proud to know the impact of volunteering first hand and to be the biggest advocate of our program,” she says.
Safe, supportive workspaces are key
Having teams led by such multi-cultural thinkers has enhanced operations within Oracle to no end. Encouraging an open forum for discussion and providing a safe environment for employees to express their ideas and opinions is extremely important for a team’s development. Adopting this attitude has resulted in effective decision making by a group of people operating at their best.
As a member of the Oracle Professional Asian Leadership group, Madeline Walsh values the chance to celebrate her cultural background. Being part of an employee resource group (ERG) gives her the opportunity to learn about other celebrations and customs and interact with similar groups focused on recognsing other world heritages. “Participating in ERG events has led me to some exciting projects with members who motivate me to think outside the box about what I can do to make the world a little better,” she says proudly.
Reflecting on his experience as an immigrant and veteran, Yunyidi “Didi” Han, stresses the importance of mentors that experienced a similar background to his own. He attributes his current mentor through the Oracle Veteran Internship Program, in helping make him feel more at ease when transitioning into the workplace. “The thing I most appreciate is my mentor’s patience and thoroughness when answering my questions. I love the judgement free discussions we have and it’s a pleasure to receive advice from someone with so much experience and expertise. He has really put me at ease and soothed my anxieties during this time of transition”.
Success is defined by adopting progressive principles
Having served in the military, Didi values and understands teamwork more than most, and brings practices learnt surrounding respect for peers, into his working environment. “I’m more productive when I feel like a valued member of a team in a positive work environment. It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep it that way.”
He also puts career success down to attacking the situation, not the people—a critical principle for working in tech. “Things get stressful during execution, emotions run high and people will fail. Acknowledge the mistake, but move on!”
Listening is key to Michelle’s corporate success philosophy. She explains, “The world is vast and there are so many perspectives that exist outside of our own. Standing for diversity and inclusion means taking the time to learn and actually putting in the work to make change happen. She stresses that, “exhibiting grace towards ourselves and others” is the only way to grow and become better.
In the Oracle offices, blame culture is avoided at all costs. In her role as cloud solution specialist, Carol urges that the key to progression is to, “accept complete responsibility for your own life.” Refusing to blame anything or anyone for unpleasant past experiences and mistakes, even when things appear to be unfair, is the only way to move forward, in her eyes. She emphasizes that, “we can start making progress when we accept complete responsibilities and take charge of our lives.”
What Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month means to our leaders
For Carol, having her workplace recognize her heritage means taking a step towards closing the culture gap. She feels it’s important so that everyone can “get to know each other more, understand each other better, and be more empathetic.” Michelle echoes this and underlines the significance of the time we’re in, by emphasizing the difficult year experienced by Asian American communities. In her eyes, “it is a powerful act to step into your own identity and make a resolute decision to find joy and optimism in the midst of hatred.”
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