May marks the celebration of Asian Heritage Month and as the Global Lead for the Autodesk Asian Network (AAN) employee resource group, I’ve been looking forward to inspirational speakers and meaningful discussions with fellow Autodeskers and our guests.
In honor of Japanese Heritage Day at the ballpark, I met up with fellow AAN member Joyce Lee at the SF Giants game. Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi threw out the first pitch!
Understanding the significance of Norman Mineta requires knowing a bit more about his story. As the mayor of San Jose, he was the first Asian American to lead a major US city. He was also the first Asian American US Cabinet member – as Secretary of Commerce for President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Transportation for President George W. Bush. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, and has a US airport named after him: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Six years ago, I invited Secretary Mineta to speak at an event celebrating May Asian Heritage Month. In his 80s and full of energy, he had no problem traveling from the East Coast to California. On the left lapel of his suit, he wore a pin of the American flag. A reminder, he told me, of his freedom and civil rights as a US citizen that we should not take for granted.
I was honored to meet Secretary Mineta, one of my heroes, at a past Asian Heritage Month celebration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCqNVm0ypKc Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi joined us as a keynote speaker, sharing her perspective on topics like mentorship and taking risks. We’re celebrating Asian Heritage Month with the theme “Inspire” and hosting a number of events and inspirational talks throughout May. Autodesk CTO and AAN Executive Sponsor Raji Arasu kicked off our celebration with a discussion with tech leaders for our employees about advocating for yourself, not letting boundaries limit you, and continuing to grow and learn throughout your career. The leaders discussed what it means to be an inspiring leader and who has inspired them. Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi also joined us as a keynote speaker for an internal discussion. She was the first Asian American to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, was a World Champion and two-time US National Champion in figure skating, a New York Times best-selling author of children’s books, and founded Always Dream to help low-income families have access to reading books. During her talk, she discussed her Olympic experience, mentorship, and passions outside of skating. She encouraged people to take risks by explaining why she joined Dancing with the Stars. She shared, “It’s good to take on new challenges. I’m really glad that I took that risk to go out there again and learn something new – be challenged – because it added another dimension to my life.”
Autodeskers throughout the globe held meet-ups to celebrate Asian Heritage Month. AAN members in Montreal had fun catching up over lunch.
The SF meet-up was held at the Autodesk Gallery and included a fan decorating activity.
As a leader who had great impact on society, the life and legacy of Secretary Mineta is an inspiration for so many. And as we near the end of this meaningful month, I’m also filled with gratitude by the inspiration I get each day from my fellow Autodeskers. After all, our theme doesn’t end as the month of May closes. Inspiration is something you can seek each day and Secretary Mineta showed me it’s never too late to inspire positive change in someone’s life − a lesson I will take with me always.
Learn about the AAN Kimochi program to help seniors and children connect with their Japanese American culture using Autodesk Tinkercad.