AAPI Heritage Month: Breaking the silence
Illustration: Fernando Augusto
To honor Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month 2023, we asked AAPI members of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health community what the month means to them. We will be posting the responses throughout the month, which ends May 31, 2023.
Today, we feature DrPH candidate Daryl Mangosing, MPH.
As a Filipino American born in Guam, UC Berkeley School of Public Health DrPH candidate Daryl Mangosing knows that the AAPI community is not a monolithic unit. Indeed, there are more than 50 ethnic groups within the AAPI category in the United States, all with different cultures, needs, and histories.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities are especially marginalized, Mangosing says, and public health professionals should strive to understand their unique needs.
“It is my hope personally that all AAPI folks also start to break their silence on pressing issues that are negatively impacting their lives,“ says Mangosing. “Our voices and stories play a vital role in driving public health efforts. And it is my hope that public health listens and takes action.”