The month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. As GOJO strives towards our DEI Vision - Team GOJO is powered by abundant diversity. All of us bring our full, authentic selves to the pursuit of our GOJO Purpose – we are making progress on our journey by listening, being curious, and learning from each other’s stories.
I had the honor of sitting down with Elaine Tso, CEO of Asian Services in Action (ASIA), Hsa Myint Win, a rising star in the Community and Civic Engagement Department at ASIA, and his mother, Hsa Dar Win, an Integrity Staffing team member working at GOJO. Here is their story.
Tell me a bit about you and your mother.
Hsa Myint Win: My mother was born in Burma, now Myanmar. She is the oldest of seven children. Because of the violence in Myanmar, my mother fled to a refugee camp in Thailand, where I was born in 1999. In 2011, we resettled in the United States and moved to Akron in 2015. My mom has worked many jobs in the agriculture industry and spent many years at Case Farms before starting work at GOJO last month.
Hsa Dar Win: I enjoy working at GOJO because I feel I belong. I work with many others that look like me, including many team members from Laos.
As our nation recognizes Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, what do you want people to know?
Hsa Myint Win: We all belong. We all have stories. We can all be part of our communities. A big part of my story is that because I was a refugee, I didn’t have a country before becoming a citizen of the United States in 2019. I remember being sworn in as a U.S. citizen feeling like I finally belonged to a country.
Pictured: Hsa Myint Win, Hsa Dar Win, and Elaine Tso in front of a mural at Asian Services in Action in Akron. The mural shows the word "vote" in many different languages. Photo Credit: Anna Chen
I know there is a misperception where people assume that Asian Americans are all the same?
Elaine Tso: I’m so glad you asked this question because, as Asian Americans, we are not all the same. When Hsa Myint Win and I work in the community, people assume we have the same ethnicity. Hsa is Ka’Ren and I am Chinese and Filipino. We all have different ethnicities, cultures, languages, stories, and customs. My advice is to be curious about someone’s culture and ask open questions, like “What is your heritage?” “Tell me about your culture – what are the foods you like to cook or eat.” “Tell me about the music you like to listen to or your community traditions.”
What services does ASIA provide to our community?
Elaine Tso: Since 1995, ASIA has supported our Asian American, Pacific Islander, immigrant, and refugee community through healthcare, social services, and advocacy for nearly 60,000 people. ASIA is the largest health and human services agency serving the AAPI community in Northeast Ohio. We run two federally qualified health centers in Akron and Cleveland. Akron and Cleveland have seen over 1,000 newly arrived Afghan refugees since September of 2021. More refugees will be coming to Northeast Ohio from Ukraine later this year. We will be there to help them through their unique obstacles and challenges, such as healthcare services, social services, and language barriers.
How can GOJO team members and the community connect with ASIA if they want to get involved?
Elaine Tso: To learn more about what we do and how to get involved, go to www.asiaohio.org. We also have our International Community Festival on June 10 and 11 at 370 East Market Street in Akron. There will be cultural performances, food, and activities for all.