Diversity & Culture in the Asian Community

The month of May in the United States is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It is a special time to recognize the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the fabric of American society. The latest feature in my Diversity, Culture, & Equity series is an interview with Cindy Wilson, an accomplished speaker, author, and business professional from Jackson Mississippi who currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She is an alumna of Jackson State University where she obtained a Bachelor’s in Psychology & Master’s in Counseling. She later received her MBA from Belhaven College. She is committed to positively impacting her business organization through her focus on recruiting, mentoring, diversity, and inclusion. Cindy is passionate about serving others and dedicates her time volunteering at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and other organizations in Atlanta. She is a strong advocate for community and social issues.

During this 4/19/21 interview, speech/language pathologists, educators, administrators, and community supporters will hear her perspective about the significance of affirming and respecting the cultural identities of children and adolescents in the Asian community as well as others from diverse backgrounds. She shares ways that communities can work together to reduce racism and prejudice against Asian Americans and other nationalities in the United States. A few years ago, Cindy Wilson wrote a book about her life experience as a child born in Seoul, Korea who was adopted by an African American family. In the interview, she discusses her motivation for writing her book, Too Much Soul: The Journey of an Asian Southern Belle. This is a relevant interview for professionals who work with children and adolescents so that they can continue on their journey of being culturally responsive in their therapy and education practice. This is imperative so that children can acquire essential communication, language, literacy, socio-emotional, and life skills. You will learn the importance of fostering successful school environments when teaching children from Asian American or diverse cultural backgrounds. It is important to have increased collaboration across sectors such as corporations, non-profit, and education so that we can attain more culturally responsive and successful communities. We truly need solidarity across racial, ethnic, and cultural groups to advocate for anti-racist behavior and to continue building successful lives for children and families. We must also celebrate and respect the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Asian Americans.

You may learn more about Cindy Wilson’s lived experiences and transformational work in her community on her website www.toomuchsoul.com Learn ways to support the Asian American community at Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – San Francisco (apaheritage.org), https://asianpacificheritage.gov/, https://nea-apic.com/aapi-resources/, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta and Stop AAPI Hate .

It is my desire that all those who visit my website, read my blog, and use speech/language therapy materials that I create will self-reflect on the topics shared and purposefully use resources so that children and families will thrive.

All the best,

Tamara Anderson, M.S., Ed.S., CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Education Specialist & Consultant

Diversity & Equity Advocate

2 Comments

  • Jacqueline Anderson, PhD says:

    I Love this information and encourage everyone to read as well as listen to the interview. Next step is to put culturally responsive approaches into practice!

  • Barbara Taylor-Seymour says:

    Very informative!

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