5 ways AWS employees keep their Asian heritage alive

The most powerful piece of my Asian heritage that helps me feel most connected to my culture is my Bengali traditional clothes, which depict my cultural history and family traditions. For example, the dress combination of men’s Punjabi and women’s Saree is one of the most practiced things in my culture. Moreover, we wear these traditional clothes on our special occasions like weddings and Eid festivals. These are the lessons we got from our elders so that we never forget our roots.

I’ve seen my parents wearing Bengali traditional clothes since my childhood. Especially, they wear these traditional clothes during Eid, wedding, and Bengali new year events. Following our family traditions, my wife and I are also continuously trying to uphold our traditional cultures here in the USA, living 8,000 miles from Bangladesh. Wearing and showing our traditional clothes to the people makes us proud and brings joy in our inner self.

Do you ever find ways to incorporate this piece of heritage into your workday?

What’s the most powerful piece of your Asian heritage—such as cultural history, family traditions, lessons from your elders, etc.—that helps you feel most connected to your culture?
 
Traditions and culture tell a story about a home. Raised in a conservative family in India, family traditions played an important role in my life. It always keeps us on ground and reminds us of our roots. One such tradition is celebrating festivals together with the family, whether it is Holi, Diwali, Sankranti, or Ugadi, etc. We all celebrate them together by preparing delicious food, decorating our homes, making rangolis, doing henna, etc.

What is the history or backstory of this example within your family and how has do you incorporate it into your life?
 
One such festival, Diwali of lights, features a wide variety of dishes prepared over a five-day celebration. We decorate our puja rooms and homes to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. When I was a child, I used to help my mom arrange the lights (oil lamps) on the rangoli. My mom used to make rangoli, and I used to add colors of my choice to make it more messy and fun. My mom used to cook delicious snacks, and I used to taste them for her. This festival jogs my memory back to celebrating with my extended family and my grandmother telling her life stories to all the children. The best part about her stories is that they always have a positive message about life, irrespective of how many struggles you face. Always cherish what you have now. I always share these stories with my daughter, and she is always curious to learn about Indian culture.

Do you ever find ways to incorporate this piece of heritage into your workday?
 
It has given me immense pride and confidence. More importantly, I share with my team during our monthly meeting. I feel proud when I share some of the traditional food that I make at home with a few friends and colleagues here at AWS.

What’s the most powerful piece of your Asian heritage—such as cultural history, family traditions, lessons from your elders, etc.—that helps you feel most connected to your culture?

For me, the most powerful piece of my Indian heritage is pranayama. Pranayama is a breathing practice from ancient India that focuses on controlling the breath to improve physical and mental well-being. It involves techniques such as slow, deep breathing and breath retention, and can help reduce stress and increase relaxation.

What is the history or backstory of this example within your family and how has do you incorporate it into your life?

Growing up in India, I saw my grandparents and parents practice pranayama daily. I started copying them and practicing pranayama regularly. This regular routine has helped me feel more connected to my culture, as it is a reminder of the importance of mindfulness and self-care. Practicing pranayama has brought a sense of calm and tranquility to my daily life.

Do you ever find ways to incorporate this piece of heritage into your workday?

As part of my workday, I'm required to constantly seek feedback on proof of concepts for tooling and automation solutions, anticipate potential risks, and develop creative mitigation plans during the implementation phase. Seeking feedback and risk mitigation can be stressful, but regular pranayama practice helps me remain calm, focused, and level-headed in solving problems for customers and stakeholders. When faced with challenging situations, I close my eyes, take a slow deep breath in, and exhale slowly—a three-step process that helps me stay centered. 

What’s the most powerful piece of your Asian heritage—such as cultural history, family traditions, lessons from your elders, etc.—that helps you feel most connected to your culture?

My Vietnamese heritage is defined by cultural history, values, and family traditions. The resilience of the Vietnamese people who have overcome numerous challenges over the course of thousands of years is truly inspiring to me. One way my family preserves our culture is by celebrating Tết (Lunar New Year) each year and dressing in traditional clothes, eating traditional food, and participating in festivities. We also cook and eat Vietnamese dishes year-round. These values and traditions keep me rooted in my heritage.

My family's cultural history is tied to how my parents, who were Vietnam War refugees, settled in the U.S. They left their homeland, braving the Pacific Ocean on a fishing boat, and arrived in a new land where they had to start from scratch. Despite facing hardships during their voyage, they persevered. We pass these stories down to our children so they can remember and honor the sacrifices made by their elders.

What’s the most powerful piece of your Asian heritage—such as cultural history, family traditions, lessons from your elders, etc.—that helps you feel most connected to your culture?

During the holidays, we have a tradition with family and friends where we all gather together for a multi-cultured potluck or a restaurant trip. We bring foods from different cultures, or take a trip to an interesting restaurant we discovered. It’s always a great experience to see everyone’s expressions enjoying the food and tasting food for the first time. Sharing food is a great way to connect and learn about other cultures.

What is the history or backstory of this example within your family and how has do you incorporate it into your life?

My family immigrated from Vietnam in the 1980s. I am the first generation in my family born in the United States. I come from a Cambodian and Vietnamese background. My father was huge foodie and loved trying out new foods. I remember growing up in the United States and inviting friends over to try out food my family cooked. It was a great way to initiate conversations about culture and share experiences. I’ve followed in my father’s food steps of being a foodie. I love to travel and share different foods that I’ve encountered along the way.

Do you ever find ways to incorporate this piece of heritage into your workday?

Yes, last year our team in Houston had an awesome potluck where we brought food to share with each other from our culture and around the local area. The event was hit—lots of great conversations, and opportunity to learn about each other through food.