Exchange Unveils Truck Wrap, Publishes Vacation Guide for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
AAFES Asian/Pacific Exchange (AAPEX), an Exchange special emphasis group, and PXs/BXs worldwide are honoring the cultures, service and sacrifice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and inspiring exploration throughout May to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
On May 5, AAPEX unveiled a truck wrap at Fort Hood with a special performance including members of the AAPI community—highlighting the Exchange’s desire to be the employer of choice for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Exchange’s Corporate Communication and Brand Marketing teams created truck wraps for each group; the AAPEX wrap was ready just in time for AAPI Heritage month.
The truck wrap features an ApplyMyExchange.com callout to encourage passers-by who relate to the message to join the team. The truck wrap unveiling was followed by a traditional dance showcase in the Fort Hood PX’s Clear Creek mall.
“Being a global company, it’s important for us to reach out and recognize diversity in every aspect,” said Fort Hood Exchange Acting General Manager Adam Shaw. “In addition to the unveiling of the truck wrap, we had dancers and performers in the mall to recognize the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and their influence.”
Exchange stores worldwide celebrated the month with special performances, events and more.
Military shoppers at the Fort Carson PX learned to hula dance on May 14, and associates at the Shaw Air Force Base BX served authentic Asian snacks to shoppers May 20.
“It was a fantastic event,” said Colorado Springs Consolidated Exchange General Manager Chris Holifield. “It gives us great pride to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”
Associates wanting a taste of the culture can browse AAPEX’s travel guide featuring the top places to visit in Asia, curated by AAPEX’s program managers Antra Pande and Masuma Tiwana, with input from Vice President of Administration Tom Ockenfels.
“Food and travel bring people together,” Pande said. “Travel is a window into the culture. There are beautiful places to visit, and we wanted to showcase those places.”
The guide, featured in the May EEODI Digest and on the Exchange portal, spotlights the “Top 11 Places to Visit in Asia,” including South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Guam and more. Associates can plan their next vacation with AAPEX’s tips on best times to visit and what to eat.
“We started by looking at places where the Exchange is located, places we’d like to go and highlighted our personal cultures in Lahore, Pakistan and Agra, India,” Tiwana said. “We did a lot of research online to create the content. We want to continue to add new places to the guide each year.”
AAPEX is one of the Exchange’s eight Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity and Inclusion special emphasis programs. Its mission is to enhance awareness of Asian Pacific culture, promote professional development and ensure that the Exchange is the employer of choice for Asian and Pacific Island Americans. Jesse Martinez, Central Region senior vice president, and Ockenfels are executive champions for the group.
Celebrate with us!
View store celebrations on Flickr here.
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