AARP Hearing Center
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, to honor the rich history and accomplishments of AAPIs throughout the history of the United States. AARP is proud to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with articles that showcase AAPI accomplishments and culture.
In the second article of our series, we revisit some of the most inspirational quotes from well-known Asian Americans.
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education:
“One of the things that my experience has taught me is that if you are trained as a scientist in your youth — through your high school and college — if you stay with the STEM disciplines, you can learn pretty much all of the subjects as you move along in life. And your scientific disciplines play a very important role, and ground you very well as you move into positions of higher and higher authority, whatever the job is. It’s very hard to learn science later on in life. One of the pleas I would have for most young people today is, ‘stay with STEM as long as you can.’ ”
Chef Martin Yan on if he'll retire:
"People always say, why don’t you retire? If I enjoy what I’m doing, why should I retire? I went to see Lionel Richie. This guy is about 70 years old. Still singing and jumping around! All these entertainers and actors and Supreme Court justices. If you feel that you’re making a contribution and enjoy what you do, why retire?"
Tech guru Guy Kawasaki on entrepreneurs who fell into the trap of hiring people just like them:
“I think that leads to weakness. We need different genders, ethnicity, sexual orientation, races, creeds, colors ... you name it. Instead, hire to complement. If you’re good at engineering, hire someone who can sell. If you’re good for selling, hire someone who can make the product.”
Broadcast journalist Ann Curry on her 2012 exit from NBC's Today show:
"I'm not going to say it wasn't hard. But I had to let go. And I learned that when you not only let go, but open your arms wide and learn the lessons, that an experience — no matter how bad — can teach you. That's when you rise."
More on AAPI Heritage Month
Influential Asian American & Pacific Islander Movies
In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, a look at noteworthy cinema