{"id":14052,"date":"2026-05-19T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=14052"},"modified":"2026-05-18T10:58:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:58:44","slug":"learn-to-lead-inclusively-how-going-beyond-the-model-minority-is-transforming-the-pr-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/learn-to-lead-inclusively-how-going-beyond-the-model-minority-is-transforming-the-pr-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn to Lead Inclusively: How Going Beyond the Model Minority is Transforming the PR Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This May, I invite you all to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and all our current and rising AAPI public relations and communications professionals who navigate our fast-changing media landscape with innovation and resilience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, Asian Americans haven\u2019t dominated creative fields and often find it difficult to pursue creative careers because of the prevalence of the model minority myth \u2014 not only within Asian cultures but also rooted in society and the media as a whole. We are told to become doctors, lawyers or business professionals. We are told our drawings, crafts and artistic ideas are hobbies and won\u2019t make us any money. With limited Asian representation in the public relations and communications field, it can be even harder to find the courage to continue proving that we deserve a seat at the table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the power of the voiceless should never be underestimated. Today, many AAPI individuals are trailblazing paths to show younger Asian American generations that there is a place for them in the fast-evolving chaos of media, public relations and communications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon Mee Kim dedicated over a decade of her career to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on a global scale at top PR agencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Imada co-founded IW Group, a minority-owned and operated agency that specializes in growing multicultural markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goldie Chan is an up-and-coming leader who founded the Los Angeles-based social media strategy agency Warm Robots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the individual who has shaped my path toward becoming a successful PR practitioner the most is my mentor for the Indiana University Media School Ernie Pyle Scholars Class of 2026 cohort, Dr. Minjeong Kang. She has received international recognition through leading peer-reviewed journals for her research in the public relations field, and I am immensely grateful to have a professor who teaches with inclusion and empathy, as well as a mentor with whom I can relate to with identity struggles on a professional level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amazing part about PR and communications is that it is not limited to one demographic. There is an endless number of current and upcoming professionals from different backgrounds and experiences who can create PR strategies that resonate across audiences and cultures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you don\u2019t need to be part of a minority group in order to dedicate yourself to striving for inclusion and equality for all. The next time you are crafting strategies, campaigns or creative work, ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n