AAPI Heritage Month

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month this May, we want to take the time to reflect on the significant contributions and achievements AAPI Americans have made — and continue to make — to our country, our communities and Best Buy.

This observance comes at a time that has been significantly difficult for the AAPI community, with anti-Asian hate crimes on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now, it’s more important than ever to share and celebrate the voices of the AAPI community.

We’re proud to highlight four AAPI leaders who shared how their family, culture and experiences have shaped who they are today.

Since he was young, Paul Asao has always loved beautiful things.

He credits this to the creatives in his life who showed him how to express a passion for arts, including his mother, Rose. She was a talented artist who used art, including sumi-e paintings (Japanese ink painting) and calligraphy, to honor her Japanese American heritage. 

Now as a creative director for Best Buy Creative Services, Paul is constantly creating and using art to tell the Best Buy story. 

“A close friend of mine in the advertising industry once told me, ‘Never stop doing what you like or want to do,’” Paul said.

If you’ve met Jen Teves, you’ve met her grandmother, Vicenta. The two were so close that Jen can see how her grandmother, who died in 2011, shows up in her day-to-day life.

When Vicenta, a teacher in the Philippines, taught Jen math as a child, she wasn’t allowed to have calculators or count on her fingers. She would put her hands behind her back and work the problems out in her head.

Jen, a research director at Best Buy, still uses these skills and others her grandmother taught her.