Understanding the Complexity of the Asian American Pacific Islander Experience

  • “Finally, a course that talks about how complex it is to be a member of the AAPI group.”
  • “For people who want to learn more about friends and colleagues, and also for AAPI people.”
  • “Hideko Akashi speaks with a deep understanding and compassion from her own experience. Authentic and powerful.”

When we say AAPI, who and what are we talking about? How can we better understand the complexities of the AAPI experience?Ā 

These are just some of the questions that Hideko Akashi answers in her masterclass, Understanding the Complexity of the Asian American Pacific Islander Experience.Ā 

This course will help you gain awareness and understanding of the challenges and resilience within the AAPI community and inspire you to promote greater inclusion and empathy in your workplace and society. Hideko, a seasoned consultant residing in San Francisco, talks about the complex history and diverse experiences of Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. Through videos and activities, sheĀ imparts invaluable insights drawn from her personal journey as a member of the AAPI community. Through a series of lessons, videos and interactive activities, participants delve into five key themes, gaining a richer understanding of the multifaceted AAPI narrative.

“I created this course to help you gain deeper insight and awareness of the issues impacting the AAPI community. By sharing my story, my goal is to bring these issues closer to home and foster greater understanding and empathy.” ā€“ Hideko AkashiĀ 

This master class comes out of Hideko Akashi’s experiences, lessons learned and vision for what today’s employees and organizations need and want to learn about the AAPI experience.

 

A Bronze award certificate with a green border and text that describes the award for eLearning excellence for SunShower Learning
Photo of Akashi Hideko with title of the course, Understanding the Complexity of the Asian American Pacific Islander Experience

Explore the diversity of the AAPI community

Hideko Akashi - Founder, Liberation Consulting

Hideko Akashi is the founder and lead consultant for Liberation Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in the educational sector, Hideko has challenged individuals and institutions to think critically about issues of diversity, privilege, social justice, inclusion and equity.

Beginning with her introspective journey, Hideko leverages her personal experiences to acknowledge her belonging to historically included groups as well as her multiple targeted identities. Through this, she facilitates individuals’ self-exploration.
She believes in self and social transformation, emphasizing that institutions can play a pivotal role in fostering positive shifts in organizational culture, thereby nurturing environments that are genuinely equitable and inclusive. She discusses, when we say AAPI, who and what are we talking about? People from 50+ countries are included in the AAPI category, d
efinitions, terminology and acronyms and many more. topics.Ā 

This course will give your employees a deeper understanding and greater empathy about the opportunities and issues impacting the AAPI community. Hideko Akashi sharesĀ  her perspectives on:

  • Immigration
  • Assimilation
  • Invisibility
  • The Model Minority Myth
  • Internalization

Why does your organization need Hideko’s course now?

image from the course of Hideko Akashi.

The Learning objectives for Hideko’s course:

  • Develop deeper cultural awareness and empathy.
  • Critically analyze the Model Minority Myth and its impact on AAPI communities.
  • Understand the historical immigration patterns of Asian American Pacific Islanders to the US and their impact on contemporary communities.
  • Explore cultural assimilation’s influence on Asian American Pacific Islandersā€™ identities and societal integration.
  • Gain skills in identifying, understanding and challenging historical stereotypes about Asian American Pacific Islanders.
  • Recognize the importance of intersectionality.
  • Recognize the challenges of AAPI invisibility in media, politics and leadership roles.

“My hope is that you come away with a deeper appreciation of the rich tapestry of identities and ethnicities that exist within the AAPI community, the diversity of peopleā€™s immigrant experiences and the importance of disaggregating data. Ā There is a lot that can be misunderstood or assumed about AAPI folks, and I hope that this course has shed some light on these issues.” ā€“ Hideko Akashi

License the eLearning course

Install the SCORM file in your LMS

  • Scalable and trackable
  • 24/7 on-demand
  • Consistent content
  • Install on your LMS
  • Completion certificate
  • Customizable

The Understanding the Complexity of the AAPI Experience eLearning course has been created with Articulate Storyline 360 with utmost care for accessibility, user experience and accurate performance on all LMS platforms. If your organization doesn’t have an LMS, we will host the course for you. Give your employees support to learn more about the AAPI community now.

Get a quote. Use the form to find out about licensing, pricing and the incredible support we provide once you’ve installed the course on your LMS.Ā  If you don’t have an internal LMS, we will host the course for you on the SunShower LMS.


Subscribe to the Trainer’s Toolbox

Use our videos to conduct your training

Your subscription to the Understanding the Complexity of the AAPI Experience Trainerā€™s Toolbox gives you access to all the materials so that you can conduct as many instructor-led training sessions as you like during your one-year subscription. You can utilize the link to stream the videos for your in-person or virtual sessions (on Teams or Zoom). Please note – only the facilitator will have access to this link ā€” it cannot be accessed by individual learners.

TheĀ Trainerā€™s ToolboxĀ provides all the materials needed to lead your course, including videos, slide deck and handouts. 24/7 access. No more lost DVDs or USBs. When you click “Subscribe now”, you’ll purchase the subscription and be enrolled. Then, you can send us a list of trainers to be enrolled. At the end of the one-year subscription, you’ll have the opportunity to subscribe for a new year, it is not automatic.

  • Never lose a DVD or USB again
  • 24/7 on-demand
  • Train in-person or virtual
  • Zoom / Teams-friendly
  • Create custom sessions
  • Use any browser and OS
  • Unlimited usage in term
Clear

Read this beautiful profile of Hideko Akashi by SunShower’s Gina Miller

Embracing Individuality in a Binary World
How Hideko Akashiā€™s Liberating Journey of Identity Development Led to Her Lifeā€™s Work
By Gina Miller

Identity development is an intricate and lifelong process that shapes oneā€™s understanding of who they are, what they value and where they belong in the world. It is a journey of self-discovery, self-definition and self-acceptance. Along the way, individuals are often forced to navigate bumps in the road while working to create a life that aligns with their core values, beliefs and aspirations. In our traditionally binary world, the journey can be especially treacherous for individuals who exist outside societal norms. For Hideko Akashi, founder and lead consultant at Liberation Consulting, the process of identity development, replete with all of its challenges, has fostered self-confidence, resilience and a clear understanding of her purpose in life.

Liberation from social constraints

Drawing upon over 20 years of experience in the educational sector, Hideko has challenged individuals and institutions to think critically about issues of diversity, privilege, social justice, inclusion and equity. But it took a great deal of self-reflection to discover her true self amidst the influence of societal conditioning. From a young age, Hideko was shaped by the norms, expectations and values of society. Becoming aware of and then liberating herself from social conditioning was essential in order to authentically explore her identity, uncover her passions and embrace personal growth.

Continue Reading by downloading the PDF below.Ā 

Click to download the profile

FAQ: Training formats, technical details and licensing

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In what formats is your training offered?
We offer our training programs in three formats:
ā€¢ Self-Paced Online Learning – asynchronous e-Learning course
ā€¢ Trainerā€™s Toolbox – provides access to our videos, Leaderā€™s Guide, PowerPoint files and handouts
ā€¢ Interactive Live Webinars – SunShower experts deliver training in customized workshops on Zoom
What is Self-Paced Online Learning?
The streaming video course includes the video and offers a bit more information and experience for learners. Itā€™s still short – just 15 minutes! The course has a 10-question quiz at the end and offers a downloadable completion certificate.

With a 1-year license, you can add this SCORM 1.2 course to your Learning Management System and offer it to your employees inside your own training ecosystem. You can train a handful of people or thousands. Select the level of usage you anticipate and purchase here, or book 20 minutes with Joel Lesko, SunShowerā€™s Producer/President, to craft a custom license.

What is the Trainerā€™s Toolbox and how does it work?
The Trainerā€™s Toolbox is designed to replace DVDs and USBs. No more, ā€œWhoā€™s got the USB?ā€ or ā€œUh-oh, we lost itā€. All the materials that used to reside on a DVD or USB are now easily accessible from the SunShower Learning website, ready for you whenever you conduct a training. The Trainerā€™s Toolbox can be used for in-person or virtual training sessions, regardless of your computerā€™s operating system. You can play the videos full-screen and and present on Teams, Zoom and other virtual platforms.

Your subscription includes full access to the videos as well as a downloadable Leaderā€™s Guide, PowerPoint files and PDF handouts. And, pricing is flexible, based on team size: small (1-5 facilitators), medium (6-14 facilitators) or large (15-29 facilitators). Upon subscribing, youā€™ll receive an email from our website with the link and login credentials.

How is the Self-Paced Online Learning course different from the Trainerā€™s Toolbox?
The online course is designed for individual, self-paced use by logging into your own learning management system (LMS) or accessing SunShowerā€™s online LMS. In contrast, the Trainerā€™s Toolbox is a set of resources (videos, a Leaderā€™s Guide, PowerPoint files and handouts) for you and/or your team of trainers to use to conduct your own instructor-led training ā€“ in-person or on virtual platforms like Zoom.
Are your online courses accessible?
Accessibility is not just about captions. We are committed to the highest values of accessibility. To achieve that, our roadmap includes not only the basics – transcripts, captions, alt text, and many more features – but also the Extended Audio Description (AD) and other critical corrections. Inclusion is built into every aspect of our work. Each course is at a different stage of development.