Press Release

May 28, 2021 – In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we're celebrating by sharing stories and insights from associates across the supply chain. Recently, we sat down with Son Nguyen, Labor Planning Specialist for ADUSA Distribution.

Son was born in Vietnam and moved to the United States as a teenager.

"The Vietnamese culture puts a great value on family, hard work, and living within our means," he shared. "Maintaining a close relationship with family is very important. It is so important that we often live in the same neighborhood and sometimes in the same house."

Son said it's essential for his family to keep Vietnamese culture alive. There isn't a sizeable Vietnamese community where he lives, so he makes sure that he has regular interactions speaking Vietnamese with his family based in Maine and with family members living in Vietnam. Son has a 4-year-old daughter, Selina, and she is learning to speak and write in Vietnamese. He and his family also frequently visit Vietnamese temples in Charlotte, N.C.

The family also celebrates Vietnamese holidays like Tết – the Lunar New Year – and cultural observances like AAPI Heritage Month.

Son shared that the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as hate crimes and discrimination against the AAPI community continue to rise.

"My heart breaks," he said. "The xenophobia you see and hear of the Asian community on the news is eye opening. It is not ok. We must stand united together as an organization and one community to step up and look out for each other confronting discrimination in all its forms."

Son said he's grateful for the supply chain's work to increase diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) among associates and within communities. DEI teams, Communications teams and Business Resource Groups (BRGs) continue to showcase associates' AAPI culture through various features and events. As the former Chair of the AAPI BRG, Son's goal is to bring forward and celebrate AAPI cultures while providing learning opportunities where everyone in the company and local communities can benefit. He shared that everyone can support the AAPI community by getting involved, donating, participating in events or simply being an ally.

"We are Americans living here in the United States. We shouldn't be treated differently," he said. "Our goal is to live the American Dream and contribute to our society."