ASEAN AAPI Heritage Month: Diaspora, Small Businesses, and their Role in the Global Economy

Since the 1970s ASEAN American small business owners have played a vital role in the American economy. As generations of Southeast Asian Communities began to establish communities across the United States, cultural preservation and heritage played a vital role in maintaining a connection to the ASEAN region. In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, UAYPA will host an online webinar featuring:

• Gabrielle Sigler (Moderator): UAYPA Special Envoy, US Delegate to the ASEAN+ Summit
• Ratha Kim, Khmer-American small business owner of Rajana Threads. Rajana Threads is the first Khmer-American-owned fashion brand to promote authentic handwoven textiles, from local Cambodian artisans, through contemporary ready-to-wear designs.
• Angie Ang: Founder of Sarong Saturdays in Brunei Darussalam. Sarong Satudarys was a movement created in Brunei to encourage and spread knowledge to the younger generation about local Bruneian textiles, supporting local artisans, and embracing Bruenian culture.
• Kim Tan is on the Board of Directors for the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia. She focuses on fostering economic development in the Cambodian economy through the collaboration of US and Cambodian Businesses. Kim Tan  Chief Digital Strategy Officer for Prudential Cambodia Life Assurance Plc. She is leading the company’s strategic initiatives to make quality healthcare and insurance services more affordable and accessible to all Cambodians. Kim is responsible for delivering simple digital insurance products and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered healthcare services through Pulse by Prudential (Pulse), a health and wellness digital app.