Standing Together to Build a Brighter World
As teammates, we can create a more respectful and inclusive world
During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the ingenuity, innovation and leadership of our Asian American and Pacific Islander teammates. Since 1916, when Boeing hired its first engineer, Wong Tsoo, a Chinese innovator who helped design Boeing’s first production airplane, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have continued to revolutionize and propel our company — and aerospace — forward.
This year, in addition to recognizing the achievements of our teammates, we also acknowledge that this community has faced increased xenophobia, discrimination and violence in the wake of COVID-19. There is no place for racism in our society, and we do not tolerate it at Boeing. We extend our support to all those who have experienced the pain and fear of discrimination — and we step forward together, as allies, to speak out against it.
In fact, we recently announced a donation of $1.1 million to organizations working to combat anti-Asian hate and promote justice, advance appreciation for AAPI history and culture, and fund community service projects and leadership development programs in communities across the United States.
This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and year-round, we empower all teammates to stand together against hate to build a brighter world.
Building a Culture of Inclusion for All
At Boeing, we know it’s our responsibility to create a safe, inclusive environment where all teammates feel valued, respected and supported to reach their full potential. We are committed to confronting discrimination, inequities and injustice and accelerating equity, diversity and inclusion for all.
We have denounced anti-Asian backlash associated with COVID-19 in issuing an action agenda in partnership with Ascend and other global businesses and nonprofits. We continue to reinforce our zero-tolerance stance against racism and hateful acts. We are also equipping employees to confront bias and seek out potential issues of concern with a new science-backed training, Seek, Speak & Listen. Through these habits, we will build an environment where all teammates feel safe to speak up and listen to one another with openness and curiosity, and we will strengthen our global team and improve business outcomes.
Boeing is also committed to improving the diversity of our Pan-Asian employee pipeline for generations to come. In April 2021, we published our diversity metrics for the first time in our company’s history to transparently share our representation numbers and measure progress toward a more equitable, inclusive Boeing. The 2021 Global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report highlights our aspirations and actions to close representation gaps for historically underrepresented groups, including employees of Asian descent, and build a culture of inclusion.
Today, Pan-Asian Americans represent the largest racial minority at Boeing in the United States. Like many companies, we have work to do to support the advancement of our Pan-Asian talent into leadership positions. We strive for progress by evaluating ourselves; evolving how we attract, recruit and select talent; and building a more inclusive culture. Learn more about our equity, diversity and inclusion efforts in the 2021 Global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report.
Employee-Led Groups Promote Pan-Asian Culture and Career Development
Our employee-led Business Resource Group Boeing Asian and Pacific Association (BAPA) connects thousands of employees who are passionate about their connection to and/or support of Asian cultures and the importance of those cultures to our business. BAPA programming helps members advance their professional goals; identify mentorship and leadership opportunities; celebrate the richness and diversity of Asian culture; and engage in company outreach as community advocates, brand ambassadors and leaders. BAPA also helps employees reach their full leadership potential with its Leadership and Development (LEAD) program. Through LEAD, BAPA paves the way for leadership growth, visibility and career development opportunities for our employees.
Our strong partnership with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers also helps recruit STEM professionals of Asian descent and prepare them for success.
Pan-Asian teammates making a difference across Boeing
Brandon Gene Kamanaonhiky DeCoito
Product review engineer Brandon applies his traditional Hawaiian values of understanding and respect at Boeing, where he works alongside mechanics to solve product issues.
Read Brandon's Story
Patty Chang-Chien
Patty, a functional chief engineer, works with leadership to strengthen people and processes companywide. She discusses how stressful times have made communication more important.
Read Patty's Story
Minnie Kim
Minnie, an avionics systems engineer, stresses the importance of recognizing the sacrifices and courage of those who’ve immigrated to give their families better lives.
Read Minnie's Story
Rupinder S. Aulakh
Rupinder was the first person in his Sikh family to cut his hair. But after 20 years, he returned to his roots and now helps Boeing teammates better understand different cultures.
Read Rupinder's Story
Angela Chen
A first-generation Chinese American, Angela helps foster diversity and inclusion within Boeing and the Pan-Asian community.
Read Angela's Story
Jacky-Vy Chau
Named 2020 Asian American Most Promising Engineer of the Year by the Chinese Institute of Engineers – USA, Jacky-Vy shares how feeling like an outsider shaped his life and career.
Read Jacky-Vy's Story
Sanh Ha
Sanh, a design engineer who is deaf, flew aboard a 777-9 test flight in 2020. He now works to knock down barriers so other deaf and hard of hearing employees can do the same.
Read Sanh's Story
Veronika Andrews
Veronika, who is Indonesian American, created unique artwork to showcase her heritage and commitment to educating teammates about Asian American and Pacific Islander issues.
Read Veronika's Story
Christine Vasko
Christine fell in love with aviation while flying to India as a child. Now she serves on a task force to help create a company where all employees can thrive in their aerospace careers.
Read Christine's Story
Dave Anana
A 25-year Boeing veteran, Dave offers advice on finding gateways to cultural inclusivity at work and in life.
Read Dave's Story
Li Chang
Li, a Boeing Technical Fellow, believes that creativity and technical knowledge work together to build cognitive diversity. He shares how cultural diversity works the same way.
Read Li's Story
Luizane Chiv
Luizane, a quality assurance specialist, describes how a discriminatory experience fueled her to reach out to quiet voices and to speak up and take action when needed.
Read Luizane's Story
Ngoc Le
Quality specialist Ngoc describes the importance of empowerment to speak up and seek community support.
Read Ngoc's Story
Roy Yang
Roy returned to his native China to lead the engineering team in Zhoushan. His management approach includes introducing an ask-for-help culture.
Read Roy's Story
Tien Mullen
For Tien, immigrating to the U.S. — fortuitously aboard the Queen of the Skies — led to her career at Boeing and opportunities to mentor future women in STEM.
Read Tien's Story
Shazaer Yusef
At work, Shazaer makes improvements in additive manufacturing. Through advocacy and volunteering, he makes a difference for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Read Shazaer's Story
Min Choi
As a contract representative, Min sees the importance of cultural awareness in building not only better customer relationships but also understanding and inclusion.
Read Min's Story
Paul Segura
From drawing boards to digital, Paul reflects on the changes both he and his father witnessed in their combined 66 years with Boeing and McDonnell Douglas.
Read Paul's Story
Yeong Tae “YT” Pak and Jason Pak
Father and son share common ground in service, throughout both military and Boeing careers.
Read Their Story
Asian and Pacific Islander Contributions Have Built Boeing
In 1916, William Boeing hired his fledgling company’s first engineer, Wong Tsoo, a Chinese innovator who had just graduated from MIT. Asked to work on the design for a seaplane suitable for Navy training duties, Wong helped create a two-seat biplane with innovations tested in the MIT wind tunnel.
On the morning of Nov. 23, 1916, the Model C took off from Seattle's Lake Union and flew into aviation history. A few months later, Navy pilots tested it and pronounced it the best biplane they'd ever seen. The Navy bought 50 Model Cs for $575,000 (worth nearly $10 million in today's dollars) — the contract that, according to historian Robert J. Serling, “put Boeing into business for good.”
In the decades since, employees of Asian descent have revolutionized and propelled our company forward with innovations, leadership and engineering ingenuity in aerospace.
