DEI@Cadence: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Spotlight

Written by Emma Salom, Program Management Director at CEO Office; Yichen Qiu, Software Engineer in DSG R&D; and Claire Ying, Sr Group Director in SVG R&D and AAPI Inclusion Group lead, Cadence.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not just words but values that are exemplified through our culture at Cadence. In the DEI@Cadence blog series, you’ll find a community where employees share their perspectives and experiences. By providing a glimpse of their personal stories, we celebrate our One Cadence—One Team culture and the importance of sustaining it as we learn from diverse perspectives.

During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI), we are excited to highlight our incredibly talented AAPI-identifying employees. AAPI Heritage Month is a time to celebrate, reflect on, and appreciate the amazing impact the Asian and Pacific Islander community has had on our history, culture, and achievements. At Cadence, we deeply value our Asian American and Pacific Islander employees and the vital role they play in our organization and society.

Navigating Identity and Embracing My Filipino Heritage

I'm Emma Salom, Program Management Director at the CEO's Office. I grew up with a torn cultural identity. As a child of young immigrants from the Philippines to the United States, my life became a regular battle between my American roots, Filipino upbringing, and Filipino-American identity. While the duality of my upbringing brought challenges, it shaped the person I am today and the work I’m passionate about at Cadence.

When I was still an infant, my young parents immigrated to the United States with a dream of a future better and brighter than the ones destined for them back home. In this, my parents gave me a generally typical American upbringing. While life in the United States had its trials, it was a life that had a familiarity. However, when I was twelve, life changed as I knew it. My parents informed me that they would be separating; my mother would stay in America while my dad took my sisters and me back to the Philippines. This meant I would leave the life I knew behind for a foreign land worldwide.

Arriving in the Philippines, I felt an immediate sense of disconnection. First, the heat and humidity embraced you like a warm hello. Then there was the array of noises—intense car honking, vendors yelling left and right, and jovial chatter coming from all directions. Manila had an expeditious way of telling me I wasn’t in San Jose anymore.

One of my biggest challenges was the language barrier. I couldn’t speak an ounce of Tagalog. Although my parents are fluent, they didn’t prioritize passing down the language. English was spoken to children at home, and Tagalog was reserved for adults. After moving to Manila, I would be constantly reminded of this shortcoming. Simple conversations were complex, everyday interactions felt like obstacles, and school lessons became a battleground for relentless teasing. Then, there was the mental barrier. Even as people of my ethnicity surrounded me, I felt like an alien. The cultural nuances magnified my “otherness”: whether through the small gaps in Filipino history or the way I couldn’t roll my rs, I felt a bubble of foreignness that I couldn’t help but single me out. In these first months in the land of my supposed cultural heritage, I never felt more alone.

Determined to bridge this gap, I immersed myself in embracing this new community and its culture. I voraciously practiced Tagalog with family members, consumed Filipino media, and found friends who embraced this journey with me. While I could not control the country I lived in or the past, I was determined to control my present and how I navigated my future.

After graduating from university in the Philippines, I secured a job in the United States as a writer. This allowed me to rediscover my American identity while embracing my Filipino heritage. I could hold on to the communal values and traditions that shaped me in the Philippines while acclimating to the fast-paced, independent culture in the US.

How This Journey Has Shaped My Career

It is only in retrospect that I am able to appreciate the arduous cultural journey I had taken. In struggling with belonging, I learned the importance of independence and confidence. In experiencing first-hand the trials of immigrants, I developed a deep empathy for my non-native speaker coworkers navigating complex material in a foreign language. The unique journey I've been on has greatly influenced what I’m passionate about today. In fact, in writing this story about my challenges with language, it’s no surprise now that I chose to be a writer and technical communicator for over a decade. In struggling to find my place in a new land, I can now understand why I’m so passionate about the work we do with our employee resource groups and mentoring programs. I know what it feels like to be new, to seek connection, and to feel like I belong.

Here are some recent posts where I share a bit about my DEI-B related work at Cadence: a blog post about transforming culture through volunteerism, a LinkedIn Post where we helped a volunteer make her project called “Shadow a Female Engineer Day” a reality, a LinkedIn Post where I had the honor to moderate a panel talk with our Employee Resource Group leads, and a LinkedIn Post of our global Women’s Conference where Female Leaders from Across the company host a platform for celebration, learning, networking, and impact.

Bi-Cultural Identity

This bicultural identity has also given me a unique perspective on raising my daughter. Which language do we speak at home? Will she have a big 18^th birthday party (called a “Filipino Debut”) or will she have a Sweet 16? Do we celebrate Christmas on December 24 (called a “Noche Buena”) or on Christmas morning?

The beauty of this journey is that I have been able to shape my life around the values I now know are most crucial: a life filled with love, family, community and, most importantly, belonging. While building this stable life has its challenges, I believe that keeping our Filipino heritage alive and well is important in creating an inclusive and empathetic world. These values fuel the way I parent, inform the programs and initiatives I take on, and the way I approach my work at Cadence.

Yichen Qiu

Cultural Shift in My Life

I am Yichen Qiu, Software Engineer from the DSG group's Innovus Team. I joined Cadence in August 2023 as a new graduate from Cornell University's Master of Engineering program in Computer Science. Before that, I obtained my bachelor's degree at UNC (University of North Carolina) Chapel Hill, majoring in Computer Science and Statistics.

I was born and raised in mainland China, and transitioning to a US college represented a significant shift in my educational and cultural experience. In China, schools emphasize memorization and discipline, whereas US colleges promote critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression. Adapting to this new environment meant embracing independence, managing time effectively, and navigating a diverse community.

During my five years in U.S. schools, I immersed myself in various cultures and formed friendships with people from American, British, Indian, Korean, and other backgrounds. Additionally, I actively engaged with the Asian community by joining the Chinese Student Association and participating in events such as Lunar New Year celebrations and dumpling-making workshops. These experiences allowed me to celebrate diversity, foster understanding, and contribute my unique perspective to campus life.

My Favorite Cultural Traditional Festival

One of my favorite traditional festivals is the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated across East Asia, including China. It typically falls on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, bringing families and friends together for festive reunions under the fullest and brightest moon. The enjoyment of mooncakes, symbolizing unity and completeness, adds to the festival's significance. I adore the Mid-Autumn Festival for its blend of cultural richness, familial bonds, and tranquil beauty, which fosters a deep sense of belonging.

Volunteering at the AAPI Committee

Now, I'm thrilled to be a part of the AAPI committee and eager to make a positive impact through our activities and events. This includes acknowledging and supporting individuals facing challenges. Additionally, I believe the AAPI group can enhance its efforts by amplifying underrepresented voices and perspectives within its programming and leadership. I also want to help strengthen our outreach efforts to engage a broader range of employees, including those outside the Asian and Pacific Islander communities, and to promote allyship and collaboration in advancing diversity and inclusion within the company.