Business Resource Groups (BRGs) like Bayer Asian Society Inclusion Alliance (BASIA) are a vital part of Bayer’s inclusion and diversity strategy. They are voluntary, company-sponsored and employee-led groups who work together to promote inclusion within Bayer and provide a multicultural lens to our engagement with customers and the communities in which we operate. 

The Hawaii chapter of BASIA will be honoring the culture and heritage of its employees throughout Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) month.

To spread the word about BASIA, AANHPI and several upcoming events, Jean Ernst of Bayer Oahu Farm and Aurora Esmaquel of Bayer Maui Farm recently spoke with Rick Hamada of Sustaining Hawaii. In their conversation they highlighted how BASIA is working to honor the rich histories and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander employees.

“As we were forming our chapter, our goal was to basically showcase what Hawaii is about -- the rich cultural heritage that we have,” Jean explains. “We wanted to share that with not just our company, but also to the entire world because as you know, Bayer is global. So anything that we put out there is going to be seen, heard or viewed by a lot of employees and their families.”

As it marks its first anniversary on May 27, BASIA Hawaii is also celebrating the massive growth they’ve seen in that short time. “When we started this last year, we were 10 members,” Aurora shares. “But now we have over 100 members, and we're still increasing our membership.”

The goal of BASIA’s efforts for AANHPI month is to elevate culture, embrace differences and highlight the things we all share. “Throughout May we're showcasing cultural spotlights for our members and our employees. We've asked everybody from different sites to share their cultural backgrounds, and we've been featuring those every week,” Jane explains. “And we've been getting a lot of positive feedback because we're learning of cultural differences and things that are the same as well.”

In addition to sharing these weekly features, the group hosted a virtual event on May 24 for the entire US Bayer population, themed “Celebrate our Journey Together.” BASIA is preparing for the 53^rd annual Barrio Fiesta on May 27 and 28 at the Filipino Community Center on Maui. This annual event honors Filipino heritage and the history of Filipino Americans in Hawaii. “Bayer is a sponsor, and we are excited that we get the chance to tell people that Bayer is part of the community, because it has this rich diversity of employees,” Aurora says. In addition to being a sponsor, Bayer employees will be on site at the event.

“We are coming from all different backgrounds, but as we tell our story, we share our culture through these events,” Aurora adds. “It brings to light that we are not much different. We have all these common values that we share and it keeps us connected. Hawaii is an example of that. That’s what our chapter's mission and vision is -- to showcase Hawaii as a place of harmony and diversity.”

For more information about BASIA click here.