Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025: Community Spotlight

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an opportunity to elevate the voices of Asian American Pacific Islander individuals within the osteopathic medical education community. Each year we invite our community to share reflections about what AAPI Heritage Month means to them and why they celebrate.

Honor and celebrate AAPI Heritage Month and beyond by  enjoying these books recommended by the osteopathic medical education community.

Rooted in Bayanihan, Growing in Medicine: The Filipino Spirit in Healthcare

By Philip Ordoñez, OMS II, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

I am on the path to becoming the first physician in my family, and I attribute much of my success to the foundation laid by those who came before me. My father was born in a small village in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States when he was just seventeen years old. In time, my grandparents, aunts and uncle also moved to the States, and together they helped lay a foundation for the next generation. Because of their hard work and sacrifices, my cousins and I have had the opportunity to reach even further. Read more.

Where I Come, From Where I'm Going: A Cambodian American Journey Through AAPI Heritage and Osteopathic Medicine in the Year of the Snake

By Michael Ny, OMS II, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Great Falls, Montana Campus (photo credit: Matt Ehnes).

Each year, the arrival of Cambodian New Year—Chaul Chnam Thmey—offers me a moment of joyful reflection. It takes me back to childhood mornings, when the scent of freshly lit incense would drift through our home—Mom’s quiet ritual to honor our ancestors. Celebrated in mid-April, it marks a time of renewal and remembrance for Cambodians around the world. Just weeks later, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month begins—a timely continuation of cultural recognition that deepens my reflection on what it means to carry the legacy of a community shaped by both pain and persistence. Read more.

Fluent in Compassion: Because Every Patient Deserves to Be Understood

By Joseph Song, OMS I, Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine

I’m a Korean American who came to the United States at the age of 14. My American journey began in Montgomery County, Maryland, where I attended high school while living with my older brother. Our parents visited only a few times a year, so we had to learn how to navigate life on our own at a young age. Read more.