Ad Age is marking Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 with our Honoring Creative Excellence package. (Read the introduction here.) Today, our guest editor Bing Chen turns the spotlight to Prabal Gurung, the celebrated fashion designer. Here, Gurung writes about about “a powerful symbol of recognition for the entire Asian Pacific diaspora.”

As a co-founder and board member of Gold House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to investing in and promoting Asian Pacific leadership and cultural representation, I was proud to be part of the team that lit up the Empire State Building on May 3 to mark the beginning of AANHPI Heritage Month. But as a Nepali immigrant and fashion designer who has dressed some of the first ladies of the United States, quite a few leading ladies of the silver screen and many everyday superheroes, I was especially proud to be the first Nepali to have this honor.

This momentous occasion meant more than just a personal accomplishment for me. It was a powerful symbol of recognition for the entire Asian Pacific diaspora, who have been marginalized and invisible for far too long. For a few fleeting moments, the Empire State Building stood tall and bright, resplendent in gold, the color of Asian excellence and brilliance. It was a statement of affirmation, a signal to the world that we are here, we are proud and we are not going anywhere.

As an immigrant, I came to New York with a dream of making a name for myself and creating a better future. But I also came here because I knew that this was a place where anything is possible, where the energy and vibrancy of the city inspire and uplift us to reach for the stars. This city is a symbol of hope, a beacon of light that shines bright in the darkest of times. And today, I feel I am a part of that hope and that light. 

But the truth is that the American Dream is not accessible to all. Women of color still face significant barriers in the workplace, where they are the least likely to be promoted to management. Our community also suffers from the widest income disparity, with half of our youth living near poverty in this city alone. This is not the America we were promised.

The fight against invisibility and marginalization is ongoing, and it is a fight that many of us in the Asian Pacific diaspora know all too well. We must constantly prove our worth, our talent and our value in a world that sometimes refuses to see us. We must fight for our visibility and validation, even as we strive to create a better future for ourselves and our communities.

But moments like this give us hope. Moments like this remind us that we are not alone and that there are people who see us and value us for who we are. Moments like this inspire us to continue the fight, pushing for more representation and opportunities for ourselves and future generations.

As the Empire State Building glimmered in gold, I felt a sense of pride and joy that was hard to put into words. For a brief moment, we were the stars, the heroes, the icons of the city we call home. And even though those moments have passed, the memory of them will stay with me forever. They will serve as a reminder that we are powerful, we are radiant, we are collaborative and we are golden. And nothing can take that away from us.