On April 2, we had our very first virtual BYOC event on WebEx for all KAIPO members and a few guests from APANET. We had a stunning turnout of 28 participants for the event and had great participation and discussion throughout the event.
The topic for the BYOC was the rise in Asian hate crime, discrimination against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, and anti-AAPI sentiments. Participants shared and discussed their past experiences with discrimination, serious difficulties we faced and continue to face as AAPI, what we can do as individuals and as a community to get help when we face such situations, and how we can raise our voices not only in our communities, but also at the USPTO level and beyond. There was also great discussion on how we can collaborate with APANET, the largest AAPI affinity group at the USPTO, to raise awareness and our voices at the PTO.
We are grateful and moved by everyone’s participation and support at this event. This event brought forth so many great voices from our members, and we strive to continue to provide a platform for our members to have their voices heard.
If you have any comments, feedback, or concerns you were not able to share at the time of the BYOC, please feel free to email them to us at KAIPO@uspto.gov.
-KAIPO