UCI School of Medicine Recognizes Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The commemoration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month began in 1979, as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The week beginning May 4, 1979, marked the anniversary of two significant dates in American history: the arrival of the first Japanese American immigrants on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, which had significant contributions from Chinese workers.

The evolution of this celebration into an entire month in 1990, through to its present-day additional recognition of the Native Hawaiian community in its title, is reflective of the myriad of ways that the AANHPI community has grown in the United States, while remaining passionately dedicated to their diverse heritages.

The Federal Asian Pacific American Council has declared that this year’s theme for AANHPI Heritage Month is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” In line with this theme, we celebrate our colleagues at the UCI School of Medicine who are creating opportunities for themselves and other members of the AANHPI community to hone their leadership skills as they work to expand our mission: Discover. Teach. Heal.

Bonnie Lee, MD

Dr. Lee, associate clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology, has been praised by her colleagues and residents as a champion for diversity and inclusive excellence. As the residency program director, she works closely with the selection committee to build a diverse residency class.

DR. Bonnie Lee Profile

Irene Tsai, MD

Dr. Tsai, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Radiological Sciences, has readily answered the call to address health disparities among the Orange County AANHPI community. She is currently planning an Asian American Women’s Health Symposium, to take place on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 at the UCI University Club.

DR. Irene Tsai Profile

Nicholas Garcia, MS3

Prior to being admitted to the UCI School of Medicine, Nicholas Garcia, MS3, served on the Board of Directors of the Mabuhay Health Center, a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) student-run free community health clinic targeting underserved Filipino American residents of San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) District.

Nicholas Garcia, MS3, Profile 

Marjorie Mau, MD

Beyond the work being done here at the School of Medicine, we also wish to give special recognition to one of our peers in the academic medicine community, Marjorie Mau, MD, of the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).

Dr. Mau is the principal investigator and director of the Center for Native and Pacific Health Disparities Research and holds the Myron P. Thompson Endowed Chair for Native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawai’i JABSOM.

In 2016, Dr. Mau became the first Native Hawaiian woman to be recognized as a “Master Physician” by the American College of Physicians, in recognition of an accomplished career that brought over $20 million in external funds to her university. Dr. Mau is a shining example of combining one’s heartfelt dedication to heritage and community with the never-ending pursuit of health equity.

As an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), celebrating AANHPI heritage is a foundational part of our mission at UCI. We are grateful for the work done by these champions of inclusive excellence and countless others who embody the spirit of “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity” for our campus community all year long.