Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month: Get to Know Wei Qui and Dapeng Wu

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are spotlighting members of our ASPIRE employee resource group (ERG). In this post, Wei Qui, Software Architect at Progress, and Dapeng Wu, Senior Software Architect at Progress, share what their heritage means to them.

Each May, countries around the world celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. It is a time to recognize and appreciate the contributions of generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders, and to honor the many ways they will continue to enrich communities all over the globe. 

This month, we wanted to take some time to spotlight employees who are part of our ASPIRE ERG. In this post, Wei Qui, Software Architect at Progress, and Dapeng Wu, Senior Software Architect at Progress, talks about their appreciation for Chinese culture and traditions. Learn more about Wei and Dapeng in the interview below.

What does being Asian mean to you?

Wei: While interacting with people, whether in the workplace or in day-to-day life, there is an assumption that we can easily be taken advantage of. There is also an expectation that we will not fight back, and if we do, we will be called "rude.”

Dapeng: When speaking about being Asian in the United States, the first thing that comes to my mind is "minority." As part of only five percent of the whole population, this means we have to try harder at almost everything—including getting our voices heard.

What Asian figure do you think more people should know about?

Wei: I am searching for an Asian figure myself. Mulan from Disney is the most positive figure I can identify with.

Dapeng: Confucius. Not just because he had a huge impact on East Asian culture, but also because I was born only ten miles away from his home. :)

What is your favorite cultural tradition?

Wei: Chinese New Year.

Dapeng: I grew up with my grandparents in the countryside in China. Life was hard at that time. But when Chinese New Year came, every kid could eat a lot of meat dumplings. Yum-yum! It's still my favorite tradition to this day.

What is your proudest career accomplishment to date?

Wei: There is sometimes a cultural assumption that individuals of Chinese (east Asian) heritage are fit for technical roles, but less fit for management roles. In other words, being led instead of leading. Stepping up to a management role was a big accomplishment for me.

Dapeng: I have worked at Progress for 22 years, and I still enjoy what I do.

What is one activity or dish from the Asian side of your culture that you think everybody should try?

Dapeng: Dumplings, again.

How do you make your Asian identity your own?

Wei: Go outside your comfort zone, listen, interact, argue, fight, accept. Then make peace with yourself.

Dapeng: Being able to adapt; but more importantly, by being myself.

To learn more about Progress’ CSR efforts, visit our Progress for Tomorrow page.