May Is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

As part of our ongoing efforts to embrace diversity and inclusion, BCBSRI
is proud to recognize May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
(APAHM). To celebrate, BCBSRI and Epicurean Feast are teaming up to bring
you some exciting food events featuring the cuisine of the region—on May 6
and May 13. Todd Boule, Corporate Executive Chef of Epicurean Feast,
talked to us about what’s in store.

Asian Food Events Promote Cultural Awareness

“The Asian-Pacific region encompasses so many different countries,
cultures, and cuisines, so we’re going to be focusing on some of the
bigger ones—like China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam,” says Chef
Boule. For the first event, which is on Wednesday, May 6, a section of the
444 Westminster dining room will be transformed into an Asian food fest.
“We’re going to be doing different food ‘stations’ with a little
background information about the food—where it comes from, how it
originated, etc.,” he says.
“We want to make it as interactive and authentic as possible.” The food
will be set up so you can pick and choose what you want. There will be
salads from different countries in the region, a sushi station, a dumpling
station, and a stir fry station where you can choose which ingredients you
want. “Everything will be prepared fresh, fast, and to your liking,” Chef
Boule says.
The second food event, also in the 444 Westminster dining room, will be on
Wednesday, May 13 and will feature freshly prepared sushi from Sushi Time
of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both events will take place during regular
lunchtime hours.

Part of Our Ongoing Effort

People of Asian or Pacific Islander descent make up about three percent of
the population here in Rhode Island. That’s about one-fourth of the
overall population of ethnic and racial minorities in our state. “We’re
proud to be taking a leadership role in honoring the diversity of our
communities,” says Darrell Thorpe, Program Manager, Corporate Social
Responsibility & Diversity. “BCBSRI’s diversity initiative recognizes the
changes taking place in Rhode Island and seeks to create an inclusive
environment where the cultures and backgrounds of all people are
recognized and appreciated.” Be sure to attend the APAHM events and
celebrate the cultures of the people from this region who are our
employees, business partners, and members.

A Brief History

APAHM is a celebration of the contributions of people of Asian and Pacific
Islander origin in the United States. Here are some other facts:
In 1978, Congress passed a joint resolution to commemorate Asian
Pacific American Heritage Week.
The first week of May was chosen because of two important events that
occurred during this time—the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants
to the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the
transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers
who laid the tracks for the railroad were Chinese immigrants.
In 1990, Asian Pacific American Heritage Week became a month-long
celebration.
APAHM is celebrated with community festivals, parades, art exhibits,
government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for
children.

About the Chef



As Corporate Executive Chef, Chef Boule is responsible for developing
programs, writing recipes, and setting the course for the food that’s
offered here at BCBSRI. “I understand that good food takes time and care
in preparation, and we focus on providing high-quality ingredients—that’s
what we want to bring to this month’s Asian Pacific heritage event,” he
says.
Classically trained, Chef Boule has worked in some of the finest
restaurants in the United States. He’s been featured in the LA Times and
Bon Appetit magazine. And as senior executive chef for the summer Olympics
in Athens in 2004, he was responsible for serving more than 40,000 freshly
prepared meals a day.
“I learned a lot about diversity and appreciating other cultures during my
time in Greece,” he says. “Ninety percent of the people I worked with
didn’t speak English, but we all spoke the language of the kitchen.” Chef
Boule is a graduate of the advance standing program at Johnson & Wales
University. He is based in Massachusetts.

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