I joined a meeting and found my new best friend

“It has been common for me in other workplaces to be the only brown person or Indian person,” notes Archana (Archie) Nair, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield internal communications associate. Archie grew up in India and moved to the United States in 2014. “I’ve always tried to go out of my way to find other people from my culture. I love Bollywood movies, so if I can find someone to talk to about that, or someone who listens to the same music or understands the same sort of cultural references, I always try to seek out those connections.”

Akshi Agarwal, Excellus BCBS actuarial analyst, shares a similar story having moved to the U.S. from India in 2018. Like Archie, she was also seeking connection to her culture. “It is comforting to find people who look like you and that understand some of the same things that only people from the same culture would understand,” explains Akshi.

Finding that connection

Archie and Akshi at a local Holi celebration.

They both found that connection through the Asian Employee Resource Group (ERG), one of 10 Employee Resource Groups at Excellus BCBS under the umbrella of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion department. Akshi heard about the Asian ERG when she first joined the company as an intern. Representatives from each ERG gave presentations explaining what goes on in their respective groups. “The Asian ERG stuck out to me, and I thought I would find some belonging there,” recalls Akshi. Archie remembers being immediately drawn to the Asian ERG through stories she’d seen on the company’s internal website highlighting various cultural celebrations. “There hadn’t been any other job where I saw a lock screen saying, ‘Happy Holi’. There are active efforts of recognizing people’s backgrounds and cultures at our organization,” says Archie.

The beginning of a great friendship

The two formed an unexpected friendship during one of the Asian ERG meetings about the celebration of Holi, an ancient Hindu festival also known as the Festival of Colors. In the chat, Archie sent a message recalling as a child how she used to throw water balloons as part of the Holi celebration. Akshi remembers doing this same thing as a child. The two bonded over this shared experience. They made plans to meet up at a celebration of the holiday that was happening locally and from there they became great friends. They often spend their weekends trying out local Indian restaurants, watching movies, and they are even planning a road trip. “It is hard to make friends as an adult,” shares Archie. “The ERG is a great way to meet others. It has enhanced my social life for sure.” Akshi agrees, noting that if someone is part of the Asian ERG, it feels easier for her to reach out to them.

The importance of being represented

Beyond their friendship, the ERG has brought meaning to their lives in other ways. “It is really empowering to see two Asian people lead the meeting,” shares Akshi. “I feel represented.” The connections that the ERG fosters combined with the company’s recognition of various cultural celebrations and holidays has created a positive experience. “When you don’t see other people like you, it can make you wonder if you are filling a diversity quota. That’s not how I feel at all here,” shares Archie. “I know everyone respects me and wants me to feel like I belong.”

A resource for continued learning

One of the goals of the Asian ERG is to promote inspiration and awareness of cultures. “It encompasses a lot of different cultures from East and South Asia,” notes Akshi. The group hosts monthly presentations on different topics and cultural celebrations. “They make the presentations fun, and you hear real life stories of how people celebrate,” she adds. “There are a lot of things I didn’t know about, like lunar new year. It has been a great resource for continued learning,” says Archie. Another goal of the Asian ERG is to facilitate professional development. The group brings in guest speakers from other groups throughout the organization, such as Toastmasters.

Just join a meeting

Introducing yourself to new people can be intimidating and challenging for some people. ERGs offer a safe space and some commonality to help make these connections. “It is easy to make assumptions about what being part of an ERG might be like, just join a meeting and see,” advises Archie. “And don’t be afraid to chime in and talk, you never know, you might meet your next best friend.”

About the Asian ERG

The Asian ERG was established in 2011 with the mission to leverage the diversity of the organization’s employees to improve business performance and make Excellus BCBS a great place to work.