In fact, Asians are the most economically divided group in the U.S., with the gap between the bottom and the top nearly doubling between 1970 and 2016, according to Pew Research Center. But because of this model minority myth, Asian Americans are often left out of diversity and inclusion conversations and they are often dismissed from receiving the support that's needed when faced with discrimination and bias. To celebrate and shed light on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, CNBC Make It spoke to 12 AAPI leaders about how the model minority myth impacts them, the advice they have for the next generation of AAPI professionals and how the rising number of anti-Asian attacks over the past year has influenced them as leaders and parents.