MARADMINS : 162/03
R 081424Z APR 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
AL MARADMIN(uc)
MARADMIN
BT
UNCLAS
MARADMIN 162/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MP//
SUBJ/2003 ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH//
POC/AYRES, M.Y./CAPT/CMC MPE/-/TEL:703-784-9371
/EMAIL:AYRESMY@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. MAY IS DESIGNATED AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN
HERITAGE MONTH. THE 2003 THEME IS "SALUTE TO LIBERTY". THIS
RECOGNITION WAS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED AS PACIFIC/ASIAN HERITAGE
WEEK BY REPRESENTATIVES FRANK HORTON AND NORMAN MINETA IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN JULY 1977. ON 23 OCTOBER 1992, THE
102ND CONGRESS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED PUBLIC LAW 102-450,
DESIGNATING MAY AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
2. THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN ETHNICITY INCLUDES PEOPLES
FROM BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, BURMA, CAMBODIA, CHINA, HAWAII, HONG KONG,
INDIA, INDONESIA, JAPAN, LAOS, MACAO, MALAYSIA, THE MALDIVES,
MELANESIA, MICRONESIA, MONGOLIA, NORTH KOREA, PAKISTAN, THE
PHILIPINES, SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, SRI LANKA, TAIWAN, THAILAND, AND
VIETNAM. THE DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES AMONG ASIAN
PACIFIC AMERICANS REFLECTS MORE THAN 30 SUBGROUPS AND GENERATIONAL
SUBGROUPS. MANY OF THESE ETHNICITIES ARE REPRESENTED IN THE MARINE
CORPS TODAY.
3. ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS CONTINUE TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
MARINE CORPS AND DOD TEAM TO KEEP FIGHTING AND WINNING OUR COUNTRY'S
BATTLES. ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS LIKE MAJOR KURT C. E. LEE AND
SECOND LIEUTENANT WILBUR CARL SZE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEGACY OF
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MARINES. MAJOR LEE WAS AWARDED THE
NAVY CROSS FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN PRESSING A COUNTERATTACK
AND DRIVING HOSTILE FORCES FROM THE SECTOR DURING THE KOREAN WAR.
IN DECEMBER 1943, SECOND LIEUTENANT SZE BECAME THE FIRST CHINESE
AMERICAN MARINE CORPS OFFICER.
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN. COMMANDERS ARE
FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN
OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.//