MARADMINS : 211/14
R 222008Z APR 14
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 211/14
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/MPE//
SUBJ/2014 ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH//
POC/M. J. SHEPPARD/CIV/UNIT: MPE/-/TEL: (703)784-9371/TEL: DSN 278-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH WAS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED AS PACIFIC/ASIAN HERITAGE WEEK BY CONGRESSMEN 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 AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. MAY WAS CHOSEN TO COMMEMORATE THE IMMIGRATION OF THE FIRST JAPANESE TO THE UNITED STATES ON 7 MAY 1843 AND TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPLETION OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD ON 10 MAY 1869. THE 2014 THEME IS I AM BEYOND.
THE PHRASE CAPTURES THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT AND CELEBRATES AMERICANS OF ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER DESCENT WHO HAVE SOUGHT TO EXCEL BEYOND CHALLENGES AND ADVERSITY. ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NATION TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE MADE IN OUR DIVERSE CULTURE.
2. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, ASIAN AMERICANS BEGAN TO ATTEND U.S. MILITARY ACADEMIES. JOSE B. NISPEROS WAS THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1911. DURING WWI, ASIAN AMERICANS SERVED AS NON-WHITES IN THE NATIONAL ARMY. AFTER WORLD WAR I, ASIAN AMERICAN SERVICE FELL INTO OBSCURITY UNTIL WORLD WAR II WHEN MANY JAPANESE, CHINESE, FILIPINO, AND KOREAN AMERICANS STEPPED INTO THE BREECH TO FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.
3. ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE FOUGHT AND SERVED ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE WAR OF 1812. DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, ASIAN AMERICANS FOUGHT FOR BOTH THE UNION AND THE CONFEDERACY. MAJ KURT CHEW-EEN LEE WAS THE FIRST ASIAN-AMERICAN U.S. MARINE CORPS OFFICER. HIS SERVICE SPANNED FROM WORLD WAR II TO THE VIETNAM WAR. WHEN HE TOOK COMMAND OF A MACHINE GUN PLATOON DURING THE KOREAN WAR, HIS PLATOON WAS SURPRISED BY HIS ANCESTRY. SOME EVEN QUESTIONED HIS LOYALTY AS U.S. FORCES WERE BATTLING CHINESE FORCES, WHICH HAD JOINED THE CONFLICT ON THE SIDE OF NORTH KOREANS. HIS VALOR AND PROFICIENCY IN BATTLE SOON REMOVED ALL DOUBT AS TO HIS LOYALTY TO THE NATION AND TO HIS MARINES.
4. DURING ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ASIAN AMERICANS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, TO OUR COUNTRY AND CORPS. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS AT THEIR COMMANDS AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//