The month of May 1-31, 2012 is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.   This year's theme is Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion.   The month-long observance was officially designated in 1992 and the month of May was chosen to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. on May 7, 1843 and to recognize the Chinese immigrants who helped lay tracks for the transcontinental railroad, which was completed on May 10, 1869.

Click here to read the US Coast Guard's ALCOAST for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.   Visit the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Instutute [DEOMI] for special observance presentations for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.  For more information visit the website for Asian Pacific Heritage Month at http://asianpacificheritage.gov/ to learn more about the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.   The Coast Guard's webpages from the Historian's Office provide historical information on Asian Pacific Americans in the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.

Follow up:

UNCLAS //N05354//
ALCOAST 200/12
COMDTNOTE 5354

SUBJ: ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH

1. THIS YEAR, THE COAST GUARD IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF MAY AS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED IN 1979 AS ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE WEEK, THIS OBSERVANCE HONORS THE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF CITIZENS OF ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER ANCESTRY TO AMERICAN HISTORY, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY. THE 2012 THEME IS "STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION."

2. THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY, ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS HAVE SERVED WITH VALOR AND DISTINCTION IN ALL MILITARY SERVICES. NOTABLE COAST GUARD MEMBERS INCLUDE: GILBERT KANAZAWA - THE FIRST JAPANESE-AMERICAN TO ATTAIN THE RANK OF CAPTAIN, JUAN SALAS - WHO BECAME THE FIRST PACIFIC ISLANDER FROM GUAM TO GRADUATE FROM A MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMY UPON HIS GRADUATION FROM THE COAST GUARD ACADEMY IN 1968, AND FLORENCE EBERSOLE SMITH FINCH - A MEMBER OF THE COAST GUARD WOMENS RESERVE WHO RECEIVED THE U.S. MEDAL OF FREEDOM AND WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO RECEIVE THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN RIBBON.
STELLAR PERFORMANCE CONTINUES TODAY WITH LT JOCELYN SORIANO, WHO RECEIVED A 2012 FEDERAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COUNCIL (FAPAC) MILITARY MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD FOR HER ONGOING SERVICE, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES.

3. AS PART OF THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION, THE COMMANDANT PLANS TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH THE DHS ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER NETWORK (DHS AAPIN). THIS MOU ESTABLISHES A FRAMEWORK FOR THE COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DHS AAPIN AND THE USCG FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING THE MUTUAL GOALS OF:

A. DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, AND IMPROVING STRATEGIES FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF A DIVERSE WORKFORCE,

B. ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A POSITIVE IMAGE OF THE USCG AND DHS, AND

C. PROVIDING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ITS MEMBERS.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THIS MOU WILL OFFER TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS WITHIN DHS AND THE COAST GUARD.

4. FOR MORE THAN 130 YEARS, ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS HAVE MADE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COAST GUARD AND ITS PREDECESSOR SERVICES. THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MAY, COMMANDS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN SERVICE TO THE COAST GUARD AND OUR COUNTRY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO:
HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/HISTORY/ASIANPACIFICAMERICANS.ASP AND HTTP://ASIANPACIFICHERITAGE.GOV/.

5. VADM SALLY BRICE-OHARA, ACTING COMMANDANT, SENDS.

6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.