By Sgt Jin Hyun Lee
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Marine Corps Recruiting Station New York and Recruiting Substation Manhattan celebrated their historical first-time grand opening of Permanent Contact Station Chinatown with a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, July 6.
RSNY celebrated this momentous occasion and extended invitations to key members of the Chinese community to participate in the festivities. To keep with traditions as well as to show respect to the Chinese culture, one of the highlights of the celebration included a customary lion dance performed by Chinatown’s very own Dragon Style Kung Fu & Tai Chi dance troupe.
“The Marine Corps is a reflection of our society,” said 1st Lt. Ramon Deleon, RSNY executive officer. “Chinese Americans are a big part of our American society and this is our way of ensuring that we maintain a diverse and broad Marine Corps. All the people from different backgrounds represent our values as a nation.”
Deleon emphasized that the Chinatown PCS will allow RSNY to get closer to the Chinese to community by having an office located within the community. The Chinese American community also agreed with Deleon’s ideology.
“Today we need our people [the Chinese American community] to serve our country as well,” said Harvard Tang, commander, New York County Organization of the American Legion, Department of New York. “It’s good to have a Marine Corps recruiting station down here in Chinatown. Chinese Americans should be proud to take part in Marine Corps’s values: honor, courage, commitment and leadership.”
Fang A. Wong, past national vice commander, The American Legion also shared a strong sentiment about the necessity of the younger Asian American generation’s participation to serve in our nation’s on-going battle for freedom.
“The increase of the Asian American young adults joining the military in the past 10 years is great because we’re here, and this is our country, and we [Asian Americans] need to do our fair share,” stated Wong.
“The Asian American market hasn’t been tapped into very often,” Wong added. “So it’s good that the Marine Corps recognize that there is a market here.”
“The Marine Corps is proud to be a part of the Chinese community in the New York metro area,” said Maj. Gilbert, the commanding officer of Recruiting Station New York. “It is high time that we finally opened up a Permanent Contact Station here to bridge the gap between the Marine Corps and the Chinese community. We are anticipating nothing but high-caliber quality individuals to join the ranks of the Few and the Proud.”
The Chinese American community agrees that the PCS in Chinatown will play an important role to bring the “Asian American community closer to the mainstream.”
Other key members of the Chinese community to attend were Jack Eng, president, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association; Sheung Ying Ng, vice president, Lun Shing Association; Justin Yu, president, The Chinese Chambers of Commerce; Kenneth Cheng, chairman, Fukien American Association;; Harvard Tang, New York County Commander, The American Legion Department of New York; Robert Chin, commander, The American Legion Lt. Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291; and Warren Chan, executive director, Asian Community United Society.
“The whole Chinese community is proud to support the Marine Corps and this station will recruit well-qualified individuals to uphold the Marine Corps standards,” said Tang.
PCS Chinatown is located at 153C Centre Street New York, N.Y. For more information about the Marine Corps, log on to www.Marines.com, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
| Date Taken: |
07.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
07.07.2011 09:16 |
| Story ID: |
73345 |
| Location: |
CHINATOWN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: |
164 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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