Photo By Seaman Matthew Hobson | Local dancers dance during the Navy Lodge Bethesda Diversity Event Oct. 14. (U.S. Navy...... read more read more
Navy Lodge Bethesda lobby was full of smells, sights and sounds of various cultures Oct. 14 as it celebrated its 5th Annual Hospitality and Diversity event.
“It’s important that our staff be diverse because your customers are diverse,” said Naval Support Activity Bethesda Commanding Officer Capt. Marvin L. Jones. “Diversity is our strength. It allows us to be able to do more. I’m not just talking about cultural diversity; I’m talking about diversity of thought, diversity of ideas – all these different things we bring together to better serve our people.”
The 30 Navy Lodge employees from 13 different countries showcased their heritage by wearing traditional dress, sharing ethnic food and speaking different languages.
“The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect,” said Navy Lodge Bethesda Manager Ana Herrera-Ruiz. “It means understanding that each individual is different and also recognizing our differences. It is an exploration of this difference in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.”
Several Navy Lodge Bethesda employees shared their cultural background.
Jennifer Pineda and Rowena Vary spoke of their Filipino culture.
They brought pancit – rice noodles with vegetables and chicken – and lumpia, both of which are eaten on someone’s birthday.
“Traditionally they prepare it for a birthday party because they have a saying that ‘If you eat a long noodle, you’re going to have a long life,’” Vary said.
Navy Lodge Bethesda Assistant General Manager Nicole Nnoko said the dress she wore to the event was one Cameroon women would wear to a wedding. She discussed other aspects of Cameroon culture, such as the fish stew she made and the many dialects spoken in that African country.
“We speak English and French as our official languages so we’re just like Canada, but we have a bunch of traditional languages,” she said. “So if your parents are from two different tribes you’d know two different languages. And then we have a language that everyone speaks for the people that didn’t go to school – a mixture of English and French; it’s called pidgin English.”
Housekeeping supervisor Delfina Fuentes moved to the U.S. 20 years ago from Guatemala and became a U.S. citizen in 2007. She wore a traditional outfit from her village in Guatemala and brought tamales to share with those at the event.
“I left my country and came for a bigger opportunity here, and I found it,” Fuentes said. “I am so glad to be here. My village is very far, far away. I cannot imagine how far I am from home. I bring my mother now, and I feel at home right now with her.”
The diversity celebration included music and dancing from Peru, with displays featuring items from multiple cultures. Countries represented by Naval Support Activity Bethesda’s Navy Lodge staff are Cameroon, Chile, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Spain and the United States.
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2016 08:52 |
| Story ID: | 212549 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Lodge Showcases Employee Diversity, by Andrew Damstedt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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