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“Diversity is a strength of America and of the military,” said Culinary Specialist Seaman Zhijun Miao, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) supply department. “In the military, every race and every culture fits in and we work well together, and we learn from each other.”
The Navy joins the nation in recognizing May as Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, highlighting the roles and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander Sailors through American history. Miao explained that the root of those contributions lies in the varied backgrounds and experiences they bring to the mission.
“Everyone has different abilities and different ways of solving problems,” said Miao. “In the Navy I work with people from different cultures and different countries, and we all add something. It’s like a smaller America.”
Nearly 25,000 Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders currently serve in the Navy, representing 56 ethnic groups and speaking more than 100 languages.
Miao, his wife, and infant son immigrated from Zhangjiakou, China to Los Angeles in 2013.
“I came here for the American dream,” said Miao. “It sounds like I’m joking, but that’s why. People would talk about American society, colleges and education, more freedom, and better environment. It was better for my future, for my child’s future.”
Miao explained how his time in the United States before joining the Navy taught him first-hand the value of diversity.
“We came here and lived, worked, and shopped in a Chinese community. Staying there wouldn’t have been good for my family’s future.”
Miao said that by staying in a Chinese community, his English was not improving, his family was not integrating with American society as he had envisioned, and they would have been relegated to one area with fewer opportunities.
“I joined the military to be a good example for my son,” said Miao. “Here I’m not just stuck in an Asian community, I work with people who are black, white, Filipino, Hispanic, and I can learn more. We all add something different. We can all learn from each other.”
The theme of 2018’s Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is “Unite Our Vision by Working Together,” echoing Miao’s statements on the importance of diversity and inclusivity.
Miao said enlisting in the Navy not only provided him with benefits and a means to better provide for his own family, but also a larger extended family through the Sailors he works with on Ford. Serving alongside shipmates from diverse backgrounds, he said, has given him the opportunity to experience the “real America,” and that living and working in such a diverse environment has kindled a pride in his own Chinese heritage and identity.
“Wearing the uniform and representing the military makes me proud,” said Miao. “I appreciate this country, I want to do something for this country. America has people from everywhere, every culture, and people are judged on their ability or skills.”
Through the month of May, the Navy will continue to highlight and honor the contributions of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to the nation, the Navy, and the “American Dream.”
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2018 23:15 |
| Story ID: | 277823 |
| Location: | AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Diversity and the American Dream in the United States Navy, by PO3 Joshua Murray, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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