Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebrated at RTC

NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES

06.01.2017

Story by Susan Martin 

U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command

GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- Staff members at Recruit Training Command, held a luncheon in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month May 30, in the USS Yorktown visitors center.

This year's national theme is, "Unite Our Voices by Speaking Together."

The event featured exhibits along with a sushi making class and an array of dishes representing each region.

"Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and events such as this helps raise awareness that diversity is important to the command, and that we all bring different flavors to the Navy," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Giahuy Do, Recruit Division Commander and the event's coordinator.

There are 24,743 Asian American and Pacific Islander Sailors currently serving as part of One Navy Team, including eight admirals, 659 master chief and senior chief petty officers and 318 officers. These Sailors represent more than 56 ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages from Asia and the Pacific Islands, living in the United States.

Asian American and Pacific Islanders represent 11.7 percent of the Navy civilian workforce and 3.2 percent of Senior Executive Service members. The rich history of these cultures, their struggles against adversity to achieve equality, significant contributions to the American experience and the opportunity to build the foundation for a bright future are made reality by some great leaders who share the same heritage.

Since 1992, May has been designated to recognize the personal achievements and valuable contributions to the American story by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. We celebrate the cultural traditions, ancestry, native languages, and unique experiences represented among more than 56 ethnic groups (speaking over 100 languages) from Asia and the Pacific Islands who live in the United States.

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the transcontinental railroad completion on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks of that nation-unifying railway were Chinese immigrants.

Boot camp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. About 30,000 to 40,000 recruits graduate annually from RTC and begin their Navy careers.

For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc/.

• Date Taken: 06.01.2017
• Date Posted: 09.21.2018 09:11
• Story ID: 293874
• Location: NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US