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NAVADMIN 144/11

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/APR// 

SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 2011// 

RMKS/1.  WE WILL OBSERVE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH DURING THE 
MONTH OF MAY.  THE NATIONAL THEME FOR THIS YEAR IS "DIVERSITY, LEADERSHIP, 
EMPOWERMENT, AND BEYOND."

2.  ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH ORIGINATED IN JUNE 1977, WHEN 
PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER SIGNED A JOINT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE FIRST 10 DAYS 
OF MAY AS ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE WEEK.  TWELVE YEARS LATER, PRESIDENT GEORGE 
H. W. BUSH EXTENDED THE WEEK TO A MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION, AND IN 1992, MAY WAS 
OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED BY LAW AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.  THE 
MONTH OF MAY WAS CHOSEN TO COMMEMORATE THE IMMIGRATION OF THE FIRST JAPANESE 
TO THE UNITED STATES IN MAY 1843 AND TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPLETION 
OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD IN MAY 1869, A SYSTEM WHICH WAS PREDOMINANTLY 
BUILT BY CHINESE IMMIGRANTS.

3.  TODAY, MORE THAN 50,000 MEMBERS OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE 
COMPRISE OUR NAVY TOTAL FORCE, INCLUDING NINE FLAG OFFICERS AND 11 MEMBERS OF 
THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE.  THIS YEAR'S THEME CELEBRATES THE WEALTH OF 
IDEAS, TRADITIONS, AND COMMITMENT THAT ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS CONTRIBUTE TO 
OUR NAVY.  EXAMPLES OF NOTABLE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS IN OUR NAVY, PAST AND 
PRESENT, INCLUDE:
A.  CHINESE AMERICAN WILLIAM AH HANG, WHO IN 1863 BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST 
ASIAN AMERICANS TO ENLIST IN THE U.S. NAVY.
B.  LT SUSAN AHN CUDDY, A MEMBER OF THE FIRST KOREAN FAMILY TO IMMIGRATE TO 
CALIFORNIA, WHO IN 1942 BECAME THE FIRST KOREAN AMERICAN WOMAN IN THE U.S. 
MILITARY AND THE FIRST FEMALE NAVY GUNNERY OFFICER.
C.  REAR ADMIRAL GORDON PAI'EA CHUNG-HOON, OF CHINESE AND HAWAIIAN HERITAGE, 
BECAME THE NAVY'S FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN FLAG OFFICER AND WAS A RECIPIENT OF THE 
NAVY CROSS AND SILVER STAR FOR HIS ACTIONS AS COMMANDING OFFICER OF USS 
SIGSBEE (DD 502) FROM MAY 1944 TO OCTOBER 1945.
D.  REAR ADMIRAL ELEANOR VALENTIN, THE FIRST FEMALE DIRECTOR OF THE NAVY 
MEDICAL SERVICE CORPS AND RECIPIENT OF THE 2010 NATIONAL WOMEN OF COLOR 
TECHNOLOGIST OF THE YEAR AWARD.
E.  CDR MICHAEL V. MISIEWICZ, COMMANDING OFFICER OF USS MUSTIN (DDG 89), WHO 
IN DECEMBER 2010 ARRIVED IN SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA, FOR TRAINING WITH THE 
ROYAL CAMBODIAN ARMED FORCES.  THIS WAS HIS FIRST VISIT TO HIS NATIVE COUNTRY 
SINCE HE EMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1973.
F.  DR. YING XIA OF NAVAL UNDERSEA WARFARE CENTER AND CAPT JON HILL OF NAVAL 
SEA SYSTEMS COMMAND, RECIPIENTS OF THE 2011 ASIAN AMERICAN ENGINEER OF THE 
YEAR AWARDS.

4.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS OF THE 
CONTRIBUTIONS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS MAKE TO OUR NAVY AND NATION BY 
CELEBRATING THIS HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND 
PARTICIPATION IN RELATED MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.  MATERIALS ON THE ROLE 
OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS IN NAVAL HISTORY CAN BE FOUND AT:
HTTP://WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/SPECIAL%20HIGHLIGHTS/ASIAN/
ASIAN-INDEX.HTM, AND A PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL 
OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE WEBSITE AT:
HTTP://WWW.DEOMI.ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS.CFM?CATID=4.
BACKGROUND ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS TO OUR NATION'S 
LEGACY CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP://ASIANPACIFICHERITAGE.GOV.

5.  MORE INFORMATION ON THIS AND OTHER DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND 
OBSERVANCES IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY
WEBSITE:  HTTP://WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY.

6.  POINT OF CONTACT IS CDR JANETTE B. JOSE, OPNAV N134, AT
(703) 614-6864/DSN 225 OR VIA EMAIL AT JANETTE.JOSE(AT)NAVY.MIL.

7.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.// BT
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