Asian and Pacific-Islander American Heritage Month Published May 8, 2013 By 1st Lt Kenneth Suen 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- May is Asian and Pacific-Islander American Heritage Month, and this year the base's Asian Heritage Committee has set up several events to celebrate. Sushi classes will be May 8 and 22 and Iron Chef style cooking lessons will be May 15 and 29 from 11:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. at the Health and Wellness Center. The volunteer instructional chefs will consist of members of the Asian Heritage Committee. An Asian Luau Festival will be from 3p.m. to 7p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Heritage Park. The cost per plate will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. APAHM is the month dedicated to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. May was chosen due to two important Asian-related dates in American History; May 7th, 1843 being the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants and May 10th, 1869 marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad which was accomplished with the substantial assistance of many Chinese laborers. The goal of APAHM is to be a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. This year, the theme is "Building Leadership: Embracing Cultural Values and Inclusion." However, life as an Asian is not just delicious foods and fireworks, as we share our own spread of racial hardships. As detailed in an excerpt of Proclamation 8659 by President Barack Obama: "Although many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have achieved success, far too many still struggle to overcome obstacles of unemployment, poverty, and language barriers or face significant education, economic and health disparities," the proclamation reads. Even Asian and Pacific Islanders with the privilege of integrating in American society from birth still encounter more subtle forms of racial hardship. Asians are stereotypically known for being particularly studious and skillful in a wide variety of fields, from medicine to technology to the arts, leading them naturally to be expected and groomed for highly specialized work. This is frequently known as the "Bamboo Ceiling", coined by writer Jane Hyun. The bamboo ceiling specifically addresses how Asians are often severely underrepresented in positions of leadership and big-picture change, such as among flag officers, upper management and political chairs. To undercut these general perceptions, the Tyndall Asian Heritage Committee aims to follow our national theme and build leadership through our inclusive events. Beyond the general awareness activities celebrating our culture, such as the cooking classes and martial arts demos, we will be hosting the base-wide Asian Luau Festival. This dynamic event will include an assortment of unique dishes, multi-national performances and Ariel Peñaranda, a Phillippine Consulate General, as our guest speaker. More importantly, the unseen accomplishment that makes this particular event a true success lies in the leadership required to bring various agencies together. Of course, considerable credit is due to the multitude of critical organizational capabilities rallied, from Protocol to Equal Opportunity to the Filipino American Association and many, many more. As the Asian Heritage Committee, we hope the base enjoys our prepared activities and appreciates all that we bring to the table.