2003 Asian Pacific Heritage Month

1. MAY IS DESIGNATED AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN
HERITAGE MONTH. THE 2003 THEME IS "SALUTE TO LIBERTY". THIS
RECOGNITION WAS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED AS PACIFIC/ASIAN HERITAGE
WEEK BY REPRESENTATIVES FRANK HORTON AND NORMAN MINETA IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN JULY 1977. ON 23 OCTOBER 1992, THE
102ND CONGRESS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED PUBLIC LAW 102-450,
DESIGNATING MAY AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
2. THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN ETHNICITY INCLUDES PEOPLES 
FROM BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, BURMA, CAMBODIA, CHINA, HAWAII, HONG KONG,
INDIA, INDONESIA, JAPAN, LAOS, MACAO, MALAYSIA, THE MALDIVES, 
MELANESIA, MICRONESIA, MONGOLIA, NORTH KOREA, PAKISTAN, THE 
PHILIPINES, SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, SRI LANKA, TAIWAN, THAILAND, AND
VIETNAM. THE DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES AMONG ASIAN 
PACIFIC AMERICANS REFLECTS MORE THAN 30 SUBGROUPS AND GENERATIONAL 
SUBGROUPS. MANY OF THESE ETHNICITIES ARE REPRESENTED IN THE MARINE 
CORPS TODAY. 
3. ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS CONTINUE TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
MARINE CORPS AND DOD TEAM TO KEEP FIGHTING AND WINNING OUR COUNTRY'S
BATTLES. ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS LIKE MAJOR KURT C. E. LEE AND 
SECOND LIEUTENANT WILBUR CARL SZE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEGACY OF 
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MARINES. MAJOR LEE WAS AWARDED THE
NAVY CROSS FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN PRESSING A COUNTERATTACK
AND DRIVING HOSTILE FORCES FROM THE SECTOR DURING THE KOREAN WAR.
IN DECEMBER 1943, SECOND LIEUTENANT SZE BECAME THE FIRST CHINESE 
AMERICAN MARINE CORPS OFFICER. 
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF 
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN. COMMANDERS ARE 
FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN 
OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.