JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month throughout the month of May with this year's theme, "Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion."
"This month, we are taking the opportunity to celebrate the contributions all Asian-Pacific Americans have made to our country," Staff Sgt. Phatsalavanh Oukham, 902nd Comptroller Squadron and Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Committee member, said.
Like the Air Force Core Value "Excellence in all we do," Asian-Pacific Americans have thrived in their pursuit for success, she said, attributing their excellence to powerful leadership.
"Asian-Pacific Americans have proven to be great leaders," Oukham said. "We are your fellow Airmen, supervisors and commanders."
Oukham highlighted two of Randolph's Asian-Pacific Airmen: Brig. Gen. Balan Ayyar, Air Force Recruiting Service commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Arleen Heath, former Air Force Personnel Center command chief and current 376th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief.
"Gen. Ayyar and Chief Heath are just two examples of the many great leaders who represent Asian-Pacific heritage in today's Air Force," she said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asian and Pacific Islander groups are categorized into more than 25 different groups, to include: Vietnamese; Chinese; Filipinos; Indian; Pakistani; Korean; Japanese; Cambodian; Laotian; Thai; Indonesian; Burmese; Malaysian; Taiwanese; Sri Lankan; Bangladeshi and a variety of Pacific Islanders from the Hawaiian and Polynesian islands, and New Zealand.
"In the military community, we have members from all over the world," Oukham said. "Such a mix of diverse groups should be celebrated. We want to include every Asian and Pacific heritage group in this observance."
So far this month, the APAHM Committee has hosted a Hawaiian-themed bowl-a-thon at the Randolph Bowling Center, an origami folding class at the youth center, a youth reading at the base library and two Asian-Pacific fashion shows at the Child Development Center and Base Exchange.
"The fashion shows highlight the diverse Asian and Pacific Islander dresses and cultures," Oukham said.
The Asian-Pacific American Heritage Festival at the Youth Center Gymnasium will conclude the month's observances May 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The festival will include displays of different countries' food sampling, showcasing the cultures and cuisines.
"We are very excited for the events, especially the festival with all the wonderful food," she said. "I look forward to the base involvement in this month's celebration."
For more information on the events or how to get involved, call Oukham at 652-0265.