The Army Sustainment Command hosted an Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Observance at Rock Island Arsenal's Baylor Conference Room May 3.
The event's guest speaker was Jerry De La Cruz Jr., deputy chief of staff for Resource Management, ASC, who spoke on this year's theme: "Building Leadership: Embracing Cultural Values and Inclusion."
"I believe that we share a common goal across the various elements on Arsenal Island. That is to attract, develop and retain the best and brightest from all walks of life and backgrounds, both military and civilian," De La Cruz said. "This requires all organizations on Arsenal Island to have a culture of inclusion where all individuals feel respected, they are treated fairly, and are provided a work/life balance and the opportunity to be all they can be."
A martial arts demonstration was also conducted by the father-daughter team of Ken and Dayna Huor from the Huor Martial Arts Studio in Davenport, Iowa. Dayna holds a number of national and world titles in a variety of martial arts specialties.
In addition she has appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "America's Got Talent," and many local television shows. She also starred in the action/martial arts film "Champions of the Deep" and has been featured in a number of national and international martial arts publications, such as TaeKwon-Do Times magazine and Bundo International magazine.
Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution in 1978 to commemorate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week during the first week of May. This date was chosen because two important anniversaries occurred during this time: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in America on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869.
In 1990, Congress voted to expand it from a week to a month long celebration; In May 1992, the month of May was permanently designated as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."
For more information on Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, go to: http://asianpacificheritage.gov/
For more information on the Huors, go to: http://thehuors.com/
Additional photos of the event are available for viewing/downloading on the ASC Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_sustainment_command/sets/72157633418863689/
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