A week ago, Saturday, my wife and I attended an event hosted by the Pan Asian Pacific American Council of Georgia, celebrating Asia-Pacific American unity. We were invited by a client of Laotian descent who is very active in the Gwinnett County, Georgia community. I enjoy experiencing different cultures, although it’s usually by sampling their food. However, I lived in Hawaii for three and one-half years, during junior high and high school, so I have some experience with the Asian community. I knew this event would be fun.
The evening was a celebration of their successful blending into the American mosaic. It began with a flag ceremony; the American flag leading the way, followed by women in traditional costumes, carrying the flags of their native lands. Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a solo rendition of the national anthem.
The atmosphere was a mixture of pride for their heritage and old fashion American patriotism. The event featured traditional music, songs, dance, and wardrobes. The drummers were awesome! Naturally, events like this are a magnet for politicians, so the agenda featured speeches by local representatives. Thankfully, they were brief and unremarkable. The last event of the evening, just before my wife and I had to leave, was the scholarship presentation to new high school graduates. It was symbolic of the community’s progress.
May is set aside to honor Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. During this month, we celebrate their culture, traditions, and history. May was chosen for this recognition as events significant to the Asian Community occurred this month. The first Japanese immigrants to the United States arrived on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad was May 10, 1869. Many of the workers who laid those tracks were Chinese immigrants. On October 5, 1978, President Carter signed legislation recognizing Asian American Heritage Week. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed a law to expand this recognition period to a month. At that time May was officially designated as Asia-Pacific American Heritage Month.
The following Tuesday, I was scheduled to meet my client at her office in Lawrenceville, the Gwinnett County Seat. We planned to meet at 1:00 p.m. to review a draft report of the initial assessment phase of my work. My client saw an opportunity to add a free lunch to our agenda. She invited me to join her for the Pan Asian Pacific Islands American Appreciation Day at the Gwinnett County Courthouse. According to the U.S. Census Department, the July 1, 2018 estimate for the population of Gwinnett County was approximately 927,781 citizens. Americans of Asian and Pacific Island heritage count for 12.3% of the total population, making them a very significant constituent group.
We were surprised to learn, however, that what she thought would be a quick lunch and proclamation, turned into a 2 1/2-hour affair that included speeches from County Commissioners, a panel discussion, and then a recognition ceremony at the beginning of a meeting of the County Commission. It’s safe to say that whenever politicians get involved in an event, the time commitment will increase. As I had set aside the entire afternoon for my client, I wasn’t fazed a bit. In fact, I enjoyed it.
The event began with a welcome from a County Commissioner, as we enjoyed our lunch, followed by a few words from an Asian American Commissioner. A Panel Discussion was the next item on the agenda. The Panel included a Muslim American, two Vietnamese Americans of different generations, a Chinese American, and an Indian American. All are first-or-second-generation Americans, many coming to the United States as a result of the Vietnam War. The gist of the discussion was about aligning around common interests and challenges to move the community forward. I found some very interesting parallels to those of a business start-up trying to establish itself in the marketplace. They spoke to the same points I had made in an earlier post on networking; the key to success is to interact, participate, and to engage.
I was impressed by the pride these Asian-Americans have for their heritage and appreciation for their American Citizenship. Clearly, their assimilation hasn’t been easy, but they are thriving and optimistic. My takeaway is that one’s success in life requires a commitment to a goal. To achieve that goal, one must interact, participate, and engage. This recipe holds for building a business, assimilation into the community, and for gaining political power.
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