May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and the Marine Corps will honor all of the contributions Asian Pacific American Marines have made to the armed services.

The 2007 theme for this May’s celebration is “Pursuing Excellence Through Leadership, Diversity and Unity,” according to a MARADMIN issued on April 23.

Asian Pacific Americans have contributed immensely to the service. And, until World War II, there had been little effort to document their contributions to U.S. history and culture.

In an effort to fully recognize Asian Americans’ contributions to the United States and the military, Congressman Frank Horton and Norman Mineta introduced Pacific/Asian Heritage Week in 1977. Then, Oct. 23, 1992, Congress unanimously voted to expand this celebration from one week to one month.

Today, there are nearly 4,000 Asian Americans serving in the U.S. military, and several Asian servicemembers have made great strides and sacrifices for this country.

“Asian Americans are an important part of the American fabric and the military,” said Capt. Teresa Ovalle. “We are proud to have Asian Americans serving in our military and making a difference in the world.”

Commanders are encouraged to recognize the achievements Asian Pacific Americans have made to our Corps and our nation. And, commanders are further encouraged to conduct programs and promote participation in observance events both on base and in the local community, and to develop local themes for use at their commands.