Connections Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month May 2021 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of Policy, Management and Budget Administrative Services and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Message from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administrative Services May 2021 Dear Colleagues, I am so pleased to present to you the one-year anniversary issue of ConnectionsMagazine. In May of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements for most of us to work from home, we launched Connections as a way to keep our Special Emphasis Program initiatives going when opportunities for in-person meetings and other get-togethers were unavailable. Since then, we have expanded our collaborative approach to include as our partnerErica White-Dunston, Director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights (ODICR), as well as team members from across the Department. I am truly grateful to all those who enthusiastically stepped up to support the Team’s efforts, whether serving on the steering committee/production team or providing content for specific issues. It is through this collaborative approach that we all can ensure everyone feels included, respected, acknowledged and appreciated. Thank you for your outstanding work! HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE: an important message from Secretary Deb Haaland (page 4), an insightful discussion of this year’s theme Advancing Leaders Through Purpose- Driven Service by Julie Bednar (page 8), a beautiful memory of middle school years in Okinawa by Barbara Green (page 10) and a remarkable storybook featuring Our first just a few of our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and issue of Pacific Islander colleagues from throughout the Connections: Department (beginning on page 18). Enjoy! May 2020 As always, please be well and stay safe. Jacqueline M. Jones Connections magazine is produced each month by a Officer for the Department, the Connections team strives to collaborative, multiagency team of volunteer employees from foster an environment where all employees are respected, throughout DOI. Under the direction of Deputy Assistant valued, accepted, appreciated and feel included. Secretary for Administrative Services Jacqueline M. Jones and To find out more or to submit your ideas and suggestions for Director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights future issues, please contact editor Steve Carlisle at Erica White-Dunston, Esq., who serves as the Chief Diversity [email protected]. Your input is very welcome! 2 2 Welcome 2 Table of Contents 3 Message from the Secretary 4 Resources 4 Introduction 5 Connections Vanguard Award 7 Advancing Leaders Through Purpose-Driven Service by Julie Bednar 8 Odyssey in Okinawa by Barbara Green 10 Native Hawaiian Ways of Learning 14 Chinese American World War II Veterans Receive Congressional Gold Medal 17 SPECIAL SECTION: DOI AANHPI Album 18 Public Art Project Takes on Anti-Racism 43 Honoring our Veterans 45 Flavors of Asia 46 About the Special Emphasis Program 47 Above: Art by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. Read about Amanda’s NYC Anti-Racism Art Project beginning on page 42. 3 Message from the Secretary of the Interior Dear Colleagues, As we commemorate Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the incredible contributions that the AANHPI community has made to the Department of the Interior and to the country as a whole. This year’s theme, Advancing Leaders Through Purpose- Driven Service, speaks to the values we hold at Interior and to our responsibility to lift up every community through our work. We have a responsibility to center the voices of the AANHPI community in the work that we do, the policies we implement, and the legacies we leave as we tell the story of America through our conservation and preservation efforts. Over the past several weeks, I have had the privilege and inclusion in our daily work at Interior. Please of speaking with many of our AANHPI employees. take the time to review them and don’t be afraid to We’ve discussed the importance of taking care of seek out answers to any questions you may have to each other, and the hope that we have for a aid in your learning. brighter future. At the Department, we’re Together, we can work to create a more supportive committed to ensuring everyone feels safe and has community for every member of our team. opportunities to grow and learn. The resources below are important to how we support the AANHPI community and center equity Secretary of the Interior Resources courtesy Lee Mun Wah, CEO, Stir Fry Seminars and Consulting TOPIC: EXPLORING THE ROOTS OF OUR DISCONNECTIONS TOPIC: MINDFUL TECHNIQUES THAT CREATE COMMUNITY 21 Ways to Stop a Conversation About Diversity 10 Ways to Begin a Diversity Conversation in the Classroom Unhealthy Ways of Communicating 9 Ways to Begin a Diversity Conversation with Teachers and Staff How We Have Failed Our White Students (Part One & Two) Becoming Culturally Competent is a Journey How We Have Failed Our Students of Color (Part Three) Advanced Mindful Interventions & Quiz The Privilege of Numbness Advanced Empathetic Responses & Quiz Mindful Facilitation Practice TOPIC: WAYS TO RECONNECT & REBUILD TRUST Mindful Facilitation Worksheet: Advanced Level Vignette #4 The Art of Mindful Inquiry/9 Healthy Ways to Communicate Mindful Facilitation Worksheet: Advanced Level Vignette #7 The Art of Listening My Child Will Not Be Taught by a White Teacher! (Group Discussion In Search of a Real Apology Questions) How to Have a Successful Town Hall Meeting (Part One & Two) Remember, Interior’s Employee Assistance Program virtual means. A live counselor is available 24 hours provider, Espyr, is here for employees and their a day, seven days a week at 800-869-0276 or visit dependents. Espyr provides confidential counseling espyr.com (Password: InteriorEAP). and consultation at no cost via telephone or other 4 About AANHPI Heritage Month Introduction to Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Sacramento delta, the small settlements of Locke and Walnut Grove were once thriving nihonmachi’s (Japan towns) and Chinatowns that were the homes of immigrants who flocked to California during the Gold Rush. The Stedman-Thomas Historic District of Ketchikan, Alaska was home to a diverse community of Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos who helped build the region’s fishing industry. By the mid-1900s, generations of Asian Americans had built enduring communities throughout the United States. However, Japan’s attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941 revived existing hostility towards Japanese Americans. In response to public outcry against the attack and widespread Courtesy of National Park Service fear of Japanese American disloyalty, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which forcibly relocated over The history of North America is shaped by the stories of 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes on the West immigrants from Asia and the Pacific and the native people of Coast to one of ten Relocation Centers. The Minidoka National the Pacific Islands. While some of the earliest to arrive were Historic Site is one of the places that interprets this largest from China, Japan, India, and Korea, immigration reforms tied forced relocation of American citizens. to U.S. civil rights legislation brought even more groups to the United States—such as Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Indonesians, the Hmong and other peoples from South and Central Asia. During the 1800s, the discovery of gold in California and political upheaval in China triggered unprecedented waves of people from Asian countries to the United States. Asians contributed significantly to the history of American nation- building and westward expansion. Initially welcomed as a much needed labor source in mining, railroad, and agriculture, Asians soon became a source of resentment for those Americans who thought of themselves as white. They began to blame Asians for the economic decline Despite the denial of their civil liberties and constitutional and high unemployment after the Civil War. The U.S. rights, many Japanese Americans still felt it was their duty to government passed a series of measures to stem the influx of contribute to the war effort. Initially barred from enlisting immigrants. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 severely following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the armed forces later restricted immigration by barring Chinese laborers from formed a segregated unit for Japanese Americans: The 442nd entering the country for ten years and made Chinese Infantry Regimental Combat Team. They fought on the immigrants already within the United States ineligible for U.S. battlefields of Italy, Germany, and southern France while most citizenship. In 1907, a “Gentleman’s Agreement” between the of their families remained in internment camps for the duration United States and Japan also limited the immigration of of the war. The 442nd would go on to become the most Japanese laborers. decorated unit of its size in American military history. In the wake of exclusionary immigration policies and racial Pictured, left: Japanese women in a WWII internment camp. Above: discrimination, early Asian immigrants nevertheless successfully Asian military personnel in WWII. Photos NPS. built ethnic enclaves throughout the United States. In the 5 About AANHPI Month Currently, over 22 million people of Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander descent live in the United States, totaling about 6 percent of the U.S. population. As diverse communities built strong roots in the United States, they retained cultural heritages that stretch across the globe. As the nation’s storyteller, the National Park Service strives to tell the stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites. Visit the National Park Service Telling All Americans' Stories portal to learn more about this topic and American heritage themes and histories.