Photo By Terrance Bell | Dancers belonging to the Halau Kahealani Dance group perform a Polynesian dance...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. (May 12, 2016) -- A good many people will never be afforded the opportunity to travel among the Pacific Islands or the many exotic locations in Asia.
However, spectators at the Lee Theater were afforded the opportunity as they were figuratively transported to far-off lands during a celebration full of color, sound and exotic imagery at the CASCOM Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Observance.
The annual event, hosted this year by the 59th Ordnance Brigade and supported by the Installation Equal Opportunity Office, serves to further cultural understanding among community members and helps to develop working and living environments inclusive to all. Those in attendance included much of the installation leadership, including Maj. Gen. Darrell K. Williams, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, and his wife Myra.
AAPIHM focuses on the countries and cultures in Asia as well as the islands included in Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. This year’s local celebration included performances representing China, Vietnam, India, the islands of Polynesia and the Philippines.
Among the performances, one shedding light on Polynesian culture aroused the audience to another level, demonstrating war rituals and cries meant to intimidate enemies. The face-painted performers – numbering roughly 20 from the 832nd Ordnance Battalion – invaded the stage, scowling, growling and snarling to foot-stomping dance of bravado.
They were joined by another 50 or so of their comrades who quietly sat amongst audience members and eventually leapt from their seats, performing a similar growl and scowl number, startling many of the spectators.
Members of the 832nd Ord. Bn. also performed a Vietnamese hat dance.
Other performances included the Indian dance group, Fly with the Leader; the Halau Kahealani Dance group, which performed traditional Polynesian dances; a Filipino dance and trio; and the Middlteon Kung Fu and Fitness Center, whose members demonstrated a Chinese dragon dance.
Retired Navy Capt. Cynthia Macri, a former doctor of Japanese descent, was the guest speaker. She spoke about the Asian American experience in general and specifically about the internment camps of World War II, the mistreatment of Japanese American citizens and the Japanese American fighters who willingly joined the war effort to counter what many citizens thought of them.
“The bottom line is that these were Soldiers, American-born of Japanese descent, who wanted to prove their loyalty and who fought to prove their loyalty, not just for themselves but for their families who were still behind these barbed wire fences,” she said.
In addition to the cultural performances, a film was shown detailing the struggles and accomplishments of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Japanese American unit that fought during WWII, eventually becoming the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the U.S. military.
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2016 11:04 |
| Story ID: | 197927 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Celebration of culture -- Asian American, Pacific Islander event full of color, sound, expression, by Terrance Bell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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