I hesitated before making the phone call to order Mother’s Day brunch for myself and my teen daughter. It’s awkward to celebrate on your own. But with my husband on active military duty dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, I realized if I didn’t take action, the special day would pass without any celebration.
Having been a Marine's wife for 26 years, I’m an old hat at solo celebrations for self and child. This time he is stateside and we can reach him by phone. Other tours of duty have not been as easy.
May is Military Appreciation Month. It is a month to honor the sacrifices and service of all service members, and the month is filled with many anniversaries and events — from Armed Forces Day to Military Spouse Appreciation Day followed by the somber Memorial Day to remember those who gave their all. May is also Asian Pacific American Heritage month, honoring contributions of Asians to the United States. In Rochester, the month is filled with activities to highlight Asian culture.
Being an Asian American immigrant who is also a military spouse, I'm usually swamped in May. This year, the coronavirus has stripped away the public celebrations. But we should still take the time to reflect and remember.
The weeks in May in Rochester are truly special. On the military side, my Marine colonel husband is on the Armed Forces Day committee — an event that typically draws over 500 people each year. Volunteers work tirelessly to create a special event, featuring a military speaker, and a media speaker and a welcome to new members in local ROTC programs.
During Memorial Day weekend, towns across Monroe County remember the fallen. In Greece, a new group of veterans is honored each Memorial Day, and their names are engraved on the Gary Beikirch Veteran’s Memorial. In Brighton, a gathering at the Veterans Memorial honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. In downtown Rochester, a somber parade moves through East Avenue and Main Street to remember the fallen.
National Military Appreciation Month was declared by Congress in 1999 as a month-long observance. It’s a chance to thank all who have served or are serving — as without the selfless sacrifices, the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as Americans would not be available.
This is also a month to honor the contributions of Asian Americans. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a bill passed by Congress to extend Asian-American Heritage Week that began in 1978 to a month-long designation. May was officially named as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month two years later in 1992.
The month celebrates achievements and contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans with community festivals and educational activities for students. Here in Rochester, the Chinese Choral Society concert at Penfield High School and the Taiwanese Choral Society of Rochester concert in Rochester draw hundreds in the community to celebrate Asian culture through song and music. There is a reception afterwards at both events for friends to catch up with each other. It’s a joyous time to dress in your best while seeing friends. Losing those events is truly sad.
The U.S. Census shows that Asians Americans are the fastest growing minority group in New York state. In Monroe County, Asians account for 3.72% of the population. In 1980, there were about 5,400 people in Monroe County who identified as Asian. Thirty years later, in 2010, that count had jumped to 24,300, an increase of 350% — and it will sure increase with the 2020 Census. Many Asian Americans are serving on the front lines during the pandemic, working in medicine and other essential services.
Monroe County is also home to a large number of veterans, with over 60,000 having served out of the county’s 741,000 residents. There are many military and veterans organizations throughout the county to help and celebrate those who served.
The coronavirus shutdown means that the traditions honoring our diverse communities will not take place this May. But that shouldn’t hamper our remembrance. Take the time to pause and reflect and give thanks to our nation’s military and Asian Americans this May on the front lines of a most unusual war.
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Mary Chao has worked as a reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle for more than two decades, has been married to a Marine for more than a quarter century and pledged allegiance to the United States of America as a naturalized citizen 32 years ago.
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