May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it was set aside to honor and celebrate a diverse group of Americans and the rich culture they praise and celebrate every day. The Navy highlights the diversity and rich culture Asian American Pacific Islanders contribute to the force every year. 

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is no exception. The crew is comprised of a variety of backgrounds including Asian American Pacific Islanders who help the ship complete her mission every day.

“My uncle was in the Navy,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sheryl Pilcher from Manila, Philippines, a pharmacy technician assigned to George Washington. “The goal was to bring the family all back [to the United States] so we could all be together.”

For Pilcher’s family, the process of emigrating from the Philippines to the United States was a long one.

“I lived there until I was 18 years old,” said Pilcher. “I lived there my whole life. We had to wait to come here from a petition from my uncle. We had to wait forever. It took us 20 or 30 years to get petitioned. Some of my relatives didn’t even get to come here, because it took so long. Being Filipino means family for me, everybody is family for us.”

Master Chief Logistics Specialist Teddy Murao, the readiness leading chief petty officer for supply department, was born in the Philippines and was raised there until the age of 12. His family also possesses the mentality of keeping as close as possible.

“In 1989, the Navy asked what place you want to live in the U.S., so [my family] picked Hawaii because my uncle and my aunt lived there as well,” said Murao. “We got together, and we help each other out.”

Even after immigrating in America, the concept of keeping family close and having a strong family did not fall away.

“My heritage means a lot to me,” said Pilcher. “I always remember when I was young, every Sunday we would always go and visit my grandmother and then have lunch with her after church. That’s very important to me. Now having my own family and kids, I make sure that I take them to church, and afterward, we spend time with family.”

However, for Pilcher, the concept of family extends far past just a blood relation.

“Even after joining the Navy, whenever we have Thanksgiving or Christmas, if I see single Sailors I always invite them to have Christmas with my family,” said Pilcher.

Even though many cultures and upbringings make up the Navy, no culture is held higher than another.

“I like being in the Navy, because they tend to be accepting of other cultures,” said Pilcher.

Despite the acceptance, there is sometimes a misunderstanding when it comes to some of the cultural ideals of family that Asian American Pacific Islanders possess.

“A lot of misconception is that we have our own group, but it’s not about that,” said Murao, “We come together. We unite to help each other out and succeed. It’s a culture thing. We know how to get together, we know how to help each other out, we know how to cook, and we’re here to help everyone out. The misconception comes with the fact we’re always in a group, because we like to gather and talk and tell stories.”

This month, George Washington will host its Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration May 29.

“I feel happy and honored that the Navy is celebrating this [month] because there’s a lot of Asian American Pacific Islanders that are in the military that are doing so well,” said Pilcher. “I like it a lot. I am very grateful that they’re doing this for us. To show forth that Asians contribute to the Navy.”

The honor of the month of May by both the Navy and the nation does not go unappreciated.

“For the Navy to celebrate this month, to me, it’s a great opportunity to showcase what we’ve done for the entire nation,” said Murao. “It’s all about what we’ve done in the nation and the military. May is our month.”

To find out more about Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, you can visit www.asianpacificheritage.gov, attend the May 29 celebration, or just simply ask.

“We want to show everyone we’re here too,” said Murao, “We’re here to help everyone out.”

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