When the shouted commands, “Taringa whakarongo! Kia rite, kia rite, kia mau!” were demanded of others, that immediately happened.

With a mixture of animated facial gestures and energetic body motions, Naval Hospital Bremerton's (NHB) 2019 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ceremony was highlighted by a performance of the Tika Tonu Haka, a traditional war dance from the Maori people of New Zealand.

According to Hospitalman Treye Wilcoxsonmaifea, master of ceremony, the haka has been performed for centuries by the Maori and other Polynesian cultures as a form of verbal - and visual - tradition.'

“This iconic haka calls for young people to look inside themselves where, ‘there you will find the integrity that will lead you out of trouble.’ The message of this haka is of challenge, struggle, perseverance, and achievement,” explained Wilcoxsonmaifea, of American Samoa heritage.

‘Taringa whakarongo’ translated into English is ‘pay attention.’ ‘Kia rite, kia rite, kia mau’ means, ‘listen up, take your stance!’

Oahu, Hawai’i native Hospitalman Brendan Takamori lead the performance, along with Hospital Corpsman Third Class Rommel Fenis from American Samoa, Hospitalman Marc Arriaga from Texas, and were joined by family of other NHB staff members. The inclusion helped to bring focus on this year's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month theme, 'connecting to our roots; unite our mission by engaging each other.'

Guest speaker Lt. Mari M. Moffitt, registered dietitian nutritionist and NHB Combined Food Operations/Nutrition Management head, readily acknowledged that as a fourth generation Japanese-American, she really didn’t dwell much on her family history growing up.

“I was raised on country music and mac-and-cheese. But I thought about what my grandfather used to say, ‘remember your roots.’ We remember. My grandfather’s story altered our family history. When war broke out (in the Pacific during WWII), he was forced to stay in America and not return back to Japan. By remembering our own roots, we help honor our people and their history in the U.S,” shared Moffitt, noting that because of her grandfather, all his grandchildren have succeeded in a variety of professional fields, including as Army and Navy officers.

“This ceremony celebrates and honors the many contributions to our nation by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” added Cmdr. Michael Grande, acting Executive Officer.

NHB’s Diversity Council coordinated the annual event on May 30, 2019, as a way to showcase Asian American and Pacific Islander tradition, history and culture in front of staff members, family, and friends.

The event also included an Asian and Pacific gallery set up that included geographical information on Asia and Pacific island nations, traditional clothing and hand-made jewelry and accessories from the Marshall Islands, and history and images of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a U.S. Army unit comprised almost entirely of Japanese Americans from Hawai’i and the mainland U.S.

Wilcoxsonmaifea noted that since 1977, the month of May has been the time to recognize the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the American story.

Sailors of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage comprise approximately 6.5 percent of active duty Navy personnel. There are currently over 20,000 active duty Sailors, approximately 4,000 Reservists and about 18,900 civilians of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage.

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843 and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks of that nation-tying railway were Chinese immigrants.

It was on October 5, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution designating the annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage week. A dozen years later, then-President George H.W. Bush signed an extension, turning the weeklong celebration into a month-long observation.

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