Every month of May we proudly celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
I am Fely Shuler, a member of the Asian Pacific American Heritage (APAH) Luau group since 1997, the project officer /manager of the McGuire Air Force Base APAH since 2001 until present. I coordinate different groups of different nationalities and get everyone together once a year to volunteer and showcase their cultures. Among the countries are Philippines, Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and India just to name a few.
Our group is called “Pearls of the Pacific” a group that was created and been performing since 2001. We are the finale of this event and we showcase the different dances of the Islands. From tradition to modern dances from Hawaiian, Tahitian, Polynesian, Samoan, and Maori dances from New Zealand.
The “Pearls of the Pacific” is not just a group but we are “Ohana” which means Family. We learn to set aside our differences and dance in unity and harmony. It brings us as one strong group and showing this to others will make them inspired that no matter how different you are and where you came from, you can belong to something special and amazing. The differences only make us stronger as a nation, and we are united despite of our difference. We the “Pearls of the Pacific” are active participants in our country’s role as a leader of international harmony and wear that mantle of pride and dignity and vows to pursue our country’s ideals of freedom and justice for all.
