Priyanka Wahdawan
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made unique and extensive contributions to American history and will continue to play a role in the future .
These people are comprised of several ethnic groups and countries , 48 countries and 65 ethnic groups to be exact , and have a rich heritage and culture . Broadly , Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia ( New Guinea , New Caledonia , Vanuatu , Fiji and the Solomon Islands ), Micronesia ( Marianas , Guam , Wake Island , Palau , Marshall Islands , Kiribati , Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia ) and Polynesia ( New Zealand , Hawaiian Islands , Rotuma , Midway Islands , Samoa , American Samoa , Tonga , Tuvalu , Cook Islands , French Polynesia and Easter Island ).
Like most commemorative months , Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill . In June 1977 , Reps . Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y . Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week . The following month , senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate . Both were passed . On October 5 , 1978 , President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration . Twelve years later , President George H . W . Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration . In 1992 , the official designation of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law .
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 were Chinese immigrants .
As the Los Angeles District gears up to celebrate Asian American and Pacific islanders ’ Heritage Month , let ’ s take some time to remember the
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EEO Three events planned to focus on heritage month
history , heritage and challenges of this diverse group of people . To that end , our committee is proud to present two events with dynamic guest speakers and a cultural food tasting this month .
The first event will be May 7 , from 12 p . m . to 2 p . m ., with the Los Angeles District hosting guest speaker Gita Desai , a film maker and writer who will screen clips of her PBS shown documentary “ Yoga Unveiled ” and then engage in audience discussion . Harnessing the colorful commentary of the most prominent yoga scholars , teachers and medical experts , “ Yoga Unveiled ” reveals how yoga began , tells the story of yoga ’ s passage to the West , describes its numerous branches , recounts the fascinating biographies of the foremost yoga masters , and explores yoga ’ s astonishing medical potential .
Then , there will be a cultural food tasting on May 16 , from 11 a . m . to 1 p . m ., and we hope it will be a fun and social gathering for employees to come together and taste the various cuisines of Asia . The dishes will be set up buffet style and grouped according to regions . Participants will have a flier next to their dishes with the name of the entrée / dessert , region of origin and key ingredients . It will be the choice of participants to wear ethnic dress .
The third event is a presentation and discussion by guest speaker Nazli Ghassemi , author of the book “ Desert Mojito .” The book is a humorous fiction , which brings into light the
“ Yoga Unveiled is a one-of-a-kind documentary film that covers the most comprehensive overview of the yoga tradition in its true essence . An artistic and inspirational triumph . It should be viewed by all !” — Deepak Chopra , M . D .
Nazli Ghassemi has a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Univ . of California . She is now working on her next book .
new meanings that love , seduction , romance , religion and tradition take on as the ‘ mysterious ’ East clashes with the ‘ wild ’ West in the middle of the desert , in the Middle East , in Dubai . Nazli Ghassemi ( a former engineer herself ) will discuss the creative process as healing , a writer ’ s journey , growing up in the Middle East and the competitive world of publishing . For those of us in the technical fields who would like to unleash our inner writer or artist , this is a must-attend event .
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Don ’ t download the new TSP app from the Apple App store . It ’ s bogus , and may be an effort to steal your account information .
According to a notice posted on the official Thrift Savings Account website , the Thrift Savings Plan has no official connection with any third party mobile or Web application .
These apps typically ask you to input confidential account information . While there are some legitimate applications out there , it is also possible for criminals to create a cell phone app , use it to lure individuals into giving up account numbers and passcodes , and then use the information to steal from your accounts . Any use of a third-party app may jeopardize the security of your Thrift Savings Plan accounts , warn TSP officials .
Bogus apps aren ’ t the only security threat out there . There are a number of ways criminals could potentially target the money in your thrift savings plan . It behooves plan participants to understand the ways that TSP officials communicate , so you can more reliably identify any attempt at fraud .
1 .) Don ’ t give up your passcode , account number , PIN , Social Security number , or any other sensitive information to any contact from email , telephone or direct mail . Some scammers will try to convince you that they are doing a ‘ security update ’ of TSP accounts and email or call you , and direct you to a convincing-looking Web site to ‘ verify ’ your account information . You will never see any such request from the TSP .
2 .) Never follow a link from an email account . The official TSP Web site is www . tsp . gov . If it doesn ’ t have a ‘. gov ’ domain , it ’ s not the TSP .
3 .) You will get mail from the TSP from time to time . All TSP mail comes postmarked Birmingham , Alabama . Also , all correspondence you receive from the TSP will already have your account number on it . Any correspondence from the TSP that doesn ’ t include your account number should be viewed with caution .
HUMAN RESOURCES SCAM report : TSP app could target accounts
4 .) No one at the TSP needs to know your password and PIN . Never give it out to someone contacting you claiming to be with the TSP .
5 .) Know the official TSP contact info .
* ThriftLine ( 1-TSP-YOU-FRST , 1-877-
968-3778 ) * Fax number ( 1-866-817-5023 ) * TDD ( 1-TSP-THRIFT5 , 1-877-847-
4385 )
* TSP website , www . tsp . gov or By writing to the TSP at P . O . Box 385021 , Birmingham , Alabama , 35238
6 .) Never call the TSP directly from a number provided to you in an email . Always go to the TSP Website ( or bookmark this article ) and get the phone numbers from there .
7 .) Don ’ t worry about threats to your account status . You will never hear legitimate TSP officials tell you your account will be closed if you don ’ t provide sensitive information to a Web site or telephone representative .
8 .) Use a secure browser . Per the TSP :
The TSP website is secured with an “ extended validation certificate .” This simply means that if you visit www . tsp . gov and attempt to access your account using a high-security browser , the color
Graphic by David A . Salazar
green will appear in one of the following forms ( depending on the type of browser you are using ): * The address bar may turn green . * An icon from the Web server may appear with a green background . * “ Thrift Savings Plan ” may appear with a green background .
* The appearance of the green color is a sure indication that you are NOT on a bogus TSP website . If the green does not appear , it could indicate a bogus website or it may simply mean that your browser cannot use the extended validation feature . In this case , stay suspicious and move on to the following verification steps .
* The address bar at the top left on your browser should display www . tsp . gov .
* When you enter account access to input your account number ( or user ID ) and password , the address bar on your browser should change from “ http ://” to “ https ://” and the security lock padlock icon should appear .
If the padlock icon appears somewhere else on the page ( such as at the bottom ) but it does not also appear in the address bar at the top of your browser page , you are not on the TSP website .
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