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.
MilitaryHandbook. com
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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