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>> HI, I'M BILL NELSON.
MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN
AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
HERITAGE MONTH.
WE HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS
OF OUR AAPI COLLEAGUES.
IN THE US, AND RIGHT HERE
AT NASA, OUR STRENGTH
IS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR PEOPLE,
THE IDEAS, THEIR TALENTS.
REMEMBER OUR U.S. MOTTO,
E PLURIBUS UNUM,
"OUT OF MANY, ONE."
AND SO THIS YEAR'S
NATIONAL AAPI MONTH THEME
IS ADVANCING LEADERS
THROUGH PURPOSE DRIVEN SERVICE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPOWER
OTHERS TO SERVE WITH
THE UNDERSTANDING THAT
OUR GREATEST MISSION IS TO MAKE
THE EARTH A BETTER PLACE
AND ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE
FOR EVERYONE ON IT.
OUR ASTRONAUTS DO THAT.
ON THE ISS, THEY CARRY OUT
GROUNDBREAKING SCIENCE
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO
UNLOCKING DISCOVERIES,
AND THOSE DISCOVERIES
SOLVE PROBLEMS
AND TREAT DISEASES
HERE ON EARTH.
AND THEY'RE ALSO DOING
NEEDED RESEARCH THAT EVENTUALLY
WILL LAND AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS
ON MARS.
>> HI, MY NAME IS
SUNITA WILLIAMS.
I AM A NASA ASTRONAUT
AND HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH
TO FLY TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
TWO TIMES, ONCE ON
THE US SHUTTLE,
AND THE SECOND TIME
ON THE RUSSIAN SOYUZ.
>> ANNYEONGHASEYO.
MY NAME IS JOHNNY KIM,
AND I'M A NASA ASTRONAUT
AND NAVAL OFFICER.
AND I'M A FIRST GENERATION
KOREAN AMERICAN.
>> NI HAO MA.
MY NAME IS KJELL LINDGREN.
I AM A NASA ASTRONAUT.
I AM ASIAN AMERICAN,
CHINESE ON MY MOM'S SIDE.
>> NAMASTE.
MY NAME IS RAJA CHARI.
AND I'M AN AIRFORCE TEST PILOT
AND NASA ASTRONAUT.
>> MY PARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS
FROM SOUTH KOREA.
THEY MOVED TO AMERICA
BEFORE I WAS BORN
SO THAT THEIR CHILDREN
COULD HAVE A BRIGHTER FUTURE.
>> MY PARENTS HAD
THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON ME.
THEIR HERITAGE AND TRADITIONS
HAVE MADE ME THE PERSON
I AM TODAY.
MY FATHER, AN IMMIGRANT
FROM INDIA, AND MY MOTHER
OF SLOVENIAN DESCENT,
WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN
SHAPING ME AS A PERSON
AND AS AN EXPLORER.
>> MY MOM WAS BORN IN
HUBEI PROVINCE OF CHINA,
AND THEN MOVED TO TAIWAN
IN THE LATE FORTIES
AND EARLY FIFTIES.
MY DAD WAS IN THE US AIR FORCE
AND WAS STATIONED IN, UH,
TAIWAN DURING VIETNAM
AND THAT'S WHERE THEY MET.
I WAS BORN IN TAIWAN
AND SPENT THE FIRST TWO YEARS
OF MY LIFE THERE.
>> MY FATHER IMMIGRATED
FROM HYDERABAD, INDIA
IN PURSUIT OF HIGHER EDUCATION,
AND HIS COURAGE TO TURN HIS LIFE
UPSIDE DOWN TO COME HERE
AND EMPHASIS AND APPRECIATION
OF EDUCATION BEING A PRIVILEGE
YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR
WAS SOMETHING THAT SHAPED
MY ENTIRE LIFE.
>> MY HERITAGE HAS SHAPED
MY LIVED EXPERIENCES.
IT HAS TAUGHT ME PERSPECTIVE,
AND IT'S SHOWN ME THAT DIVERSITY
STRENGTHENS OUR BONDS
AND ENABLES
POWERFUL ACHIEVEMENTS.
>> I'M HUMBLED BY
MY FATHER'S SENSE
OF ADVENTURE AS HE LEFT
HIS HOME COUNTRY
ESSENTIALLY BY HIMSELF
TO LEARN HOW OTHER PEOPLE
WORK AND THINK.
I'M IN AWE OF MY MOM
WHO DEDICATED HERSELF
TO SUPPORTING MY DAD
AND RAISING MY BROTHER,
SISTER, AND ME
TO BE UNDERSTANDING,
INCLUSIVE, AND TOLERANT
OF PEOPLE FROM ALL
DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE.
TOGETHER THEY TAUGHT ME
NOT TO BE AFRAID OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM ME,
BUT TO EMBRACE
THEIR THOUGHT PROCESSES,
THEIR POINTS OF VIEW,
AND HAVE CONFIDENCE
TO SHARE MY OWN.
>> I TREASURE
THAT CHINESE PART
OF MY HERITAGE, UH,
THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS
THAT WE WOULD CELEBRATE
IN OUR FAMILY.
MY CHINESE GRANDPARENTS
ULTIMATELY MOVED TO THE US,
AND SO EVERY YEAR,
CHINESE NEW YEAR
REALLY REPRESENTED A TIME FOR
OUR FAMILY TO ALL GATHER THERE
AND CELEBRATE WITH FOOD
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS,
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT
I'VE TREASURED AND CONTINUED
TO HOLD ONTO, AND EVEN
CELEBRATE WITH MY OWN FAMILY.
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>> I'M BLESSED TO BE PART
OF AN ORGANIZATION
WHERE INDIAN AMERICANS PLAY
KEY ROLES, FROM OPERATING
ON ORBIT, TO DRIVING
THE ENGINEERING
AND SCIENCE DECISIONS THAT
MAKE SPACE EXPLORATION POSSIBLE.
>> WE'VE ALL HAD
THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE
IN OUR LIVES, UH, A MENTOR,
A PARENT, SOMEONE THAT WE LOVE
THAT HAS HELPED US ALONG
OUR JOURNEY.
>> I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY,
WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT
THIS OPPORTUNITY,
THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING
AS AN ASTRONAUT IS NOT
AN INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT,
BUT REALLY REPRESENTS
THE INVESTMENT OF, UM,
A WHOLE NETWORK,
A WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE
OVER THE COURSE OF A JOURNEY.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE
TO GET TO SERVE THE AGENCY,
OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE NATION
AS A NASA ASTRONAUT.
>> I THINK MY PARENTS
ARE MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION
IN MY LIFE.
THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO SEE
PROBLEMS AS CHALLENGES INSTEAD.
AND SHOWED ME THAT THERE ARE
MORE IMPORTANT VALUES IN LIFE
THAN THE MATERIAL THINGS
THAT STRESS PEOPLE OUT.
THEY TAUGHT ME TO APPRECIATE
DIFFERENT CULTURES
AND TRADITIONS,
INCLUDING GREAT FOOD.
>> WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY PATH,
MY GRANDFATHER COMES TO MIND.
HE WAS A SOUTH KOREAN IMMIGRANT
AND WORKED REALLY HARD
HIS ENTIRE LIFE,
AND HOW HE LIVES THROUGH ME
IS THE HUMBLE LEADERSHIP,
THE MORAL COURAGE,
AND THE GRACE AND RESPECT
HE TAUGHT ME TO GIVE
EVERYONE I MEET
ALONG THIS JOURNEY.
>> OVER THE COURSE
OF MY JOURNEY,
I THINK BACK AND REALLY
CREDIT MY PARENTS,
FIRST AND FOREMOST,
FOR PROVIDING ME WITH
THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE,
THE ATMOSPHERE,
AND THE INSPIRATION,
TELLING ME THAT, UH,
IF I HAD THIS GOAL
OF BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT,
I JUST NEEDED TO WORK HARD
TO MAKE THAT DREAM COME TRUE,
AND SO I AM SO GRATEFUL
FOR THAT INITIAL INSPIRATION
FROM THEM.
THIS DESIRE TO WORK
AS AN ASTRONAUT,
I THINK REALLY CAME FROM
A LOVE OF SCIENCE FICTION, UH,
MOVIES AND BOOKS
WHEN I WAS YOUNG,
BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL
MY SECOND GRADE TEACHER
WHEELED THE TELEVISION
INTO OUR CLASSROOM TO WATCH
THE COLUMBIA LAUNCH BACK IN 1981
THAT IT REALLY CLICKED FOR ME
THAT THIS WAS A JOB,
A REAL POSSIBILITY,
AND THAT ABSOLUTELY CAPTURED
MY IMAGINATION.
>> IT MEANS HAVING
THE PRIVILEGE TO PROVIDE
REPRESENTATION AND A VOICE
TO YOUNG KIDS WHO WANT TO DREAM,
WHO DESERVE EVERY RIGHT
TO PURSUE THOSE DREAMS,
AND WHO NEED TO HAVE ROLE MODELS
THEY CAN IDENTIFY WITH.
>> I REMEMBER WATCHING
ELLISON ONIZUKA PREPARE
FOR HIS MISSION,
SEEING HIM ON TELEVISION,
AND THAT REALLY INSPIRED ME.
AND, UH, AND OF COURSE
WAS ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN
AT THE LOSS OF CHALLENGER
AND COMING FULL CIRCLE, UM,
SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO GO TO HAWAII DURING
MY POST FLIGHT
AND TO SHARE THE MESSAGE
OF HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT,
OF, UM, OF REACHING FOR GOALS
AND INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES.
GETTING TO DO THAT, UH,
IN ELLISON'S, UM--
IN ELLISON'S COMMUNITY.
>> TOGETHER, WE'RE PLANTING
SEEDS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
>> TO ME, PURPOSE DRIVEN SERVICE
MEANS HAVING A CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU
WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
OF WHY YOU'RE DOING
WHAT YOU'RE DOING,
AND PICKING SOMETHING THAT
MAKES YOU WANT TO GIVE IT
YOUR ALL.
>> I AM SO LUCKY TO BE
A PART OF NASA,
WORKING ON PROGRAMS
THAT ARE MUCH BIGGER
THAN MYSELF.
I CAME FROM THE NAVY,
WHICH SHOWED ME THROUGH SERVICE
TO OTHERS, WHAT A TEAM
CAN ACCOMPLISH.
AS A NEXT STEP IN MY CAREER,
NASA WAS A NATURAL PROGRESSION
INCLUDING PEOPLE FROM
MANY DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS.
>> IN THE AIRFORCE,
ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES
IS SERVICE BEFORE SELF
AND OUR ROLE AT NASA
IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL,
SO I CAN'T THINK
OF BETTER PURPOSES TO HAVE
ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> FOR ME, IT'S BEEN THAT LIFE
THAT'S GUIDED MY PATH,
AND WAS FIRST REALIZED
DURING MY SERVICE AS
A NAVAL SPECIAL OPERATOR,
AND NOW AS A NAVAL OFFICER
IN THE NASA ASTRONAUT CORE.
THE THING WITH
PURPOSE DRIVEN SERVICE
IS THAT IT'S SUSTAINABLE
AND THAT IT IMPROVES THE LIVES
OF EVERYONE AROUND US.
>> TOGETHER WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED
GREAT THINGS, LIKE BUILDING
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
IN LOWER ORBIT.
>> MY PARENTS, MY FAMILY
REALLY EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE
OF SERVICE, AND I WAS INSPIRED
BY MY DAD'S EXAMPLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN SCOUTING,
AND, UM, AND ULTIMATELY
TO JOIN THE AIRFORCE AND SERVE--
SERVE OUR COUNTRY, UM,
IN THAT WAY AS WELL,
AND NOW I HAVE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE
THE AGENCY, TO SERVE
OUR COMMUNITY, TO SERVE
THE NATION, UM, IN THIS ROLE
AS A NASA ASTRONAUT,
EXTENDING OUR PRESENCE
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
AND IMPROVING LIFE BACK HERE
ON EARTH.
>> IT HELPS LEAVE THIS WORLD
A BETTER PLACE,
BECAUSE IN A HUNDRED YEARS,
IT WON'T MATTER WHAT CAR
WE DRIVE OR WHAT HOUSE
WE LIVE IN, BUT THE IMPACT
WE LEAVE BEHIND
AROUND THOSE WE LOVE,
THAT WILL REMAIN.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE WHEN I THINK
ABOUT PURPOSE DRIVEN SERVICE
IS FROM THE LATE
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.,
WHO SAID THAT EVERYONE HAS
THE POWER FOR GREATNESS.
NOT FOR FAME, BUT GREATNESS,
BECAUSE GREATNESS IS DETERMINED
BY SERVICE, AND I LOVE
THIS QUOTE BECAUSE DR. KING
GOT IT RIGHT.
IS THAT OUR LIVES
ARE FULFILLED AND THE LIVES
OF THE PEOPLE WE LOVE
ARE FULFILLED WHEN WE HAVE
A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE.
>> WHEN I THINK ABOUT SERVICE,
THE WHOLE POINT OF IT
IS TO REALLY MINIMIZE
OUR OWN SELF INTERESTS
AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO
IMPROVE THE LIVES
AND WELL BEING OF THOSE
AROUND US, OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I SEE THAT IN MY--
IN MY OWN PERSONAL JOURNEY.
UH, THE INVESTMENTS THAT
SO MANY MADE
TO HELP ME SUCCEED,
AND SO I THINK FOR ANY OF US
THAT ARE IN POSITIONS
OF LEADERSHIP AND LOOK BACK
AND REFLECT ON OUR OWN JOURNEYS,
WE REALLY, UH, RELISH
THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOW
INVEST IN OTHERS
AND TO SEE OTHERS SUCCEED,
TO HELP EMPOWER THEM
IN THEIR JOBS AND ACCOMPLISHING
THEIR MISSIONS, AND THEN, UH,
ULTIMATELY TO HELP THEM
ACHIEVE THEIR-THEIR GOALS,
SO WHAT A PRIVILEGE NOW
TO BE ABLE TO COME FULL CIRCLE
AND HELP INVEST IN OTHERS
IN THEIR JOURNEY.
>> WORKING AND FLYING IN SPACE
SIDE BY SIDE WITH PEOPLE FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLD IS TRULY
SHOWCASING WHAT HUMANS CAN DO
WHEN THEY WORK TOGETHER.
I AM HUMBLED TO PART
OF THIS ADVENTURE.
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>> WE ARE AT AN EXCITING TIME
FOR HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT.
WE HAVE BEEN LIVING AND WORKING
ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION FOR OVER 20 YEARS,
GATHERING, UM, EXPERIENCES
AND KNOWLEDGE THAT ARE GONNA
HELP US FOR OUR NEXT STEPS.
WE HAVE THE MOON AHEAD OF US,
AND THEN MARS AND BEYOND,
AND SO IT'S AN INCREDIBLY
EXCITING TIME, UH, TO BE,
UH, LIVING AND WORKING
IN LOWER ORBIT.
>> MY HOPE IS THAT ARTEMIS
PUSHES HUMANITY TO EXPLORE
THE MOON, MARS, AND BEYOND
THE TECHNOLOGY AND DISCOVERIES
THAT AWAIT WILL HELP US SOLVE
EXISTENTIAL PROBLEMS WE FACE
HERE ON EARTH, AND HELP
ALL RACES, NATIONALITIES,
AND ETHNICITIES TOGETHER.
>> AS WE GO INTO THE COSMOS,
AND EXPAND OUR REACH
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
I WANT US ALL TO REMEMBER
THE HUMAN CONNECTIONS WE ALL
SHARE WITH EACH OTHER,
WITH OUR LIVED EXPERIENCES.
AS WE EMBARK ON
THESE FUTURE MISSIONS,
I HOPE THAT WE TAKE TO HEART,
UH, THE LESSONS OF
THE PAST 20 YEARS.
UM, AS YOU LOOK TO ALL
THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
INCORPORATE INTO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEAN
ON THEIR EXPERIENCES
AND THE VERY BEST
OF THEIR EXPERTISE
AS WE MOVE FORWARD
TO THE FUTURE,
AS WE STRIVE FOR THE MOON,
AND STRIVE FOR MARS,
I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
THAT WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER,
THAT WE HAVE TO LEAN
ON EACH OTHER AND LEAN
ON THAT DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE
AND BACKGROUND IN ORDER
TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
>> WE AT NASA
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
TO LEAVE LOW EARTH ORBIT.
IT JUST SEEMS FITTING
THAT WE GO AS HUMAN BEINGS
FROM EARTH.
HONESTLY, WE ALL LIVE
HERE ON THIS ONE PLANET,
THIS ONE BEACON IN SPACE,
SO IT ALMOST SEEMS LOGICAL
THAT WHEN WE LEAVE EARTH,
WE MUST GO TOGETHER,
REPRESENTING ALL OF US.
>> BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY
IT WILL WORK IS IF WE'RE ALL IN.
>> KINDNESS, COMPASSION,
GRACE, AND COLLABORATION
ARE THE BEST TRAITS
THAT MAKE US HUMAN,
AND WE ALL HAVE A CONTRIBUTION
IN THIS EFFORT
OF PLANTING THE SEEDS
FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
>> I KNOW THAT'S A TALL ORDER,
BUT ONE THAT WE AS HUMAN BEINGS
CAN ACHIEVE.
WE ARE UP FOR THE TASK
OF WORKING TOGETHER
TO ACHIEVE EVEN GREATER THINGS
THAN WE CAN IMAGINE.
>> THANK YOU FOR OBSERVING
ASIAN AMERICAN
AND PACIFIC ISLANDER
HERITAGE MONTH WITH NASA.
GAMSAHABNIDA.
>> ALAVIDA.
>> PEACE, AND NAMASTE.
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