BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
When Poma Darasamay was five years old, her parents immigrated from Thailand to Hawaii.
The kindergartner spoke no English upon her arrival in the U.S. Over time, this new American, born to a Laotian mother and Thai father, said she lost touch with the culture she came from and found herself longing to reconnect.
“I guess I could say I was Americanized,” Darasamay said, while noting that her state, in particular, is a place where its residents get to experience a wide variety of backgrounds. “I am very fortunate to live in Hawaii. You get to experience everybody else’s culture. Their food, their culture, we all come from so many places.”
Decades later, as a retired Air Force staff sergeant and Defense Logistics Agency environmental protection specialist at the DLA Disposition Services site in Pearl Harbor, she realized she had missed out on some experiences that were an integral part of her family’s identity. Her mother had regularly attended Pi Mai – a traditional New Years celebration held in a Laotian-heavy enclave of Fort Worth – but declining health kept her home, so Poma attended in her stead. She was amazed at the experience and said she learned an incredible amount about her roots.
“People my age and younger – even kids – were honoring their traditions and speaking the language like it was their primary language. I missed all of that,” Darasamay said. “I have never experienced anything like it. … I love that at this age in my life, I’m still learning about my culture. Education is key. The more you learn, the better.”
That interaction and exposure helped prompt her to lead the sub-command’s regional observation of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“I wanted to make it more than just a briefing,” Darasamay said. “I wanted to make it fun, so you’d actually learn about peoples’ heritage.”
The first time she coordinated the month’s activities, she had agency personnel sample activities like origami and coconut leaf weaving. This past May, she upped the ante.
“I don’t want the event to be the same,” she said. “I want it to be engaging and new each year.”
This year was a celebration of ethnic foods and traditional games like chak ka yer – a Thai tug of war match that, long ago, could involve up to 50 humans pulling against an elephant competitor. According to Thai culture scholars, in ancient times, people relied on buffalos, bulls, horses and elephants to help log trees or move freight along dense forest and mountain roads. The ability to pull an animal along with a rope was valued, and the test of that ability became a competitive pastime.
Darasamay said the most recent heritage event had “good participation all around.” She’s already looking toward next year’s event, thinking about coordinating some traditional dance demonstrations. She’s proud of the event and hopes that it becomes something people look forward to.
“The world has evolved, our communities are embracing everything,” she said. “It’s like ‘wow, we can honor everyone’s tradition, language,’ and I love that the world is embracing everyone. Being different now is a good thing.”