Pope celebrates Asian-Pacific Heritage Month Published May 27, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Cassandra Locke 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Senior Airman Richard Quino 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Job Title: Vehicle Equipment Maintainer Pacific Islander decent: Filipino (Filipinos are Asians, not pacific islander) When did you join the Air Force: Dec. 2, 2002 Why did you join the Air Force? To serve this country and give back to what the United States has done for me and my family. I also joined for education and good experience. What are you most proud of within your heritage: Filipinos highly value their families more than anything. Regardless of the liberal influence they have gotten from the West, the family has remained the basic unit of their society. Another Filipino trait is their strong respect for their elders. Children fighting, addressing parents or elder siblings with an arrogant tone is not tolerated. Another trait is their hospitality. What is one thing about your culture most people don't know about: The food is great and we brought it into the United States so everybody can have a piece of it, but not everybody knows that because they have never tried it, and we're great dancers.