The month of May is recognized as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. My Chinese-American father-in-law, Way T. Jue, served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II as a photographer on aircraft that flew over Europe. Aerial photos were taken during reconnaissance flights and combat missions to document results. He was stationed in England until the war ended. In recognition of their service during WWII, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor, to 20,000 Chinese-American veterans in a virtual ceremony in December 2020. This honor commemorated the patriotism of the thousands who signed up for active duty despite facing racial discrimination at home in the 1940s. Many of them were immigrants who did not yet qualify for American citizenship; nonetheless, they wanted to show their love for their adopted country. The custom-designed Congressional Gold Medal has the words, “Proudly Served as Americans” to recognize this. My family and I received Papa Jue’s posthumous award in November 2021 at an in-person ceremony at a VFW Museum. We couldn’t have been prouder of our family history in America.