With most of the CCIP participants having only arrived the previous weekend, the Memorial Day celebration on May 30th was a great opportunity for them to get a sense of both the culture and history of their temporary home. The sunshine also made it a perfect day to appreciate New York City in the spring.
The students had the opportunity to attend the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade. This annual parade has been held since 1927 and is considered the largest in the nation. Starting at 2 pm, the parade wound through the neighborhoods of Queens as crowds gathered to honor both veterans and those who had fallen in combat.
"I think the parade was a great way to honor this country's heroes," said Zhijing Jin (Maggie), a student from the University of Hong Kong who is a group and activity leader. "I feel like being a part of the celebration helped me appreciate America's history and the pride of those that are from here. This is a part of America that I've never known about."
At the parade, the students had the chance to meet Americans from different generations and hear their stories, making it a day to see different perspectives and gain all new insights.
"As a citizen of Singapore, a period of service in the uniformed services is compulsory. At this parade, I saw a very different side of military service and I felt a connection to those who served in this nation, " said Yang Le Lim from Nanyang Technological University who is interning at the District Office of Assembly Member Ronald Kim.
"It was fascinating to hear about the veterans' experiences and how much things have changed since they went to war. What they went through was so different from me that it really made me feel like I could understand a whole different life, " said Zhutian Yang (Skye) from Nanyang Technological University.
With the rest of the day, the students had more time to get to know each other. For most of the students, this was only their second week in the United States, so they enthusiastically compared notes on their first experiences here. The following day, the students returned to their internships with a fresh appreciation for their surroundings, and maybe a few sunburns.
