YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’ Post

May is 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, and we are celebrating the history of Asian Pacific Islanders within the YMCA movement. Did you know that the first Chinese American YMCA was founded in San Francisco in 1911? To this day, the Chinatown YMCA plays a pivotal role in the community. Slide through this post to learn more: 𝗗𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗸𝘂 was a gold medal Olympic swimmer who trained at the Central Y, setting world records for the 400 and 500 relay races in 1916. Following his Olympic career retirement, Kahanamoku traveled and conducted swimming exhibitions—it was during this time that he popularized the sport of surfing in the United States, which previously had only been known in Hawaii. Born in 1914, 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗺𝗮 worked for the YMCA full time for 39 years—from 1941 through 1980—except for his time in a government internment camp during WWII. While in this camp, Hoshiyama created YMCA-based programs to help address the social, educational and recreational needs of the Japanese Americans held in the camp. He was also instrumental in revitalizing the YMCA student movement in the 1970s, and a scholarship in his name provides professional development for Y staff of Asian Pacific Islander heritage to this day. #APAHeritageMonth

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