In the immortal words of Capt. Jean Luc-Picard, "Reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated."

Immigration in the past included the idea that when you came to America you should drop your heritage at the port-of-entry and assimilate into American culture.

America was much like the Borg of Star Trek fame, taking in various cultures, destroying them and making the survivors part of the hive.

If your ancestors came to America many years ago, they anxiously anticipated the day they could drop the hyphen from their title.

Times have changed.

America’s goal is now diversity, the salad bowl rather than the melting pot.

This philosophy is to maintain your culture’s identity and make it part of the American culture.

The EVC Office of Diversity, Asian-Pacific American Association and ASPIRE brought talk show host, author, journalist, broadcaster, translator, documentary producer and public speaker Nguyen Qui Duc to speak at Montgomery Hall, kicking off Asian-Pacific American Month on May 7.

A good crowd was in attendance to hear Nguyen, who is best known for his weekly radio show on KQED called Pacific Time

He’s also authored, compiled and translated a number of books, and is working on a screenplay with Francis Ford Coppola, based on Christopher Hunt’s book, Sparring with Charlie.

Nguyen spoke about the new challenges of dual rolls, maintaining his Vietnamese heritage while simultaneously becoming part of the American culture.

The crowd responded well to Nguyen and his message, with half the time dedicated to a question and answer period.

Regardless if you are a hyphenated American or not, during these month-long celebrations we should all consider the best ways to include diverse cultures while sharing American ideals.