As the daughter of immigrants from the Philippines, I recall the joys and challenges of being a young second-generation Filipina American, navigating a world around me that was predominantly White. Even with my beautiful black hair, brown skin, and petite size, I found myself wanting to be skinny, tall and White with blonde or brown hair like my classmates, teachers, and the people I saw on television. I was aware of my identity as a Filipina American, but as a young girl, I did not take pride in it. To some degree, I was embarrassed about being so different from my classmates. I wanted to look like them and be like them. But growing up in a close-knit Filipino family provided me with many opportunities to experience the beauty of Filipino culture – through family gatherings, my mother’s delicious food, my cousins who moved to the United States from the Philippines, visits to the Philippines, and so much more. I just did not appreciate those experiences at the time.
Now as the mother of 3 kids, I want to share with them the richness of Filipino and Filipino American culture. I want them to take pride in their cultural identity, their unique beauty, their family heritage. I want them to learn the Filipino language, hear the traditional stories, experience the customs, and enjoy the food.
I was lucky to find a group of second-generation Filipino Americans who felt the same way. Together, through Katipunan, the Filipino-American Association of Maryland, we started the Katipunan Cultural School with the mission to engage, empower, and energize Filipino American youth to celebrate their culture and historic traditions. The program covers a variety of learning opportunities such as Filipino language, martial arts, cultural dance, food, and more. The pilot program was held in August 2017 and was so well-received that the Cultural School was offered in November and December that year with requests to continue offering this program. For 2018, students will learn about the “Regions of the Philippines” with each of the 3 sessions focusing on Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon. We look forward to continuing to build the program and encourage our youth to take pride in their Filipino cultural roots.