In June of 2018, I was graced with the opportunity to graduate from my dream school, the University of California, Los Angeles. I was surrounded by friends and family, my head buried from the countless stoles and cords that symbolized…
I wasn’t always in touch with my cultural heritage. Growing up, I listened to Tagalog and Ilocano tongues being spoken among my family members, but they seemed to use it only when they didn’t want me to know what they…
“It’s hard to be a Filipino in California” – Carlos Bulosan Last January, I had the opportunity to join our fellow EPYC ambassadors at our retreat in Seattle. Our weekend was jam-packed with meetings at Microsoft, late night boba runs,…
Over the years, I have discovered and explored my passion for Pilipinx and Pilipinx American advocacy and activism. Why is this important to me you ask? Growing up, my parents wanted me to assimilate to American culture and only taught…
Growing up, I found myself toeing the line between my Filipino and my American identities, never finding the perfect balance between the two. I would visit my family in the Philippines, speak fluent Tagalog, and still be treated as the…
Coming to the United States as a nine-year-old, I did not expect what challenges I had to face being in this great land of opportunity. Of course, as I was told countless times by my parents that the main reason…
My experience as a Filipino American is a very atypical one. You see I am half Filipino. My dad is Filipino and my mom is Italian and Indigenous American. I lived in Manila for 5 years of my life and…
Every story begins with a love story, but like in every plot there is some tension that is bound to arise. Ever since immigrating to the United States since I was 7, I had this constant conflict in my mind.…
One of the biggest exports that the Philippines has is its people. So, it was not an uncommon thing for me and my family to leave all of our familiarities behind in search of better opportunities abroad. At just five…
“Alyssa, you’re so Filipino.” With the Filipino flag in my Instagram bio and my weekly stories about TUPAC (Temple University Philippine American Council), I knew my friend was right; I am really Filipino. But is that really so bad? ‘Being Filipino’ may…
