Mabuhay mga kaibigan! It’s September 30th, and that means October is right around the corner -- aka Filipino American History Month! This post will be the first of many that your Barkada E-board will be posting throughout the month :) We wanted to start off by saying that FAHM is about history rather than heritage. Heritage is about traditions being passed down through generations -- things like the mano po or having a kamayan. For FAHM, the focus is on history -- events, milestones, and influential people of the past. Some people that are on this (long!) list include Cristeta Comerford (the first woman and also Asian White House Executive chef) or Astrid S. Tuminez (the first female president of Utah Valley University). Although Filipino Americans make up the second largest group of Asian Amerians in the U.S., FAHM was only officially recognized in 2009 (thanks President Obama!) after being originally proposed by the Filipino American National Historical Society in 1991. Not only do Filipino Americans make up ⅕ of Asian Americans, they also play a large role in American history, starting even before America itself. FAHM commemorates the arrival of the first Filipinos (and first Asians in general) in the US in what is now known as Morro Bay, California, in 1587. That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, yet this fact is hardly recognized. Filipino American history continues through the Philippine-American War in 1899, and the next 50 years of American occupation of the Philippines. Despite the years of American colonization and the importance of Fil-Am figures throughout American history, these stories are never told in modern day textbooks. It is rarely mentioned that a large part of WWII was fought in the Philippines, and that a quarter of a million of American veterans were Filipino American themselves. And only few have heard of Larry Itliong, a Filipino American who led the labor movement in the 1930’s, demanding minimum wage for migrant workers. With the lasting effects of Amercian colonization in the Philippines, from language, to colonial mentality, to pop culture, and the influence Filipino Americans have had in American society, we take time this month to celebrate the lasting effects of these Filipino-American stories. Throughout the month, we’ll be posting more of these types of articles going more in depth into important historical moments of Filipino American history, so be sure to keep up with us! Hopefully through this, you learn a little more about the rich history of Filipino Americans. Our presence as a culture might seem small to those around us, but Filipino Americans have had a larger impact than you might think! We’ll see you in the next post :) - calapotato and blogbykt
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BIGGIE: Allan Wong, Alumni (‘19), Bioengineering
smalls: Lance Barcelona, 5th Year (‘20), Computer Engineering Family: Lineage -- Describe your relationship with your BIGGIE/smalls! A: My smalls has the best heart and is always down to chill, hangout, and just be goofballs together at our apartments. We've made so many memories throughout my time at Northeastern and the best part is that we can always be ourselves around each other. Even after rare periods of not seeing each other for a while, the amazing thing is that we can easily pick up where we left off and I think that's something really special. L: My BIGGIE has got to be the biggest supporter of everything I do. He is always there when I need him and even though he graduated and is back in his home state, he still manages to find ways to cheer me on in whatever it is I am doing. -- What’s something you’ve learned from your BIGGIE/smalls? A: My smalls is always so positive and crazy wise for his age. On top of knowing a ton about bikes, he has this amazing gift of knowing exactly what to say and can turn any negative thoughts around. I've always been independent and have relied on me, myself, and I to get through the rough times, but having someone like Lance in my life really helped me realize that it's okay to be vulnerable and have the support of other people as well. L: From him, I learned that hard work and determination can get you everything you want! When I watch him do everything that he does, whether it's on the stage or in his professional life, he seems like he can take on anything! -- What’s one of your favorite moments with your BIGGIE/smalls? A: Going on Spring Break together not once, but TWICE in Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was amazing. One memory I'll never forget was when Lance and I were edged out of our plane departing to Cancun due to overbooking. We took the L for a small reimbursement and had to take a later flight with a layover in Atlanta. We had plenty of BIGGIEsmalls bonding time during our travels and eventually were reunited with the rest of our friends! L: One of my favorite moments with my BIGGIE has got to be the day that he picked me up as a smalls. Right after the reveal we got to celebrate his birthday through dinner with friends and some late night shenanigans. It was the first time I felt at home at Northeastern and things just got even better from then on. |
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