#fahm2015

[thesundayjump]

Steady (#WriteSteady) performs "A Letter to Manong Larry Itliong" to recognize Filipino-American and Mexican-American solidarity at the Larry Itliong Celebration in the City of Carson. #FilAm #Filipino #Chicano #Xicano #Xicana #FAHM #FAHM2015 #PAHM #PAHM2015 #LarryItliongDay #Community #Solidarity #KnowHistory #Poetry #SpokenWord #SlamPoetry #CityOfCarson #LivePerformance

[themaharlikans]

Changing the game!!! Check out @buzzfeed article on the making of NYC's Filipino Renaissance (link in bio). "Together---and with many of our friends and colleagues---want you to know there is a #filipinorenaissance going on around the world. Let your passion and #filipinoamerican heritage lead towards excellence, perseverance and service towards others." - @nicole_ponseca . Special thanks to @lizcas7 and @kevinnadal for this gathering and Filipino excellence! #fahm2015 #filipinoamericanhistorymonth #entrepinoy #leaders #pinoys

[xpo125]

Filipino American History Month--Day 31 of 31

October is Filipino American History Month (FAHM)! The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), which created and spearheaded the efforts to establish FAHM, convenes a biennial conference. In June 2016, the conference will be in New York City. This will be FANHS’s 16th conference, and will be held at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The conference theme is “Building with Our Roots”. As we engage our families and communities, how has our individual and collective history/ies allowed us to build and grow? What can we learn from our experiences as Filipino Americans? As always sessions will explore the theme as well as any other topics pertaining to Filipino American experiences or histories. For more information on this and other Filipino American history or to donate to preserve this history, please visit the Filipino American National Historical Society Web site at http://www.fanhs-national.org.

[filipinosmakinghistory]

Happy Filipino American History Month! Thank you to everyone who read, liked, or shared our posts, as well as everyone who took the time to share a piece of themselves. We hope you enjoyed our blog throughout the month. These are stories of students all around the Boston area and we loved sharing each one of them with you. But remember, these are not just our stories, they are our history.

Love,

  Northeastern University Barkada E-board

[filipinosmakinghistory]

Geena Rocero (1983-Present)

“When I moved to the United States [from the Philippines] in 2001, I experienced a more rigid concept of gender, but somehow I was allowed to change my name and my gender marker. Why is there that paradox? How do I get those two things to be the same?” - Geena Rocero on transexuality in America

Model and activist of Gender Proud, a program that is trying to change the public perception of transgender people, Geena Rocero was born and raised in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Rocero describes herself as being assigned a boy at birth, but was born a female. Even as a young child, she would place long t-shirts on her head and pretend it was long, beautiful hair.

At the age of fifteen, Rocero began entering transgender beauty pageants. In the Philippines, she describes the gender fluidity that is widely accepted in current society, as well as ingrained in the culture. In Buddhism, Guan Yin is Goddess of Compassion who is sacred to men who wanted to be cured of impotence and to women who want to become pregnant. This accepted idea of gender fluidity stops at politics.

In 2005, Rocero was traveling through Tokyo. She presented herself as a woman, but her Philippines passport still identified her former male gender marker. While traveling, she was taken at the airport to the immigration office and interrogated for hours on her self-identification. This was a year before she became a United States citizen, where she was able to change her gender marker. Those who still live in the Philippines with a Philippines passport do not have the opportunity or laws in place to change their gender marker or name. When transgender people travel, they are left to be dehumanized and interrogated on their sexual identity every time they want to travel.

It wasn’t until Rocero moved to America and started working as a model that she finally had that opportunity to change her name and gender marker. Though a freeing experience, she was aware this was only the beginning. Rocero believes there is a very rigid idea of gender in the Western world. This exists alongside progressive legal systems that afford transgender individuals some limited rights. “I believe that a more mature and in-depth contemplation of the subject of transgender will be the bridge that leads humanity to a deeper understanding of gender as a whole. This deeper understanding begins with the realization that we live in a culture that assigned us gender at birth and that the appropriate roles and expectations of our gender are defined by our society and our culture.” Rocero’s organization, Gender Proud, continues to work to advance the rights of all transgender individuals.”

[xpo125]

Filipino American History Month--Day 30 of 31

October is Filipino American History Month (FAHM)! In California, students are taught about the civil rights movements in the postwar era. It is predominantly presented in the history social science framework from one perspective, only briefly mentioning the interracial character of the movement. The Filipino American identity movement began in the late 1960s along with the Asian American, Chicano, Native American, and Black Power movements of that era. One particular community event, the Far West Conventions (FWC) were a powerful venue for networking, planning, and organizing the Filipino American community from the 1970s through the 1980s. The FWC, usually held on Labor Day weekend, effectively became an annual reunion for community activists and an introduction point for future activists. For more information on this and other Filipino American history or to donate to preserve this history, please visit the Filipino American National Historical Society Web site at http://www.fanhs-national.org/.

[filipinosmakinghistory]

What are you most proud of as a Filipino/Filipino-American?

“ We work hard and are proud to be where we are. When I think of a Filipino-American, I think of someone who had to work hard to get to where he/she is. Historically, we have always faced oppression, but have worked hard to become our own independent state. It is through this history that we continue to work hard to be where we are and work hard to continue to grow. Every time a fellow Filipino person experiences success, we do not shame them--we are instantly proud of that person and support that person.” -James Tan, Northeastern University 

Q:  What does it mean to be successful in your family?

A:  Being successful in my family means being happy. Money comes and goes and is definitely very important, but being successful is about your personal well-being.

Q:  What do you think is the most common misconception about being Filipino?

A:  That we are all good singers and dancers. Growing up my friends and I used to be some of those people who would joke "All Filipino people are good singers and dancers." But as I grew up, I recognized that stereotyping, even if it categorizes us in a positive light isn't always okay. I don't consider myself a good singer or dancer--and even if I did I wouldn't want it to be because of my heritage. I work hard to be a better singer, dancer, musician, whatever.

[filipinosmakinghistory]

“ [My grandma's] biggest goal in life was to see all of her grandchildren go to college, because she was never able to go to primary school back in Hong Kong. When she passed away from cancer, she didn't get a chance to send me off to college or even see me apply for them. Going to college is my every day thanks to her.” -Connor Jew, Northeastern University

Q:  Who are the relative(s) you are closest with?

A:  The relative I am closet with is my maternal grandma. My grandma, my po-po, took care of me and my sister basically throughout primary school and was with us until my junior year of high school when she passed away. Her biggest goal in life was to see all of her grandchildren go to college, because she was never able to go to primary school back in Hong Kong. Education was truly her biggest priority in life - you tend to value things you admire others have. When she passed away from cancer, she didn't get a chance to send me off to college or even see me apply for them. Although it pains me every day to think that her biggest accomplishment in life was never really achieved in her lifetime, I always know she'll be right by my side. Going to college is my every day thanks to her. Thank you, Po-Po.

Q:  How did you become involved in the Filipino-American community?

A:  When I first came to college, I really didn't have the intentions to join the Filipino-American or even the Asian-American community. It took one of my best friends to drag me to an event, and that moment has truly impacted my entire college experience. Growing up as a "white-washed" Chinese-American, I love being involved in the Filipino-American community. Not only have I met some of my closet friends in it, but I'm also learning about a culture I knew nothing about before. It's the perfect balance between having fun and experiencing something brand new at the same time.