UAASO at Rise!
Hey everyone! Apologies for the delay in this post, but as you know, summer is in full bloom! Lots to see and do, right? Well among the things to see and do was this wonderful conference brought to you by UniPro (Pilipino American Unity for Progress) on June 1st. 2013's theme was Rise, which was meant to take the ideas and inspirations of last year's summit (Renaissance) and put it into action for the youth of today! It took place in Hotel Pennsylvania, New York.
◊Keynote ◊We had the honor of meeting Jessica Cox (http://rightfooted.com/), a pinay born without arms who accomplished so much and continues to reach for her dreams. Her story demonstrated resilience. She transformed what some might consider a "disability" into a great opportunity to find other ways of doing things. Innovation and creativity make things possible. Desire is the necessary drive (with that you're 80% of the way there!), more important than having the talent. Persistence is never giving up; walls are only there for those who don't want it badly enough. Go beyond the expectations of other people. Be fearless (as Jessica says, FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real); we can create fear therefore we can destroy it. Another great quote by Jessica is "Think outside the shoe." What are your fake arms, or things you can go without in order to be your true self?
◊Panel 1 - Career Development ◊Among our panelists was Rose Rosales, Administrative Director of Nursing Operations. A majority of the attendees had parents who were in the nursing field by a show of hands. Rose's advice was to start small when you have less experience. Start slow and build your way up. Know what you want to do, have passion, get involved in the community and with professional organizations, network, do the SWOT analysis (if the left hand side of your results are higher, you are on the right path), choose your mentor, and be open minded. ◊Isis Arias is a brand marketer who has experienced the hustle and failure of her career path. She was involved with Rutgers FSA. Her advice was to get super involved with student organizations because it helps build future career skills (ex. how to book venues, know policies, and form contracts, and handle person relations by dealing with personalities). Have good work ethic and people will contact you. Try different things, don't be afraid to fail and move on. Remember to keep your social network image clean! ◊Ayesha Vera Yu is the CEO of Ark. Her advice was to rise and listen! Engage with yourself before you engage with others. Do what you like to do. Ask questions (kids in the Philippines are oppressed from asking questions, so we as Americans have no excuse not to ask questions). Get knowledge, work to get opportunities. Figure out who you want to speak to (get their background information and do research). Rise for what you believe in. ◊Matt Burkin is a budget analyst. His advice is, in your evolving path, learn and explore. Understand where you came from, your roots. You have a voice, so speak out. Think in perspectives (understand where others you work with are coming from). Surround yourself with people who want to move the world. ◊Other points to take from the first panel were, always figure out the root cause of any situation. Don't worry about your degree, worry about what skills you want to learn next and how to apply them. Be a leader, not a boss. The Philippines is one of the fastest growing nations at this time.
◊Crisis Simulation The Crisis Simulation was a test of leadership skills. It was also a good networking opportunity and a chance to gain insight and knowledge. It trains you to keep your audience in mind and how to word your statements. Hard skills (hands on skills) and soft skills (interpersonal skills) are tested. We were given two simulations, one was based on a situation where a working agency mishap caused the arrest of over 4000 undocumented Filipino workers. The other was based on a racist letter being passed off as a fake official letter sent to a Filipina American cosmetologist against the community. Both incidents were based on true events. Teams were formed to represent different parties and to present different views (from conservative to supportive and in between).
◊Panel 2 - Connecting Communities Among the panelists were Jason Tengco of the WHIAAPI (White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders). He is involved with immigration, economic development and education. His advice was the 3 E's- Educate, Empower, and Engage. Educate yourself and then others, on issues such as Congress bills that affect us and immigration systems. Understand why it is important. Engage by sharing your views with policy makers. Empower yourself with the tools and resources to empower your community. ◊ Other points to take from this was that we need to work together to preserve community and culture.
◊Presentation ◊ Rina Atienza (@eevilmidget) gave the attendees a presentation. Mission statements can be overwhelming, and self doubt holds us back. Myths that have held us back and that must be debunked are 1) You have to be heroic to be a leader, 2) You have to sacrifice yourself for greater good, and 3) High ambitions make you a self important megalomaniac. (For you Batman fans) as Alfred said, "Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." Contrary to popular belief, apocalypse actually means revelation and unveiling, not the end. So we must imitate the city (cities don't die, they undergo super-linear scaling). We must rise but not be high and mighty. Leaders must have compassion. Prepare for adversities. To be the light you must endure the burn (like the sun, which exhibits resilience). Learn from villains of world domination. Apply their driving force differently. As Rina says, "Ako ay Pilipino (I am Filipino)", we are the authors of the future we want to have. Pursue your passions. Don't stop (persistence), don't care what people think (like villains). You don't have to speak Tagalog or be born in Manila to qualify as a leader. There is no template to be a Filipino (you make it). A lack of self esteem will hinder you more so than too much self esteem. You carry your heritage wherever you go.
◊Panel 3 - Social Good ◊Some points to take from this panel were as follows: PhilAm seniors sacrificed their time and lives for the young generation's future. We must provide them with goods in their old age. Forget the mainstream, there are many streams. We must redefine trafficking to include visa work fraud, and support organizations like FAST (Filipinos Against Slavery & Trafficking). To organize means to have power. Social good is a good or service that helps the most people possible in the largest possible way.
◊Ending Keynote ◊ Our ending keynote speaker was Joe Bataan, the Afrofilipino King of Latin Soul who currently works with inner city youth. From 1763-1963, Filipinos were the forgotten Asians, but now they are the fastest growing of the Asian communities. Stand up for what you think is right. Asian immigrants succeeded and got education but they kept to themselves (no sense of brotherhood or community). People must work together to share their information and resources. Spirit- believe in something higher than you. Knowledge- learn everyday. Health- keep in shape. The radio can deliver to the community, so demand what you want to hear in the airwaves.
On a final note, care, absorb, and apply! See you next conference! ~Ashley, Senior Advisor
To stay in touch with future summits and happenings, follow UniPro on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @unipronow