Special Filipino Dinner Tonight - Celebrating FAHM here at THD

Heritage can be something you love and still feel unsure about showing in every room.

In a nationally representative U.S. survey conducted in 2022 and 2023, 16% of Filipino American adults said they had ever hidden part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. That could mean food, clothing, cultural customs or religious practices.

The word ever matters. The finding can include something a person did once in the past, and it does not mean 16% are hiding their heritage today.

It also does not give us one Filipino American reason why. The survey did not publish a Filipino-only breakdown of causes, so we should not turn the number into a story that everyone was bullied, ashamed or trying to fit in.

What it does reveal is quieter: for some adults, there has been at least one moment when sharing less of themselves felt like the choice they made.

I keep thinking about how much a person can edit without anybody noticing: a food left at home, a tradition not explained, a part of faith kept private. None of those choices makes someone less Filipino American.

Belonging should leave room for the whole person, not only the parts that feel easiest for everyone else to understand.

Source: Pew Research Center, 2022–23 survey of Asian American adults

Meanwhile, Here's my Take Why I am super proud of Filipino Heritage

I am super proud of my Filipino heritage because it is the foundation of who I am. I was born with my roots in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, and spent the first 26 years of my life surrounded by the Filipino language, culture, family traditions, and values that shaped me. My first language was Hiligaynon, and later I learned Tagalog and English. My Filipino identity has followed me throughout my life from my education at the University of the Philippines, to my years as a chemist and scientist in America, to my marriage to Macrine, my children and grandchildren, great grandchildren  and my lifelong connection to Marinduque. Even after more than six decades in America, I never felt that becoming an American meant giving up being Filipino. Instead, I became both: a Filipino by heritage and an American by citizenship and experience. Philippines give me roots, America give me Wings! 

At nearing 92,  I realize that heritage is more than a name, a birthplace, or a collection of old photographs. It is a living memory that we pass from one generation to another. That is why I continue to write about Filipino food, Marinduque, my family, Philippine history, and the experiences of Filipino-Americans. Recently, displaying my Philippine wood carvings and jeepney collection at my senior community for Philippine-American History Month made me think about how these simple objects have become symbols of my past. My blogs have become my own little time capsule-a way of preserving the stories, values, humor, faith, and memories of the Filipino boy from Iloilo who eventually became a scientist, husband, father, grandfather, great grand father and now, at almost 92, a blogger looking back with gratitude. I am proud of where I came from, proud of what America allowed me to become, and especially proud that after all these years, the Filipino in me is still very much alive.

Finally, Did You Know how October became officially designated as Filipino American History Month?

Why "History" Matters

Official Title: The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) established the observance in 1992, and the U.S. Congress officially recognized it in 2009 as Filipino American History Month. 
The Distinction: While often called "heritage" by mistake, organizers emphasize historybecause the focus is on recording and honoring specific historical events, struggles, and the socio-political impact of Filipino Americans in the U.S. 
Historical Significance: October marks the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, when "Luzones Indios" landed at what is now Morro Bay, California, on October 18, 1587. It is also the birth month of labor leader Larry Itliong

Reminder: Tonight is Special Filipino Dinner Night here at THD. If you responded to My-Email, our group of 12 has a two tables reserved at the Comet Room, Newtons Restaurant at 5PM.