#fahm17

Meet Korry Valley a freshman at Northeastern University! Korry’s story is unique in that she has lived in the Philippines most of her life (Alabang, Metro Manila to be precise!), and does not identify as Filipino-American. How did you first become involved in the Filipino - American community? I moved the the Philippines when I was a baby because of my dad's job. What part of Filipino culture do you most connect with? I connect with the corny jokes, laughing a lot, the "too sweet" or "too salty" tastes of typical Filipino food. I connect with how people treat each other, and how people are so friendly no matter who they are :) What have you learned by being a part of your school's Filipino cultural organization? The first weeks of school I was extremely home sick, I missed the Philippines so much, and when I joined NU Barkada, it felt like I found a bit of home, in a place that wasn't home to me yet. (wow so deep) But it's really true, I love being with people who share or have similar beliefs, and values just because they have connections to the Philippines. In what ways do you see ties in your own culture or background with the Filipino culture? Even though I am American and I was brought up in an American household, I feel that a lot of my culture has been strongly influenced by Filipino Culture, because of the people I was friends with, the people who helped me grow up, all influenced the way I saw things. I think that American and Filipino Culture have similarities that they both want and love having a good time, and we all loveeeee to eat (although bread/pasta = rice) Describe a significant event in your life that shaped who you are today My junior year of highschool, I started a Project for street kids in the Philippines. I was helped out by my church who called it "Side walk Sunday". My project was to give street kids their Christmas wishes. So in early November my friends and I asked all streets kids who attended Side walk Sunday, what they wanted most for Christmas, some kids put batman toys, barbie, and others put shoes, pajamas, black board and chalk to draw, and one kid asked for a sewing machine to fix his clothes. I was really moved by what the kids asked for because I never realized how much I had until they wanted things like chalk, and pajamas.. Throughout November we found sponsors to buy/or donate 500 pesos (about 10$) so that we could buy each kid their gift. On Christmas Eve, we handed out about 150 presents with their Christmas wish, a snack, and slippers. All the kids were really grateful and it filled my heart to see that. Now when I want something I try to think about everything I already have, and I am a lot more thankful because of what I saw. What do you feel most grateful for your life? My Family, they are my support system, and I have no idea what I would do without them. Tell us about someone who has had a big influence in your life? My coaches in high school, they showed me how to work hard, and be respectful. They didn't only teach me how to be an athlete but they taught me how to carry myself, and to do with right thing. Describe the happiest moment of your life The happiest moment in my life was adopting my brother, Zach. He is full filipino, and we adopted him from White Cross in the Philippines when he was 3. Even though he is a massive pain most of the time, he makes me so happy and I couldn't wish for a better brother. Can you tell us about one of your most difficult memories? One of my most difficult memories was when I was in about middle school, my dad had lost his job, and we were going to move away from the Philippines for good because of it. Hearing that was one of the hardest things I had to deal with because for me, even though I'm not Filipino, the Philippines is home to me. On the bright side, he found another job and I got to stay <3 What has been one of your biggest regrets in life so far? Not trying to tryout other things, I wish that I got into more clubs in highschool, because looking at it now, I would never know if I enjoyed acting, or singing, but I was always too shy to try. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I really want to have a good paying job, and live in a nice area, with a beautiful home, and a dog. I want to be happy and secure. What traditions have been passed down your family? My family doesn't have many traditions but my favorite tradition is eating homemade lasagna, and watching its a wonderful life on Christmas Eve. Describe your immediate/household family My family consists of an older Sister, Jordan, younger brother Zach, my mom, Patti, and my dad, Darin. We have two huskies Nala, and Kannel who are adorable. Other people who live in my house, is Marian, who helps me with everything, Iverson, her son (my brothers best friend) and Johnryl who always helps us out. Do you have any stories involving your older/deceased ancestors? My grandfather passed away when I was 12, but when we go to visit his grave, there is always a white butterfly flying around, so when we see a white butterfly ever, we say its my grandfather watching over us. Describe an extended family member you are most attached to and the relationship you have with him/her I am most attached to my grandmother, she always tries to help everyone out, and she does good, puts others before her, and she is just an amazing person. Is having a knowledge of family history important? Why or why not? I think it is, because it provides a piece of who you are and where you came from. What does it mean to be successful in your family? To be successful in my family means that even if you don't do the best, but you know you tried your best, you're successful, and we will be proud of each other.

Meet Eric Makapugay a sophomore at Northeastern University. He is a Filipino-American who grew up in an environment that did not emphasize Filipino culture. How would you describe your upbringing? Before I had come come up to Boston, I would say I identified as an American in my hometown of Memphis, TN. My family wasn't really involved in the Filipino community, and there were barely any Filipinos whom I interacted with or became friends with at all. I'd say the only exposure I got from my culture was from my immediate family members, which mostly shaped how I viewed Filipino culture at the time. My high school was predominately white, so growing up I almost forgot about my ethnicity and never saw being Filipino as something important to me. What challenges did you face growing up as a Filipino/Filipino-American? Describing my ethnicity to my classmates in elementary school and even high school was always a challenge. Since my high school had a small asian population, most of classmates would group all of the asian students as one identity. Some didn't even know what the Philippines was, so growing up I almost forgot about my Filipino identity because I wanted to fit in with the other kids. How has being involved in a Filipino cultural organization helped you to connect with your culture? I would say after joining Boston College's PSBC and later NEU's Barkada as a transfer student, my entire perspective of asian culture and Filipinos had changed. It was the first time I had really interacted with other Filipinos, other than my immediate family members, and showed how diverse the Filipino community is. I'm actually so bad with Filipino culture and didn't know much about the food, traditions, or even line dancing lol, but all of these things didn't matter as much. It was the loving community of amazing people and friends who have shaped my identity as a Filipino-American :) Describe a significant event in your life that shaped who you are today Back in my elementary/middle school days, I was a pretty awkward person who didn't have many friends. I remember in middle school and most of high school,  I would spend most of my days playing guitar rather than hanging with kids or going to social events. It was very hard for me to meet new people as an introvert who had trouble interacting with people in general. At this time I met my best friend, Ahmi, who was an insanely good drummer and someone who was completely different than me. He helped shape me into the person who I am today, and we've been playing music together ever since. He was the opposite of me and was someone who enjoyed socializing with everyone. I've learned a lot from him because now I would say that I'm an extrovert who also loves meeting people. I knew this was the type of person who I wanted to be, but it was Ahmi who helped get me to this point. What do you feel most grateful for your life? I am so thankful for my parents who have given me so much. They have sacrificed for me financially whether it was for music, school, or even just for the little things. I honestly wouldn't be a musician if it wasn't for them because they have paid for everything (If you have music equipment, you know how expensive this stuff is)!! I don't want to waste the opportunities they have given me, and I am so lucky have parents who want me to pursue my dreams. Tell us about someone who has had a big influence in your life? My big sis is definitely my role model. She's just a talented, smart, and awesome person who inspires me to be as cool as her! Describe the happiest moment of your life Getting my first guitar :) Describe your immediate/household family My dad, mom, and older sister What does it mean to be successful in your family? Follow your own dreams and passions rather than what anyone else expects of you.

Meet Katrina Gunara a Sophomore at Northeastern University. She is a Filipina-American whose upbringing was influenced by Filipino culture. How did you become aware of your cultural identity? Growing up in multicultural society, it was part of my upbringing to understand my ethnicity and my family history. I am also fortunate enough to have traveled and continue to travel around the US, the Philippines and Indonesia - these visits help me understand my culture and opens opportunity to find aspects I identify with. Have you ever struggled with your racial/ethnic/cultural identity? Describe this struggle and how you overcame it A struggle I have faced with my cultural identity is growing up knowing I was born in the US, raised in Singapore and my ethnicity being Filipino and Indonesian. The wide range of cultures that have contributed to my values, personality and general likes/dislikes has often clashed, leading to long conflicting thoughts and even arguments internally and within my family. Growing up with liberal education and being from two strong conservative cultures, dealing with the culture clashes has made me look deep into who I am and what I as a person truly care about. These long thoughts are important as they were defining moments of my personal growth. What are you most proud of as a Filipino/Filipino-American? I am most proud of the community that Filipinos and Filipino-Americans have created by being hospitable, happy and familial people. There is a place for everyone with ties to Filipino culture. What do you feel most grateful for in your life? I am most grateful for my family who have contributed so much time, love and effort into raising me to be the person I am today, as well as the people and opportunities in my life that have come by to push me to grow, challenge myself and be the best version of me. Tell us about someone who has had a big influence in your life? My mother. She is one of my greatest inspirations and I can only hope to be half the woman she is. Despite growing up in an extremely conservative home in a province in the Philippines, she found her passion for art and music. Her drive brought her around the world to sing, and brought forth her liberal views on the world and life itself. Her outlook on life is something so bright and forward looking that I am so grateful to have been raised by such a strong woman who has overcome many hardships and has taught me to "do" more than "try". Describe an extended family member you are most attached to and the relationship you have with him/her My cousins (mother's sister's daughters). These two girls are motivators to always work hard and do what I love, but above all, they make me laugh and smile unlike anyone else. They understand me as a person and how I became to be who I am today. Although we may not see each other very often, their support is always felt from across the US to across the world and I am blessed to have these two ladies in my life. Is having a knowledge of family history important? Why or why not? Knowing family history is important because it has helped me understand my parents and their life before me, my grandparents and everyone before them. Having this perspective on my family's history has helped me understand who I am and why I say or do certain things. Also, there is pride in knowing that a family member has changed something as little as overcoming their personal issues, which may have affected a situation to you to where you are.

Meet Isabelle Joy Carillo a sophomore at Northeastern University. She is a Filipina-American who grew up in a household that emphasized Filipino culture. What do you think is the most common misconception about being Filipino? That we're not REALLY Asian but just... uncivilized, third world country jungle people? How did you become aware of your cultural identity? Being surrounded by my family How much do you identify with the history of the Philippines? Maybe like 65% Is religion important in your household? Describe a situation illustrating why or why not Yes - growing up Sunday was family day. We went to church and spent the entire day together. Both religion and family were so important in my household and Sunday was a day to celebrate both of them together. To me, religion and family go hand in hand and it's something that brings me and my family together. Have you ever struggled with your racial/ethnic/cultural identity? Describe this struggle and how you overcame it Yes - growing up,  I was in a town that was mostly white. What I really hated was how different I was compared to the other people in my town. I didn't really know many Filipinos other than my family so being Filipino really wasn't something that I knew outside of my family. I didn't realize that there was such a large community because all I knew was what it meant to be Filipino in terms of what it meant to be a member of my family. I overcame it in high school after going to a county school that literally showed me that there's such a strong community and identity outside of my family. What are you most proud of as a Filipino/Filipino-American? I'm most proud of the food. I love the different types of food and how unique it is compared to what I saw in my community. I love the process of making it (and eating it) and I love how it brings everyone together. What challenges did you face, growing up as a Filipino/Filipino-American? Growing up I think it was hard because Filipinos weren't really looked as the typical "Asian". I struggled a lot with what it meant to be Filipino because no one really knew what Filipinos were in my community and growing up it's kinda hard for a kid to describe their entire culture. It was hard because there were Chinese-Americans and Japanese-Americans and Korean-Americans in my school and I feel like their culture was something that many people knew about but when it came to being Filipino-American there wasn't really anyone but me. For those not from the Philippines, have you ever been to there? Tell a story or favorite memory from you visit! Yes! I just loved being in the Philippines and finally being able to see the actual places that my family members would always describe in their stories. My favorite part was going into my dad's old house and having my dad narrate what his typical day was like and having him take me around his neighborhood. What do you feel most grateful for your life? I'm really grateful for my family. My dad one of eleven kids and literally all of his siblings lived within ten miles from us. Family is super important to me and I'm super thankful to have mine. Tell us about someone who has had a big influence in your life? I! LOVE! MY! GRANDMA! She's 92 years old, a mother of 11, and the reason I'm on this earth. What has been one of your biggest regrets in life so far? Probably not being able to speak Tagalog. I feel like language is such an important part of a culture and going back to the Philippines this year and having people speak English to me made me feel kinda bad. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In 10 years, I'll be 28! Hopefully I'll be doing something I love... surrounded by people that I love... in a place that I love. What traditions have been passed down your family? Christmas is always a big thing where we'd spend Christmas Eve at my grandma's, sleep for four hours, then spend Christmas day at my uncle's house. Describe your immediate/household family I've got a mom, a dad, and two older brothers. Do you have any stories involving your older/deceased ancestors? Not really? Describe an extended family member you are most attached to and the relationship you have with him/her I'm really close to my aunt. She never married and has no kids so to her, I'm the daughter she never had and to me, she's my second mom. Is having a knowledge of family history important? Why or why not? Yes! Of course! You don't get to choose your family so it's good to know where you came from and why you are the way you are! What does it mean to be successful in your family? In my family, success is just being happy with who you are and what you have. 

Meet Ashley Cortes, a sophomore at Berklee College of Music. She is a Filipina-American who grew up in a household that emphasized Filipino culture. Is religion important in your household? Describe a situation illustrating why or why not. Yes. My family did rosaries every night, switching between four different altars in the house, and going to Sunday mass every week. What are you most proud of as a Filipino/Filipino-American? A lot of Filipinos I know are very talented and hardworking in creative and artistic fields. What challenges did you face, growing up as a Filipino/Filipino-American? As an actor, it’s difficult to find roles that can work for someone who is Filipino. For those not from the Philippines, have you ever been to there? Tell a story or favorite memory from you visit! Yes, I used to go every summer for various performances and media appearances. Describe your immediate/household family. Mom and Dad (both Filipino immigrants), older brother (born in Philippines, raised in America) What does it mean to be successful in your family? Earning money, getting good grades, having a good job and being skilled at it