by Lulu Santiago
In this episode, I talk with Arlyn (Freshman – 14, Filipina/Visayan) and Maxwell (Freshman – 14, Filipino)
Lulu: What sports/artists have the most impact when bringing young Filipinos together?
Arlyn: From what I’ve noticed so far, lots of Filipinos gain large amounts of passion and attention to basketball. Gatherings and parties related to basketball really bring out the pride in us and our success.
Lulu: How much do you know about the Philippines’ history and independence?
Arlyn: Not much, however, it is to my understanding that once the Philippines was under Spanish rule. Earning its independence after hundred years of struggle. I also think this is another reason why we love to talk about our culture and educate others on the stories our ancestors have.
Lulu: Why do you think young Filipinos in America have such pride when seeing other Pinoys achieve success?
Arlyn: I believe that it is a natural occurrence for peers to be happy and full of pride in seeing each other’s success in life. However, I also believe that it is much stronger when it comes to Filipinos since many of us relate to various situations we all have been through regarding race, school, and general life.
Lulu: And lastly, how do you think young Filipino Americans and other generations to come will affect our growing culture here in the U.S.?
Arlyn: As we know, the U.S. is building its population with Filipinos daily. As a result, our culture is expected to be spread across the nations due to our growing population. This will help us develop future generations and the culture they are cultivated in.
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Lulu: What sports/artists have the most impact when bringing young Filipinos together?
Maxwell: I think basketball and local/Bay Area artists have had the most impact when bringing young Filipinos together because of the similar interests we all share. Listening and watching different arts related to our culture can bring community and joy.
Lulu: How much do you know about the Philippines’ history and independence?
Maxwell: I know some parts of the Philippines history like how they were originally colonized by the Spanish. I also know they got their independence on June 12.
Lulu: Why do you think young Filipinos in America have such pride when seeing other Pinoys achieve success?
Maxwell: They have so much pride because we all love seeing our own people succeeding. When they represent the country it feels like they’re representing all Filipinos. Connecting with younger versions of ourselves and older helps us feel like we experienced those situations and different stories.
Lulu: And lastly, how do you think young Filipino Americans and other generations to come will affect our growing culture here in the U.S.?
Maxwell: It will affect our growing culture here in the U.S. because we could share our culture to many other people and soon everybody will know about Filipino culture. I also think learning from what our parents didn’t teach us about our culture will encourage the next generation of Filipino parents to really immerse and educate their children with the importance of knowing the language and history of their own roots.
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Both of their answers show their knowledge of the Philippines and how we impact the U.S. They are both in fact involved in basketball and dance. This episodes intention was to pick younger Filipino Americans’ brains on our generation’s predictions, goals, and how we want to see our culture grow in the future.
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