The red, white, blue, and yellow balloons themed after the Filipino flag strongly contrasted the overcast sky at the third annual Filipino American history month kick-off event on Thursday in the A quad in LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus (LAC).
The sense of Filipino pride and community was strong throughout the event, as students and faculty lined up for adobo and lumpia, two dishes synonymous with Filipino culture.
The event was host to many performances by students, including both traditional and modern Filipino songs and dances.
Pakaraguian Kulintang, a group that performs traditional Filipino music and dances, put on a performance donned in colorful garb and traditional instruments, helping to connect the generations.
Jenelle Macapaz, a new member of the LBCC Asian Pacific Islander Desi (APID) club sang “Your Love” by Juris, and “Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin” by Kitchie Nadal, two modern Filipino songs that were both featured in popular television shows in the Philippines.
“I chose those songs because they really capture the essence of Filipino rock,” Macapaz said when asked about what they represented to her.
The APID club was responsible for most of the organization of the event, and was present for the whole thing to help run it and put on many of the performances.
A few speakers also gave some words, one of whom was president of the board of trustees Vivian Malauulu, who spoke about her ties to the Filipino community in Long Beach.
“I grew up in Carson, which has the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines, and my best friend growing up was Filipino,” Malauulu said.
She also went on to mention her role as a trustee member, “I represent west Long Beach, which is known as Little Manila due the approximately 14,000 Filipinos that reside there, so Filipino heritage is something that matters to me,” Malauulu said.
Another performer, Siva Aguilar, brought a guitar on stage to perform “Hanggang Kailan” by Orange & Lemons, a song about longing for a loved one that Aguilar reinterpreted as the longing that Filipino immigrants have for their sense of home.
“I was born and raised in the Philippines and I moved here when I was 14. I didn’t realize until I was older how much I missed it,” Aguilar said.
Helping to comfort that sense of longing, Filipino American history month seeks to celebrate the rich culture that those with ties to the Philippines share, and to bring them together to be able to feel at home again.
Filipino American history month events will run from Oct. 17 to Oct. 30, with more information available on the LBCC website.