I connect with my Filipino culture every day through my relationship with the land; tending to plants I grew up eating, caring for the soil, and growing, cooking, and sharing Filipino dishes with others. Reconnecting with the land has deepened my appreciation for the generations before me who understood that caring for the land and caring for one another go hand in hand.

There is not as large of a Filipino community in New Orleans compared to the Bay Area where I grew up. When I moved here in 2011, I had to rediscover what it meant to be Filipino and reconnect with my culture in more intentional ways, from introducing Filipino traditions to my friends and colleagues to reconnecting with the land through growing food.

Years of working and organizing here has helped me realize that being Filipino is less about where I physically live and more about living out what it means to me to be Filipino with the people I work and organize with; those values of community, sacrifice, and collective action. In many ways, I found those same values reflected in the people and culture of New Orleans. The Filipino community here in New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana mirrors the spirit and culture of the region; we are welcoming, always seek joy, and care deeply about each other. We love to have a party and have a good time, we love to cook and eat, and we love showing up for each other in the good times and not-so-good times.