COMMUNITY WITH OTHER FILIPINO AMERICANS HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE. WHETHER WELCOMING NEW IMMIGRANTS, SHARING OUR HISTORY IN AMERICA, OR SHARING EXPERIENCES WITH OTHER MULTIGENERATIONAL FILIPINO AMERICAN FAMILIES, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT MY FILIPINO ROOTS RUN DEEPER THAN ANY OTHER.

HAVING BEEN RAISED IN THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN NEW ORLEANS, AND HAVING HAD GRANDMOTHERS WHO WERE OUR STORY KEEPERS, I TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITY AS FAMILY ELDER AND STORY KEEPER SERIOUSLY. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR HISTORY AND OUR HEARTS ARE TIED TO THE MOTHERLAND BECAUSE OF IT.