RONA JOBE

Being Filipino means that we get to shape what this multicultural country can and should look like. I love that in this multicultural country, being Filipino means we are one of the drivers of the cultural norms. 

Personally, being Filipino to me means I'm comfortable navigating between worlds - speaking Kapampangan at family gatherings and English everywhere else, but never feeling like I have to choose between the two. It means that the core Filipino-American value of adaptability is just part of who I am, which translates perfectly to being a Foreign Service spouse and leading a consulting company that hires military and Foreign Service spouses.

Having lived in and visited countries that aren't as multicultural, I've seen how Filipinos elsewhere often have to assimilate completely to fit in or struggle to fit in because they choose to focus on being Filipino (in however they translate that). But in the US, we get to be part of actively shaping what this diverse nation looks like. 

Ironically, even though I just said Filipino Americans are helping drive cultural norms, the Filipino voice absolutely isn't heard enough in American media, politics, or education. And I don't think any Filipino American would disagree with me—we aren't well represented in media, politics, or education.

Or really, in any of these niche industries in the U.S. For example, Filipino Americans make up about 1.3% of the U.S. population. But in politics, we have just one Filipino American in Congress—one out of 535 voting members. That's about 0.2%, far below our share of the population.

In media, Filipino Americans are nearly invisible. I don't think there are any major Filipino American news anchors or figures. In business, representation is also quite limited.

Healthcare is the exception. Filipino Americans make up roughly 4% of U.S. nurses, which is much higher than our population share. So we are overrepresented in nursing.

However, even in healthcare, you rarely see Filipino Americans depicted in media—like on hospital shows or portrayals of nurses. So despite our numbers, the representation just isn't there.

Overall, the Filipino voice simply isn't represented proportionally across American institutions.