by JD Nguyen |
The story of a family’s journey to America, the struggle to find their place in society, and above all, the effort to retain their culture and identity is one that many Filipino-American families know well. Saturday’s second annual Filipino Cultural Night hosted by UP’s Filipino American Student Association (FASA) explored this multifaceted story of what it means to be Filipino-American and celebrated this history.
The event kicked off with a pre-show consisting of covers of songs by a variety of American pop artists such as Tori Kelly and Disclosure. Moving into the main show, the performances focused on traditional Filipino dances like the Pandanggo sa Ilaw (Candle Dance) and Binoyugan (Clay Pots Dance).
Between each performance and throughout the night, a storyline with short skits portrayed the “immigrant’s story” – the hardships of finding a new life, sacrifice and success.
The event was held on the quiet side of the Commons - the same place that only a year ago was hardly halfway filled, was at full capacity. It even featured its own geo-filter on Snapchat. Bon Appetit served Filipino dishes such as Kinilaw, Adobo, and Pancit Luglug for dinner.
“Hosting PCN for only the second time meant a lot in the sense that our club has doubled in size this year, and we were able to do a lot more in regards to dance, showmanship and bringing the club together as a family,” Justin Low, a sophomore who sang and danced at the event, said. “That’s one of the main things that set FASA apart from other clubs on campus – we are really family oriented, and we try to share that through the storyline. This year we were able to share our family’s heritage and upbringing with the student body, defining who we are as Filipinos, and how we interact with each other.”
The final performance of the night was the Tinikling, which is a traditional dance that involves dancers stepping between and over bamboo poles while the poles maintain the beat by sliding and tapping. It finished with a twist, incorporating American hip-hop into the dance to create a blended style that achieved the night’s goal of showcasing the Filipino-American identity.
JD Nguyen is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at nguyen19@up.edu.
