Through a mixture of traditional cultural dances, group outings and activities and lots of food, the College of William and Mary’s Filipino American Student Association works to create a safe space where Filipino students can explore their identity and learn about their heritage alongside other members of the community.
One of the organization’s primary goals is to make Filipino culture more visible on campus, according to Public Relations Chair Kayly Jacobs ’27.
“We want to make everyone more aware of the culture, especially because Filipino American culture is very different across the diaspora,” Jacobs said. “We introduce different aspects of it through food and cultural shows, as well as our dances and the different holidays we celebrate.”
One integral part of that goal is Pilipino Culture Night, an annual showcase in the spring semester made up of a series of traditional performances with an original plot and script that tackles some aspect of Filipino culture and identity.
“A lot of non-members come to our Pilipino Culture Night, or PCN,” FASA Secretary Kristina Savage ’28 said. “It’s like a play with a made-up plot, but it always contains something about Filipino culture and values along with dances. It’s a good way to educate the community about different parts of Filipino heritage alongside Filipino music and catered Filipino food.”
The dances shown at PCN range from very traditional ones, like tinikling, a dance performed to the rhythm of clacking bamboo poles, to more modern styles, like hip-hop. All FASA members are welcome to participate in the dances regardless of experience, giving many the chance to explore this part of their heritage for the first time.
Savage danced in the tinikling at last year’s PCN despite a lack of experience, which she said helped open her eyes to an integral part of her culture.
“It was a great way to step out of my comfort zone and showcase my culture, especially to my friends,” Savage said. “I know my mom really enjoyed watching me perform because at home, I wasn’t doing traditional Filipino dance. It made her very happy to see me do that.”
Culture Chair Lee Allenberg ’28, one of the tinikling choreographers for the last PCN, loved watching their fellow FASA members open up through the process of learning the dance.
“Although it was stressful at times, the sheer desire of people wanting to earnestly learn tinikling was really nice,” Allenberg said. “They had a genuine desire to learn the history of these dances and perform them for the Filipino community and their fellow peers. To see people become so good has been immensely rewarding, and being able to learn and perform more folk dances also gives me immense joy.”
While PCN serves as the culmination of a year’s worth of dedication and hard work for FASA, the organization holds smaller events throughout the year that allow its members to better connect with not only their heritage but with each other. In October, for example, they celebrated Filipino American History Month with a series of informational workshops, feasts and more.
“We had a Baybayin workshop that was really cool,” Savage said. “It’s a writing system that was used in the Philippines in the 17th century to write in Tagalog and other dialects. It was something I didn’t know about because I’m obviously not from that generation, but it was very interesting to see how history was in the Philippines and learn how to write things in Tagalog.”
Jacobs discussed another cultural activity the club recently hosted: a feast called kamayan honoring the first Filipino immigrants to America. To celebrate, on Oct. 18, club members participated in the tradition of eating with their hands off of banana leaves.
“This year, we made the chicken adobo, rice and everything else ourselves in one of the kitchens on campus,” Jacobs said.. “We had it in Lodge One, so a lot of people were passing by and asking us questions since it is a little different to see a bunch of food on banana leaves just sitting out.”
According to Allenberg, food is one of the most powerful bonding agents within the FASA community.
“FASA places a lot of value on giving people the chance to come together over food,” Allenberg said. “That’s where we see the most turnout, and I think it’s one of the things where people just want to be able to talk to each other and love each other over a shared care for a cuisine.”
In addition to exploring their own culture, FASA members have the chance to learn about the many other cultures represented on campus through frequent collaborations with other multicultural organizations.
“One thing we do with other cultural organizations is our ‘Chat and Chews,’” Allenberg said. “We share somewhat similar meals or desserts from our respective cultures with each other and then we talk about the history of these foods and how they’re important to both Filipino culture and the other culture. It’s a chance to bond within the culture club but also with other organizations.”
For its members, however, FASA’s most important contribution is the space it creates for students to connect with their Filipino peers on campus. These bonds help Filipino students feel more connected to their heritage, even while they’re away from home.
“Because there’s a really small Filipino population on campus, I think having those small cultural events and having PCN is an opportunity for people to become aware,” Allenberg said. “It can be scary for people to engage with that to begin with because to be Filipino American means that there can be a little bit of shame about not truly knowing how much being Filipino means to you. The events allow a person to see themselves in these traditions and give them a voice and platform to understand themselves a little bit more.”
For Jacobs, who transferred to the College last semester, FASA offered her the chance to quickly make connections and truly feel like a part of the wider campus community.
“It was hard at first to make friends and get my foot in the door, but FASA changed that,” Jacobs said. “Everyone is so open, which I feel like is a big Filipino trait, where we want everyone to feel welcome. Even though I’m not fully Filipino, they were all so excited to welcome me.”
To Allenberg, FASA offers the unique opportunity to be both seen and heard by members of a distinct community, something that they say is integral to their experience as a student at the College.
“FASA’s definitely a place where people have the chance to be heard in ways they might not elsewhere, and I think the community is so beautiful and generous in that,” Allenberg said. “Having a cultural club is so important to my identity because, if there were none, where would I have the motivation to seek out these cultural experiences? It would be so much harder to find them.”
For more information on FASA and how to get involved with their many year-round activities, visit their TribeLink or follow them on Instagram @wmfasa.
