Sunday, Oct. 18, the College of William and Mary’s Filipino American Student Association hosted its annual Kamayan event in celebration of Filipino American History Month. Attendees enjoyed a tinikling performance, a Filipino folk dance. FASA also served traditional Filipino foods placed on banana leaves that were eaten by hand, providing a taste of important elements of Filipino culture.
Kamayan derives its name from”kamay,” the Tagalog word for hand, and refers to a tradition of eating by hand. Caitlin Samella ’29, FASA’s external director and the lead organizer this year, said the club always holds the event on October 18 to commemorate the date Filipinos first arrived in the United States.
“Kamayan is a big community feast, and it’s supposed to bring people together; it’s supposed to encourage conversation and connection,” she said.
For Samella, the meal acts as a trip home.
“When I go back to the Philippines, that’s exactly what it’s like for me,” she said.
Not every member grew up with the tradition, though. Jordan Ignacio ’28, FASA’s internal director, shared that although both her parents are Filipino, she has not yet traveled to the Philippines, and events like these help her feel connected to her heritage.
“It brings us back to all of our roots, and it connects us all in a really deep way,” she said.
The menu featured traditional foods such as chicken adobo, rice, vegetable pancit, vegetable lumpia, pork lumpia, corn and sweet tea. Almost every item was homemade by a member this year, and each of these dishes carried stories for the students who cooked it.
For Samella, it was adobo. She shared that although her mother grew up in the Philippines, she never learned how to cook. After moving to the United States, though, adobo became a trusted remedy whenever her mother felt homesick.
“My favorite memories are her calling her mom from the Philippines and just us trying to figure out how to cook it together, the phone lagging and everyone trying to figure out how to cook adobo,” Samella said.
Meanwhile, Ignacio prepared the pancit. Watching the stir-fried noodle dish come together while cooking took her back to cherished childhood memories and family parties.
“My parents loved to host a family party, so I would always come down, and they would make me help them chop up the food,” she said. “It tied in a piece of my heart from my childhood.”
For Kayly Jacobs ’27, FASA’s culture chair, it was lumpia. Her mother taught her how to properly roll lumpia, and, as the oldest of four, she was tasked with passing this knowledge on to her three younger brothers. She harnessed these skills this year when it came time to teach fellow members.
“It just reminds me of home and just being around my siblings and my mom,” she said. “It was really nice and sweet to teach other people how to do it too, because I felt the maternal love.”
The Kamayan event had been months in the making: Samella reached out to two prior external directors over the summer to ensure that she could hit the ground running with planning as soon as she returned to campus this fall.
She planned the menu first, then broke it down into an ingredient list for each dish. In past years, the event has leaned on catering for a helping hand. However, Samella envisioned something more hands-on and an opportunity for each FASA member to get involved. She organized a cooking day to prepare dishes for the event.
The event enjoyed a full turnout, which Samella said reflected the work of the whole executive board.
“We have a really good exec team. PR was very on top of promoting it,” she said.
For many members, Kamayan is one of the many events that represent what they love most about FASA: belonging and community. Several described joining the organization at moments when they otherwise felt out of place on campus.
Jacobs, a spring transfer, nearly stayed away from the group.
“I was afraid at first to join the org because I did have this mindset that I wasn’t Filipino enough, but FASA really is so welcoming to everyone, and it is really just a second home to explore my culture,” she said.
For Ignacio, not speaking Tagalog used to also make her feel out of place. Since coming to the College and joining FASA, however, she has noticed a shift.
“I grew up very in touch with my culture, but also there were a lot of different smaller traditions and things that my parents didn’t necessarily teach me, and I just didn’t have as much exposure to when I was growing up,” she said. “I think being here shows that there are so many different ways to be Filipino.”
Samella, also a spring transfer, said she arrived at the College knowing only her roommate. FASA gave her a chance to create new connections and a greater sense of belonging.
“FASA was my first point to go to,” she said. “As soon as I got here, I wanted to join FASA, and it really, I think, made William and Mary feel like a home.”
Kamayan’s organizers stressed that the invitation for any FASA event extends well beyond the club, particularly for newcomers.
“We’re not an exclusive club, so I want people to know that they can be welcomed into this area, and our culture as well,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs also shared her joy in seeing her own American relatives learn about her Filipino culture by attending FASA’s events.
“I love seeing them explore it and seeing them try what they’re not used to,” she said.
Kamayan marks one of many events FASA is sponsoring this month for Filipino American History Month. Others include a folklore night about Filipino creatures, a Masskara Festival craft night and Isang Kwento (which translates to “one story”), which is a talent show of dance and poetry. Additionally, club historian Erin Joya ’29 curated an exhibit on FASA’s history, which will be on display in Swem Library through mid-November.
Students who are interested in FASA can follow them on Instagram @wmfasa or attend monthly general body meetings. Ignacio also hosts game and karaoke nights to promote casual involvement.
“People can just pop in, even if it’s for thirty minutes or less, just to see what’s going on,” she said.
Samella shared her hope that people’s biggest takeaway from the event would be as simple as an opportunity to explore and try new things, which other members echoed.
“Being Filipino means community,” she said.
And Filipino or not, FASA is excited to welcome you into theirs.
