Growing up in the U.S., I’ve always felt out of touch with my Filipino heritage. Many aspects of the culture have been absent from my American upbringing. For example, I’ve always felt ashamed of not being able to speak Tagalog, or being unaware of the Philippines’ pop culture. Naturally, though, I’ve always been proud of my Filipino roots (as most Filipinos are), yet I tend to be embarrassed to be prideful of something I know very little about.

At the beginning of my sophomore year, I was presented with the opportunity of founding the Filipino Culture Club when one of my Filipino friends eagerly came to me with the idea. Understandably, I was hesitant because of my lack of knowledge on the culture, but I decided to go along with it anyways. She and I enlisted some of our other Filipino friends to assemble a team of officers, and the five of us completed the chartering process.

Being amongst other Filipino people made me feel a sense of belonging. Contrary to what I feared, the officer team doesn’t make me feel any less because of my lack of knowledge. Instead, they help guide me and teach me new things about my culture. In some cases, we all learn new things together, as they too feel a sort of cultural disconnect from living in the U.S. I also take it upon myself to complete my own research about Filipino culture, whether that be through asking family members, or looking online.

At our weekly lunch meetings, I feel proud to present about my Filipino heritage. I enjoy spending time with other Filipinos, as well as non-Filipinos, as we have fun together learning about the culture. We are able to bond through fun games, activities, music, presentations, and also food, which seems to be everyone’s favorite. Though confined within a small classroom, the club has been able to create a growing community.

The Filipino Culture Club has also opened new doors for me as a student at Arcadia High School. I had the chance to be featured on the school podcast, have a booth at Clubs Day, and meet a variety of new people. I’ve also made strides in the difficult skill of public speaking, something that the club’s weekly presentations have allowed me to become more comfortable with. I am grateful for all these opportunities and I recognize that I wouldn’t have them without the Filipino Culture Club.

I came to the realization that my knowledge on Filipino culture, or lack thereof, doesn’t make me any less Filipino. If anything, it grants me the opportunity to learn and grow, as a person, as I discover the roots that make me who I am. For this, I am grateful to the Filipino Culture Club.