In October, Filipino American History Month is honored and celebrated as a moment to commemorate the presence of the first group of Filipinos to settle in the United States. It is a time to officially recognize the dedication and hard work that the Filipino community has contributed to the development of our nation. In order to fully understand the significance of this month, we must tell the stories that are attached to the Filipino-American experience. I recently interviewed Glenielle Sta Ana (freshman, speech pathology and audiology) about her Filipino heritage and the reasons why she is proud to be a part of the Filipino community.
Where are you from?
My parents are from the Philippines. That makes me a first-generation Filipino-American. My parents immigrated in December 2000, and they came here because they wanted to do canvassing for the Literature Evangelism program to make money and spread God’s word. They also wanted to start a family in America and make a better life for themselves.
What were some of the challenges you and your family faced?
Growing up living in the suburbs of Illinois, I noticed how people would treat my family differently because we were from the Philippines. The language barrier was not that much of a concern because my parents were taught English in the Philippines, but the accents they had were more of a problem. We would get judgey stares from people because we did things differently.
For a while I wasn’t really proud of being Filipino. One reason for this was because I would feel insecure to bring my lunch to school like Chicken Adobo or Pancit. Other kids would make fun of it, and so I started to ask my mom to pack other foods in my lunch. Now, I don’t care as much about that. Food is food.
What makes you proud to be Filipino?
I’m proud of the hard work and passion that Filipinos emphasize. My parents taught me at a young age to always do my best and never give up. It was inspiring to see my parents follow this advice and succeed at what they put their minds to. They were the only ones in their family to come to the United States, and since they were able to make a better life for themselves, they would give money to support their family back in the Philippines. This is inspiring because I see how God has continued to bless my parents.
One of the biggest reasons why my parents came to America was because of the other Filipinos that had gone before them. It’s been nice to have a Filipino community here in America. Every place we’ve moved to we have had a community to fall back on. We have been able to connect in many different ways, bonding over food, music, karaoke, etc. I’m thankful for this community.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.