The Philippine American Student Association will be hosting Sino Tayo, which means “who we are” in Tagalog, the Philippine national language, on Saturday.
Sophomore and computer information systems major Kate Junio, President of PASA, said the event is an expression of Filipino culture. It is meant to raise awareness of and help spread knowledge of their culture, Junio said.
“It’s like a dinner and a show,” Junio said. There will be a buffet of Filipino foods allowing students to “literally get a taste of the culture” along with performances from a variety of campus clubs and individual performances.
One of the biggest performances expected is that of Jeff Bernat, Junio said. Bernat is a Filipino-song writer who gained popularity in much of South Korea, as well as having a song of his included in the academy award winning film Birdman.
Bernat has performed at ASU before, Junio said, and it is important to have a successful member of the Filipino culture to show that they are still relevant.
Other clubs that will perform include the Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Club, Asian Nation and K-Pop Dance Evolution, Junio said. Individual student performances will include everything from singing and dancing, to spoken word and even a violin solo, Junio said.
PASA will also have its own performance team in the event to perform a dance. Senior and mechanical engineering major Adrian Cruz is in charge of the performance team for the event and is the culture chair for the club.
As the culture chair, Cruz said he is responsible for teaching members about traditional foods, dances and different regions in the Philippines.
The club team will be performing “the unofficially, official” dance of the Philippines known as tinikling, Cruz said. Tinikling involves dancers evading bamboo poles as they dance to honor the speed and legendary grace of the tikling bird.
For many learning the dance, “it is a new experience,” Cruz said. “But I like being able to share that experience with people.”
Video courtesy of Kevin Ho.
Club historian and film sophomore Matthew Jimenez is responsible for taking photos and videos of PASA events. Jimenez will also be performing with one of the other clubs involved in the event.
This is his first time participating in Sino Tayo but he is excited for the opportunity, he said. Jimenez will be performing a dance with the Asian Nation club.
Sino Tayo is just one of many events happening in April, Jimenez said. April is Asian Pacific Heritage Month and many clubs are putting on events and activities throughout the month.
Jimenez said that this is an important time for many clubs to raise awareness and introduce people to different cultures.
“It’s a good thing to just kinds be exposed to different cultures, even if you’re not Filipino," Jimenez said. "It’s nice to see the differences that your own culture might have with other ones."
Regardless of heritage, Jimenez encourages everyone to attend the event or one of the many others taking place during the month.
"That kind of thing can open your eyes to just how people are different and how everything has its own merits even if it's not the same thing you are doing.”
The event will be held at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church Community Center. Tickets cost $20 on pre-sale and $25 at the door. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact the club on Facebook or via email at asupasa@gmail.com
Reach the reporter at amckenn2@asu.edu or follow @AndrewMcKenney on Twitter.
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