The Philippine American Student Association celebrates Filipino American History Month as the club commemorates its 30th anniversary. The organization aims to serve as a hub for Filipino students to connect and create an inclusive space that honors their culture.
Throughout October, PASA hosted various events for members to connect through culture and heritage. One of the many activities spotlighted is a tattooing ritual called batok, which has become "a lost art," said PASA secretary Francis Campos, a junior studying supply chain management and management.
Along with batok, PASA offers Tinikling practice, a traditional Filipino folk dance, every Tuesday and Wednesday to allow members to reconnect with their culture through performance.
"Every single generation of the Tinikling dancers has become an extremely tight-knit friend group," Campos said.
Austin Cruz, the senior adviser for PASA and a senior studying computer science, said hosting traditional events "serves as a reminder of not only our culture and how important it is to us, but how important it is to keep passing it down to the next generations."
Cruz said PASA has a welcoming presence for anyone looking to connect with their heritage.
"No matter how much you know about our culture, no matter who you are, Filipino or not, it's important that you feel welcome and that your identity is expressed," Cruz said.
During the semester, PASA also participates in and hosts activities such as PASAlympics, HaloHaloween and a Filipino Thanksgiving, where the Tinikling dance team performs.
Campos said it is important to celebrate Filipino American History Month "because Asia is kind of bubbled as a whole." Having a month that individually recognizes different ethnicities or cultures is crucial, particularly for a lot of Southeast Asian countries, which are often overlooked, like the Philippines, Campos said.
PASA President Zoe Panganiban, a sophomore studying computer information systems, said PASA provides a home that a club or class is unable to offer.
"It's basically learning more about your culture but also having fun with it," Panganiban said. "I feel like it's a break away from everything else and it's a time where you get to see people you normally don't see from your classes."
Panganiban said being constantly surrounded by people who do not have the same culture often "feels alienating."
"PASA plays a central role in terms of building a Filipino community, just because it makes it a lot easier for people to be able to find the Filipino community just by having the organization exist," Campos said.
He said other than PASA, there is a lack of opportunities for Filipinos to connect.
PASA is something people search for and it fosters a large student association for Filipino students with over 200 members, Panganiban said.
She said she will continue to honor Filipino culture through PASA events and empower members as individuals to embrace who they are beyond what they typically see in their classes.
"It's about getting people to know more about our heritage, deeper than just the typical Filipino stereotypes that you hear," Panganiban said.
Edited by Senna James, Abigail Beck, Tiya Talwar and Alysa Horton.
Reach the reporter at nrodri74@asu.edu.
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