We have to be grateful for technology especially during the pandemic it helped us stay connected and reconnected with different folks from all over the world. In particular for this week's guest, I was fortunate enough to meet our guest through the social networking app, Tiktok! It wasn't plan but I am surely am grateful for meeting this creative! Being able to hear their perspectives of what it means to grow up as a Filipino in Hawai'i has been humbling. There were similarities from the stories I have heard previously and some differences but rest assured that through our interactions there was a lot of great talking points about what we know and don't about the Filipino culture.
Here were some post interview questions that Jaslyn answered after the interview:
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF DURING THE INTERVIEW
I feel like I am in a better mentality than I was in the past regarding my identity. I have come such a long way from the toxic mentality I held in the past and I am glad to say that I embrace my filipino roots more than ever before. I realized how impactful my childhood upbringing was, and it has shaped my values and personality for the better.
HOW CAN WE BE PROACTIVE IN SHARING OUR CULTURE?
Recognizing and sharing the little things that are unique to the filipino culture is a great start. For example, I posted my daily breakfast meal on Instagram stories the other day, and the recipe was inspired by my childhood: filipino-style garlic fried rice and egg. Having conversations over simple things can mean so much for our cultural awareness. A lot of people responded to that fried rice post with lots of positivity and enthusiasm, some even asked me if I could share with them some more yummy filipino recipes!
WHAT ARE QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK CHACHIE?
From your experiences, why are some reluctant to embrace their identity, especially at a younger age? I am aware that media and trying to conform to norms in a specific location might be factors in that area, but I always love to know how we can get younger generations of Filipinos embracing their identity more.
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This is a good question, Jaslyn! I believe that there are so much ways to approach this question but for me personally and what I have learned so far is that there is this missing piece in terms of lack of knowledge in history where we both are aware that here in Hawai'i there is a huge influx of migration from Philippines to Hawai'i and most of the children who may immigrated here were 5 years old or older and they might have been not as encourage from their family to learn more about their history because they might have been told that once you are here in "America" you need to "assimilate" in order for you to achieve this "American dream" which part of it have to sacrificed a part of our identity. But if there is a will, there's a way. To still keep our identity through a series of learning, unlearning and understanding our history.
Listen to the podcast on our website at https://www.kasamahancollective.com/podcast-1