It鈥檚 AAPI Heritage Month, AAPI meaning Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
As an American society, we haven鈥檛 really nailed down a consensus acronym for the American diaspora of people whose cultures hail from Asia or the Pacific. In addition to AAPI, I鈥檝e seen APA (Asian Pacific American) and AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.)
Nonetheless, we have this month to unapologetically share and celebrate our traditions and, as a Filipino American, I love that.
Covering the broad diversity of communities in Northeast Ohio is a great way to learn about other cultures, which is one my favorite parts of this job.
It also gives me an opportunity to share aspects of my own Filipino American culture. A few years ago, I wrote about a , who reminded me a lot of my own family.
In the 88th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards documentary, I featured a local chef who 鈥� spamsilog, which has eggs, garlic fried rice and Spam.
鈥淚 love cooking. As Filipinos, that鈥檚 how we connect,鈥� said chef Shaan Dela Cruz. 鈥淎s a non-Filipino, if you go to a Filipino house, they鈥檙e going to ask you, 鈥楬ave you eaten yet?鈥� That鈥檚 how we show generosity and hospitality.鈥�
Last fall, I introduced a audiences. For this dance, two people make a beat with long bamboo sticks and dancers step and jump over the bamboo sticks, careful not to get their feet whacked.
鈥淚t started off, my grandma kind of forced me into it, but then over the years I really started liking it and I feel really close to my culture when I do this dance and other Filipino dances,鈥� said Angela Madamba, one of the tinikling performers I spoke to last year.
Madamba and her tinikling crew 鈥� the Philippine American Society of Ohio Dance Troupe 鈥� will be performing at the Cleveland Asian Festival this weekend.
I will be on stage as well. I鈥檝e been an emcee since 2019 and I鈥檒l keep that tradition alive for the two-day festival. I鈥檒l also be singing some cover songs by Filipino and Filipino American musicians for an acoustic jam on the second day of the festival with fellow Ideastreamer and fellow Filipino American Chris Dudley.
If you see Chris and me, don鈥檛 be a stranger.
Salamat (thank you).
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