I’ve gotten so many reviews and reflections from the participants in Fil Ams Rising, and I just thought I’d share them here. Hope you enjoy reading!
Koa DeLeon’s Filipino American Rising workshops provided a safe, inviting environment to learn what it means to be Filipino American. Out of the 5 workshops, I was able to attend 3, and they were all full of amazing speakers and lessons. With little knowledge of Filipino American history, I was able to be taken back to my roots in only one Zoom session. I didn’t feel left out or any sort of feeling of being behind others because there were other students across the nation that came to be educated, too. I was able to meet fellow Filipino American students all the way from the East Coast in breakout rooms. We all exchanged socials too, so we can stay in touch. I learned about leadership and how we can use the power of the youth in our communities. I came up with ideas alongside other youth who all had the same goal. It was an opportunity that I’m happy I did not miss.
Christine David, Senior ’20-’21, President of Club Kaibigan, Cerritos, CA
Fil Ams Rising is an amazing 5 days workshop. Not only do you learn about the Filipino American History, but you also learn about leadership skills and interact with other students across the country! I learned so much about the history of my culture and I plan to use that information to educate my friends, family, and the members of FACS (Filipino American Cultural Society), which is an organization at Salem High School. Also, I learned how to get out of my comfort zone and interacted more through the team building and public speaking discussions. I enjoyed every minute of the workshops, meeting new people who I can relate to, and I can’t wait for more!
Amber Verzo-Rull, Senior ’20-’21, President of FACS, Virginia Beach, VA
I believe Fil Ams Rising was a workshop that was executed well and reached all of its goals. There were excellent speakers who were able to teach Filipino history and culture that stuck in my head, and although it took some encouraging, participation was fun and helpful to understand what we were learning. Long story short, Fil Ams was very well done and it has helped me to understand my identity better.
Gavin Salinas, Junior ’20-’21, Alexandria, VA
I thought the workshops were really helpful to me because I did not know much about Filipino American history before and why it is important to learn this and educate others around me. I also enjoyed seeing other Filipinos from other parts of the country and hearing their thoughts on Filipino American history and the current state of the world today.
Alex Fang, Junior ’20-’21, Arcadia, CA
I enjoyed expanding my knowledge about Filipino culture. I loved hearing about people’s experiences and opinions. It would be great to continue to have these workshops, so we could continue to learn about Filipino history and culture.
Sophia Cabalfin, Freshman ’20-’21, San Dimas, CA
Fil and rising was an awesome experience. We all got to learn more about our ancestors and their struggles during and before their big immigration to the United States. We all got to discover the key events in our history, such as the wars that our ancestors fought in and the work they did to earn a living. Eventually, they made the life changing decision to move to the United States and to start over. All of our Filipino ancestors certainly did not have it easy and faced racism in many different ways. Still, they worked hard and paved the way for all of us today. The teachers we had have studied this subject and were able to teach us this in fun ways, including interactive activities to use our knowledge of our culture and to show our Filipino pride. By the end of this fun workshop, we all got to learn more about our ancestors and have become even more greatful for all of their accomplishments and sacrifices.
Kayla Tolentino, Middle Schooler ’20-’21, Westminster, CA
Through the Fil Ams Rising workshop, I rediscovered my Filipino culture. I learned about everything about the Philippines from the early years, all the way up until now. I learned about the tough, but honorable journey that the Philippines had to go through in order to be an independent country and achieve who they are today. Through the breakout rooms with this workshop, I was able to meet new people that share my special Filipino heritage. We were able to relate to each other through our unique Filipino traditions, talents, and habits–we all agreed that Filipinos love karaoke, basketball, and lumpia! I am excited to use what I have learned in Fil Ams Rising to better educate myself, become more aware of the problems that my race still experiences, and work for the better for my culture. I hope to educate others on who Filipinos are and make our amazing ethnicity more known. Overall, this workshop was an amazing way for me to learn more about my ancestors’ struggles–and successes–in order to get me where I am today. It was a unique experience because there isn’t an Asian American class at my school, so through Fil Ams Rising, I was able to learn about the Philippines and those who make up this country. Furthermore, despite the restricting Covid-19 circumstances, we were still able to successfully meet and learn a lot through Zoom meetings. Altogether, the Fil Ams Rising Workshop allowed me to appreciate my culture–and made me proud to be a Filipina.
Giselle Tolentino, Sophomore ’20-’21, Westminster, CA
I loved these workshops! So much information was packed into these lessons and I feel that I have come out of this process with a lot more knowledge than I had before. Thank you Koa for this AMAZING opportunity!
Alanna Chan, Sophomore ’20-’21, Cerritos, CA
I thought this was really great!! There’s not many opportunities to join student-run workshops/groups like this, so I’m happy to take advantage of that in this setting! 🙂
Daniela Salinas, Freshman ’20-’21, Alexandria, VA
I liked it. I liked to talk to new people, learn about our history, and improve my leadership skills.
Max Legaspi, Sophomore ’20-’21, Upper Marlboro, MD
Fun way to learn about filipino american history, nice to see new people
Jasmine Castro, Junior ’20-’21, Arcadia, CA
It was very interesting and engaging
Jasmina Floranza, Junior ’20-’21, Virginia Beach, VA
LOVE YOU KOA I had so much fun 🙂
Julia Modina, Sophomore ’20-’21, Cerritos, CA
Thank you to everyone who participated in Fil Ams Rising! Your support means the world to me.
Much love, Koa
Fil Ams Rising 