Filipino American Student Organization
(FASO)
Blending Filipino and American 'school'
cultures
FASO members to attend the annual Filipino Americans Coming Together (FACT)
conference at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign in November.
    I had never attended a Filipino conference before, so I did not know what to expect. I
knew I’d be going to workshops to learn more about our history, culture and current
issues. Little did I know that I was in for more than just an educational experience. I
always knew the Chicago-area had an enormous Filipino population, but had never
really seen it with my own eyes. When I attended FACT 2007, I was overwhelmed (in a
good way) by the large number of Filipino American college students in attendance. I
witnessed a movement in and of itself: Fil-Am students coming together to immerse
themselves in our rich history and share it with the rest of world. It was a beautiful sight to
see people who looked just like me, embracing who they were, as both Filipino and
American, participate in workshops and performances, both cultural and modern.
   FACT 2007 was a rewarding experience for me, and other FASO members. The
conference motivated our organization to move forward and grow into more than just a
social group. Our next step was to attend another conference, the Midwest American
Filipino Association (MAFA) conference in February 2008.  
   Unlike FACT, MAFA is held at a different Midwest campus each spring semester and is
relatively smaller in size. This year, the MAFA conference was hosted by the University of
Minnesota- Twin Cities. Because the U of M is much like UW-Madison, attending the
conference not only presented us with different workshops and performances, but it also
gave us a sense of the amount of time, dedication and resources it takes to host such an
empowering conference. After witnessing the success of MAFA 2008, FASO hopes to
bring the conference to UW-Madison in spring 2009.
   Although FASO won’t know if we’ve won the MAFA bid until later, and even though
the next MAFA conference won’t be until next spring, our organization has not reached
the end of the road this semester just yet. On April 12, FASO held “
Tatak Filipino
(Filipino Identity) at the Memorial Union, celebrating Filipino culture in collaboration
with the Multicultural Student Coalition and Asian American Student Union, as part of
Asian American Heritage month.
   “
Tatak Filipino” was a day-long event featuring workshops such as APELLIDO, which
traced Filipino last names to discover the ancestral roots. Other workshops included
“Cross-Culture: The Mexican Influence in Filipino Food, Language and Currency,” which
was led by Filipino language instructor Maureen Justiniano, and a historical workshop
“Revolution & Nationalism,” led by Dr. Michael Cullinane, associate director for
Southeast Asian studies.
   The day also included an Arnis demonstration by fellow FASO members, all of whom
worked hard to choreograph a performance that shared with the community a form of
martial arts unique to the Philippines. People also had an opportunity to learn Arnis from
an acclaimed martial arts guru. Many students and community members joined FASO
on this successful occasion.  
   FASO members have worked hard to move our organization in a more active
direction, not only to learn about our history and discover our identities, but also to take
action and find solutions to issues that plague Filipino American students today. I am
very proud to have taken an active role in FASO during my last year as an
undergraduate. I have finally discovered how to blend my Filipino culture with my social
life in school, and I hope that others can find the same balance. I still have a lot to learn
and a lot to experience as a Filipino American, but at least now I know it is possible for
school and culture to mix.
By Eunice Abraham  

   Although born and raised in Wisconsin, I grew up with a good sense of my Filipino culture. I ate Filipino food
and learned about Filipino customs. I  had relatives living in Wisconsin, and my parents were actively involved in
FAAWIS (Filipino American Association of Wisconsin). However, the one place I didn’t experience culture was at
school.  
   School was a world of its own, and it never really bothered me that my school life was kept separate from my life
at home. At school, I focused on classes, extracurricular activities, and socializing with my peers, most of whom
were not Filipino. I was so occupied that I never felt like anything was missing in my school life.
   It wasn’t until I entered college that school and culture intersected. I discovered the Filipino American Student
Organization (FASO) at UW-Madison and joined immediately. But, like before, I had other priorities and was never
really actively involved. Plus, since FASO was a small organization, there were few meetings or events in the first
place. I felt bad because I was not always able to make the few events that did take place.
   When I started school this past fall as a senior, I was determined to be more involved in FASO. It was my last
chance to finally make stronger connections with my fellow Filipino peers, and see what it’s actually like to bring
Filipino culture and school culture together.  
   I began to attend more meetings and a potluck, where I bonded with peers with whom I have been acquainted
for years but never really got to know. Additionally, I took my first Filipino language class at UW-Madison, where I
met even more Filipino Americans, who I invited to join FASO. I was in for a big shock when I decided to join other
Eunice Abraham  
From Top: "Envisioneering Workshop"; FASO potluck
group shot; an arnis demonstration