Rutgers—Newark Filipino Student Association celebrates history month

As Filipino American History Month is celebrated in October, the Filipino Student Association (FSA) at Rutgers—Newark is hosting various events where people can eat Filipino food, sing karaoke and understand more about the culture.

But the best part, members say, is that you don't have to be Filipino to participate. 

"One of our values is community and being a family," said Timothy Salinas, a Rutgers—Newark Business School senior and president of the club. "We don't discriminate and … (we) like to accept everyone."

The Newark chapter dates back to 1985 and has approximately 50 members. Rutgers—Newark FSA aims to promote the celebration of Filipino culture while also promoting diversity on and off campus.

"We're the only (Southeast) Asian student organization right on campus, and … even though I'm Filipino, I feel so happy when I'm able to connect with (members) about other things," said Katarina Guimary, a Rutgers—Newark Business School junior and the club's vice president. "It just makes me feel like there's a lot of togetherness in the club that is absent in other clubs."

Members explore the history of the Southeast Asian archipelago through general meetings, traditional games and cultural events.

Kamayan & Karaoke Night was held on October 2. "Kamayan," which means "by hand" in Tagalog, one of the Philippines' national languages, refers to traditional foods like barbecue skewers and fried chicken that are laid out on banana leaves to be eaten by hand and shared among family and friends. 

"I think it's important to preserve our culture, especially as someone who feels a little disconnected," said Kyra Medina, a Rutgers—Newark School of Nursing sophomore and the club's cultural and production chair. "I know growing up, my family tried to instill as much knowledge and traditions … within our family … to keep us grounded to our roots."

Medina, like many of her peers, wasn't born in the Philippines. She joined the club to get in touch with her Filipino roots and to connect with other Filipino-Americans who were going through similar experiences.

FSA forms familial bonds through mentoring, such as Big & Little programs. Bigs serve as a guide to Littles, where the two bond over shared cultural experiences while helping each other outside the association as well, Salinas said.  

Rutgers—Newark FSA also participates in the Ms. Philippines Pageant, which is the club's biggest event of the year, according to Salinas. They, along with other Filipino student organizations in New Jersey and New York, choose a representative for the event, and students display their talent and pride for the culture through traditional gowns and performances.

"I just love the pageantry and performance aspect of being Filipino," Guimary said. "We win Miss Universe. We win these beauty competitions … It's wonderful." 

Other celebrations through FSA included a line dancing night, Filipino movie night and a Tagalog workshop where students learned Filipino slang and everyday expressions. 

"We have a lot of culturally geared events," said Guimary. "We learned about the different parts of the diaspora, like the different experiences they have."