Katie Says Goodbye

When I started this show in 2020, I opened with a letter about my Filipino experience. Our inaugural episode focused on my experience as a Filipino American. It seems fitting that my final episode as your host closes with my Boston experience.

While usually I interview a member of our community or relay insights from a panel, this episode centers on a personal essay. I switch back and forth between my story — moving to the city eight years ago, developing a community of friends and joining BOSFililpinos — and sound recorded in my kitchen. You’ll hear my boyfriend and best friend banter in the background. I’m glad to have captured the moment forever.

Before you listen to my swan song, I have many people to thank. Trish Fontanilla has supported me through the process of making this show. Hyacinth Empinado has been a close friend who I have shared my cultural experiences with. My friends and family, in Boston and beyond, mean the world to me.

Last but not least, I want to thank all of our guests. Thank you for trusting me with your stories and insights. You made me love Boston even more.

If you want to continue this show, I highly recommend it! It has been such a beautiful experience. Email info@bosfilipinos.com for more.

Until next time,

Kaitlin Milliken

Transcript

[MUSIC]

Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos.

Today will be a little different. Instead of an interview or a panel, I’ll be sharing a personal essay because this is my final episode as the host of this show.

I volunteered to start a BOSFilipinos podcast in the fall of 2019. Since then, I’ve made 23 episodes and interviewed nearly two dozen Filipinos and Filipino Americans in Greater Boston. We’ve talked about big issues, like the Junk Terror Law in the Philippines and solidarity with Boston’s Black community. We’ve featured books, art and music deeply influenced by people’s Filipino experiences.

We’ve discussed personal stories of immigrants, Boston transplants and Bay State Natives. We’ve shared hobbies and passions. For many of our guests, Massachusetts is their permanent home. For others, they have already moved away to start new chapters. Today, it’s my turn to say goodbye. Thanks for listening.

[MUSIC ENDS]

Kaitlin Milliken: I’m recording this in March of 2022. In the audio, I’m in my kitchen, a cozy galley in my Brighton apartment. I’ve already laid out the ingredients for dinner. I’m making pancit and rolling lumpia tonight. I’ve tasked my boyfriend Nathan with being both my sous chef and audio engineer.

[CHOPPING SOUNDS]

Kaitlin Milliken: Are you enjoying your job?

Nathan Flohr: You’re hearing the sound of carrots.

Kaitlin Milliken: Do you have onion sensitivity?

Nathan Flohr: Like do I cry?

Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah.

Nathan Flohr: Sometimes.

Kaitlin Milliken: This might be hard for you.

Kaitlin Milliken: I picked up everything at Super 88 before Nathan’s flight touched down in Eastie. Well except for an onion which I forgot to pick up that he grabbed for me.

Nathan Flohr: I have onions now. I have two onions.

Kaitlin Milliken: Thank you.

Nathan Flohr: Can you tell us about what we’re having today?

Kaitlin Milliken: We’re having pancit. And we’re also having lumpia. And Michele made adobo, so that’s exciting.

Nathan Flohr: Tell me about pancit.

Kaitlin Milliken: It’s noodles with stuff.

Nathan Flohr: What kind of stuff?

Kaitlin Milliken: Carrots, cabbage snow peas, pork and shrimp in this particular instance.

Kaitlin Milliken: I know the aisles like the back of my hand. I’m the type of person who’s afraid to ask employees where to find things. They’re busy. Instead, I have spent the years wandering, creating a mental map of where to find what I need. My kitchen follows the same philosophy.

[CHOPPING SOUNDS]

Kaitlin Milliken: I feel like I could have done a more organized job. But I haven’t really cooked in a long time.

Nathan Flohr: What we’re seeing right now is I have three bowls around me. One of onions. One of carrots, ostensibly julienned. And green beans…snap peas, cut into chunks.

Kaitlin Milliken: I’ve been frequenting Super 88 since I came to the city nearly eight years ago. My mom and grandma helped me settle into my first dorm at Boston University. I was 17-years-old and the first of us to go that far away for an education.

We quibbled as we unloaded my suitcases into the prefab drawers of Warren Towers. When it was time to say goodbye, I saw the strongest women in my life cry. I cried too, as I turned the other direction on Comm Ave and walked away.

On that day, I said goodbye to one community. Not a complete farewell, of course, but my family felt more distant than ever before. So I began to grow a community around myself. I launched radio shows and threw parties, but my favorite way to connect was through cooking.

Nathan Flohr: What’s happening right now?

Kaitlin Milliken: I’m sautéing everything, while also boiling water, while also recording. Welcome to the process. It’s a more cursed process than usual.

Kaitlin Milliken: When I lived in my first apartment, I made my grandma’s adobo recipe to introduce my friends Catie and Kreag to Filipino food. When I got sick — and then, you know infected my roommate Frank — I made us arroz caldo.

Around our coffee table, we made core memories and laughed and commiserated. I felt like I had a second family that I could share my east coast adventures with. I felt like I had a second home.

Since those moments, I have graduated and moved away from BU’s campus. I’ve spent the last three years in Allston/Brighton. My small community has grown up with me and in many ways expanded. Through those changes, I have always brought my culture with me. When I started a book club in 2018, we read The Body Papers by Grace Talusan, who writes about her experiences as a filipino woman in Boston — not white enough to perfectly fit in Massachusetts but not culturally fluent enough to feel at home in Manila. We read Malaka Gharib’s I Was Their American Dream, a graphic memoir about moving away from California. Both made me cry.

Around the same time, I got involved with BOSFilipinos. The group offered a different experience. Instead of growing a new community, I was able to tap into one that was pre-existing.

I loved my Boston family but I missed what I had back home. BOSFilipinos’ meetups gave me an opportunity to meet people who were raised like me, who went to college here, who faced similar cultural barriers. This show, which debuted in early 2020, allowed me to capture these connections at a time defined by isolation.

I also learned about the vibrant community we have here. What I’ve loved the most is learning the history — when Filipino people walked these streets for the first time; how people kept the culture alive. Through this show, I’ve learned that community building runs through me. It’s in my blood and from my family. It makes saying goodby to this town so hard.

Nathan Flohr: Right now, in front of us, we have a pan and a pot. In the pan, we have the pancit with all of the noodles and vegetables and meat. It’s over medium heat, is that right?

Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, medium heat.

Nathan Flohr: How often does it get stirred?

Kaitlin Milliken: Um, until it’s combined and things are cooked.

Nathan Flohr: Do you leave it alot?

Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, it’s fine.

Nathan Flohr: Okay.

Kaitlin Milliken: When I’m cooking this meal, I’m in the waning moments of my time in Boston. I have roughly two months left before I go back to California, leaving this home to rejoin the one I left in 2014.

I’m sharing this meal with my boyfriend and my roommate — two people who perfectly represent what I’m running toward and what will remain once I’m gone.

Michele Garlit: You need help doing lumpias?

Kaitlin Milliken: Yes, in a bit. That’s what that will be.

Michele Garlit: I figured that’s what it was.

Kaitlin Milliken: Nathan and I met in 2021, while I was on an extended trip to my hometown. Without diving into all the details, we decided to do long distance. We’ve been flying back and forth to see each other for over a year.

My trips home have been long — four to eight weeks in the Bay Area on average. Right now, he’s here for his spring break, recording kitchen noises for me while I make a meal, and learning how to roll lumpia for the first time.

Kaitlin Milliken: So meat cylinder.

Nathan Flohr: So we take the meat cylinder.

Kaitlin Milliken: Put it in the center. I’m actually going to take that one. It’s going to be kind of long, cause you don’t want it to go all the way to the end.

Nathan Flohr: So at the very end of the triangle, of the wrapper.

Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah. So you’re pulling the corners in.

Nathan Flohr: Pull the corners in.

Kaitlin Milliken: Then pinching and rolling.

Nathan Flohr: How much?

Kaitlin Milliken: More.

Nathan Flohr: If it were to be measured, two tablespoons almost?

Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah? I’m so bad. I measure with my heart. I don’t know measurements.

Nathan Flohr: I feel like that’s probably the authentic way.

Kaitlin Milliken: He’ll come back again in June, and we'll leave together.

Kaitlin Milliken: We don’t have to finish the whole plate of lumpia.

Michele Garlit: But what if, Katie, we finished the whole plate of lumpia?

Nathan Flohr: Exactly. Live a little. Drink your drink.

Michele Garlit: There are plenty of drumsticks in here so everyone can get a drum.

Kaitlin Milliken: Oh, here this is going to be better for it.

Michele Garlit: And then I also have some pork belly in here, if people have feelings about that. There are a couple bay leaves that I couldn't find. And I didn;t want to stick my fingers all up in it.

Nathan Flohr: They’re in there.

Michele Garlit: So if you see a leaf don’t be afraid.

Kaitlin Milliken: My roommate Michele and I have been best friends for a decade. We met in high school. When I left for college in Boston, she stayed in California and went to Santa Clara University. She moved out east for law school in 2020.

She’s the most recent person I shared this city with. We merged groups of friends, discovered new restaurants and visited my favorite haunts. During this period of transition, she has been my rock.

When I leave this city, Michele will still be in Boston. She’ll be in our apartment, taking the train to downtown — the same trek I made for years.

But tonight, it’s the three of us, sitting down for Filipino food and to record this episode. It’s the best of both worlds, my favorite people who are both from my hometowns sharing a meal in my favorite city.

Kaitlin Milliken: Alright, I feel like I was supposed to make a speech for this.

Nathan Flohr and Michele Garlit: Speech, speech, speech.

Kaitlin Milliken: And then, I like didn’t think about it. Which is classically me. Thank you guys for dinner. Thank you for all your help. And I’m glad we get to do this.

Nathan Flohr: Speech.

Kaitlin Milliken: That was the speech.

Nathan Flohr: Better speech.

Kaitlin Milliken: Okay better speech. I’m going to miss you.

Michele Garlit: Food good.

Kaitlin Milliken: Yes, food good. BOSFilipinos over, sad. I don’t know. It’s been a ride, but this is a good dinner. I’m going to stop recording now.

Kaitlin Milliken: Boston is a magical place. It’s a big city with the opportunity to grow your career and pursue what you think are your dreams. It’s a place to find the people who embrace you for you. It’s a playground to explore and develop an intimate relationship with. It’s a small town where you can feel a connection to your culture, your neighbors and yourself.

Seven plus years in and I can tell how Boston shaped me. I like to think, in some way, I built something here. No matter how small, I shaped it too.

[MUSIC]

Kaitlin Milliken: Okay, this is the last time I’m going to do the outro. Okay. Wow. [DEEP BREATH] This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella.

Thank you to Trish Fontanilla for supporting me while I ran this project. Thank you Hyacinth Empinado for being my friend since we connected at a BOSFilipinos meet up in 2019. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and knowledge on this show. You helped me learn so much. I’ve grown to love this city even more because of you.

Thank you to my family in California and my chosen Boston family. I love you all. Thank you to Michele and Maxine for being my best friends in both places. I can’t believe it's been a decade. Thank you to Nathan for helping me produce this episode, for listening to the draft of this script, for letting me show you all my favorite places, for moving me home, for helping me through this transition. It means the world. I love you.

And, lastly, thank you for listening to this episode and our show. You turned this podcast into a community. It’s been really special. Until next time, goodbye.

A BOSFilipinos Update

BOSFilipinos is turning 5 this year! In this episode, we’ll look ahead and share what you can expect from our group in 2022. That includes how you can get involved and a little bit more about the future of our show. Trish Fontanilla, who runs BOSFilipinos, joins us for this episode. 

Listen to the episode and see the transcript below. 

Transcript

[MUSIC]

Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos.

In each episode, we highlight a different aspect of Filipino life in Greater Boston. But today, we’re giving you an update on what BosFilipinos itself is doing. That includes what you can expect from our group in the future, a few personnel news, how you can get involved and a little bit more about the future of our show.

For this look ahead, I hopped on a call with Trish Fontanilla, the woman who runs the whole operation. If you’re a long time listener, you might remember Trish from our second episode ever.

Thank you so much Trish for being here today.

Trish Fontanilla: I am always excited to talk to you, Katie.

Kaitlin Milliken: So I know that we've had you on the show before, and most of the folks who are listening do know what BOSFilipinos is. But if you could just like give us a little bit of a highlight and background, for those who may just be listening to their first episode, of what the group has done in the past.

Trish Fontanilla: It's such an interesting thing to talk about these days. I feel like it's taken on different iterations since a pandemic. But I think of it as a community group to talk about different Filipino happenings around the city, as a way to bring people together — putting out some great content through podcasts and blog posts and social media. And just a way to elevate Filipino and Filipino American voices around the city. Things that we've done in the past… So this is pre-pandemic, stuff that hopefully fingers crossed, we get to do a little bit more of in 2022. We were doing bi-monthly meetups, so people just getting together that are Filipino and their partners or kids, just a way to see each other every other month. We've done profiles on the website, these podcasts. We were doing some videos of me learning Filipino, which was pretty great, even though I didn't always remember all the things that Hyacinth, who's another volunteer, helps us with. But yeah, just a different way to get multimedia, both in-person and online as a way to, again, highlight different voices around the city.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great. So I know that you mentioned some things that we've done prior to the pandemic, some of the online stuff we've been continuing to do. It's a new year. Tell us what's in store.

Trish Fontanilla: Yeah, you know, I wish the COVID fairies out there would give us more memos about all these different variants that are coming. Because I think I was talking to someone in early December and thinking about doing meetups again. But we will definitely see. I would love to do some sort of outdoor picnic situation to make things safe for people. I hope by next Christmas, we could do a holiday celebration. We did kind of…it wasn't a Noche Buena because it wasn't for Christmas. But we did a really great event at St. Anthony's in Downtown Crossing and a lot of different folks, cross generational, came and brought food, which was really amazing. So I'm hoping we can do some of that as well.

I also know that we have some volunteers that have reached out that want to help. So continuing to up the content a little bit. I know the past couple years have been draining for a lot of us. I feel like I waffled already during this podcast. But I'm going to be optimistic and hopeful of us gathering in different ways in-person this year. So that is my dream to do a little bit more of that in 2022.

Kaitlin Milliken: I also know that there's a lot of, you know, online stuff that happens for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Filipino Independence Day, Filipino American History Month. So if you were to think about the big things throughout the whole year that people should watch out for, what would you highlight?

Trish Fontanilla: I know on Independence Day, there is a flag raising at City Hall. I know there's a few other Filipino groups that get involved with that.

AAPI Heritage Month is April and Filipino American History Month is in October. So we like to do profiles. I try to do a profile every day, which is a lot of folks, I'm really proud. Idon't think we’ve repeated anyone yet. And because there's so many Filipinos and Filipino Americans around the city. So if people know of amazing people or you are an awesome person, or you need someone to tell you how awesome you are, please nominate yourself or other people because we'd love to highlight and profile different folks.

And if you're the kind of person that likes to put together events, I think for this upcoming year, still focusing on outdoors. I know in the past, we've done kayaking, you know people have done hikes. So I know I'm a little bit more comfortable talking about those kinds of events in this upcoming year. It's very much driven by what people are interested in. So if there's some cool stuff that's happening especially, particularly if it's outside and we can gather together safely, I would love to talk to different people about their interests and you know amplify that out into the communities so they can meet new folks and have folks to do the things that they love together.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great and I know that there are a number of other Filipino groups or people who put on events. I know PEAR has done online panels as well as some in-person outdoor activities. The colleges in the area have been putting on a variety of different types of programming in different mediums. If people want to get their events highlighted or promoted by BOSFilipinos, what's a good way to do that?

Trish Fontanilla: Yes, for sure. And we've done throughout the pandemic, we've actually partnered with a few different organizations. I know, during the school year last year, we did some panels with some of the college groups, especially some of the groups of the students that graduated last year that were really worried about networking. So there was some Filipino community groups, but I know there was also Asian and immigrant groups that were like, “Hey, we're going into the workplace, and we need a little help.” So if you ever want to partner with a group…

I mean, we are self-funded. So we have limited sponsorship resources. But if you ever want to be amplified, or want to be interviewed or highlighted, you can tag BOSFilipinos on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. The best way for us to pay attention is also to send us an email at info@bosfilipinos.com. Instagram is our most lively, I think, channel. I personally am not gonna lie, I'm not on Facebook as much. So if you tag us on Facebook, it may take a few days or a week for me to get back to you. But if you tag us on Instagram, I personally am on there pretty much every day, so I'll see it there too. And then on Twitter, I check too. So happy to amplify anything. I will say a lot of people do a lot of fundraisers. So unless you're affiliated with a nonprofits, I tend to not share those. Just because I know that there's so many things happening in the Philippines, and I don't have the resources to backtrack, to see where funds and stuff go. But if you have any questions, you can always send an email to info@bosfilipinos.com.

Kaitlin Milliken: Awesome. Same question about getting involved. Some folks may want to volunteer with BOSFilipinos, get connected and participate in whatever talents and skill sets that they bring to the table. Tell me about what BOSFilipinos is looking for from volunteers and sort of how people can reach out and start participating.

Trish Fontanilla: There's a form on our website. So bosfilipinos.com. There's that form on the, I think it's like the contact us page. So there's that. You can also send a note on Instagram, I will say I’m a little bit old school. So if you need a longer reply, I will probably prefer email so that I can type it out. Because I'm not as cool answering all the things on my phone for Instagram.

But yeah, I've always asked volunteers because I can tell people what we need. But I feel like engaging people in what they're passionate about, what they like to do, is an easier thing with volunteers. Because otherwise, there's just some administrative stuff… If anyone finds joy in that if you do, please email info@bosfilipinos.com. Always looking for people that are creative people that like doing multimedia. So you know, audio, video, blog posts, and then get an also, again, events, if you're interested in leading a group of people, essentially saying, “Hey, I'm going on this hike, can you share with the BOSFilipinos group that I'm going on the hike, and if people want to come we can connect?” That kind of stuff. And we can do it in a way that feels safe. So not, you know, sharing your location necessarily, but getting interested and having people to connect with you.

Tell me how much time you have. Do you like an hour? Do you have a few hours a week that you want to volunteer? And what are you most passionate about? Or who do you want to meet? And then we can figure out a way to, you know, funnel that back into BOSFilipinos and have it be something that you're really excited about, but also something that's helpful for the community as well.

Kaitlin Milliken: Right? I am going to actually take a moment to make a specific ask. Trish already knows this, but I'm actually going to be moving in the near future and the show will no longer be hosted and led by me specifically. So if you have podcasting skills and you listen and you are interested in volunteering, or if you would like to host and have the equipment, you could reach out to that same email. You could also reach out to me on Twitter and I'm happy to talk a little bit about the process if you're a little intimidated but are intrigued. That's KatieMilli on Twitter and also Instagram etc. That's my last plug.

Trish Fontanilla: Well first off, what I wanted to say is thank you for being the founder of the BOSFilipinos podcast, I think you were potentially the last hug I had for a very long time. Because we met in person right before the podcast launch. And we got JP Licks ice cream. And we sat by the Charles River. And we started talking about this podcast, and I have gotten so many amazing compliments about it. I think it's been a wonderful addition to what BOSFilipinos is doing. It's a different way for people to consume information that we've done before. So I think I want to take a quick moment to say thank you so much for setting us up and for continuing on during the pandemic.

Anybody that is interested in hosting, or co-hosting, or the technical side. I mean, as you can maybe tell, I can ramble all day, and ask people questions, but the technical side and what he does behind the scenes, I don't even know all the things that you do behind the scenes, you just make magic and it happens. So definitely reach out to me or Katie. And we will hopefully figure something out. Or if there's like other ways we want to, you know, share information. But this has been such a lovely way to get to know the city to get to know the people. And I'm really thankful for you for doing this podcast.

Kaitlin Milliken: I think my last question for this episode would be like, you know, one Filipino thing in 2022 that you're excited for. So I think that could be like a personal thing. If your family does stuff. Something for BOSFilipino. Something that happens in the city You know, we can both share one and wrap it up.

Trish Fontanilla: A little piece of news that some people may or may not know is I am on the transition committee for the new mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu. And I am going to continue to be. The transition actually finished up in January. Because, you know, there was no longer a transition period. There is a little time in between that's never happened before. Mayor Walsh went to work for President Biden. And then there is an interim mayor, Mayor Janie. So there's a lot of stuff. I was a transition committee advisor. And I'm going to continue to be an advisor for the mayor of Boston. And it is pretty freaking awesome. To have the first elected woman, first elected Asian American, and it's really given me hope in a lot of different ways.

Thinking about this year, it's going to be BOSFilipinos fifth anniversary. And so, I was just thinking about that. So I would love to do some sort of celebration, again, outside. Our birthday is in July. So hopefully that will work out. So I'm crossing my fingers, that will be good.

And something that I've been talking about for a really long time is having a festival in the city of Boston. And I was hoping it would happen year five. It's not. No festivals are going to come together in the next few months. But thinking about getting those wheels turning and doing something really awesome and celebratory, that is inclusive of a lot of different people around the city would be lovely. So I would love to use this fifth birthday as a way to kick off that around the city.

Kaitlin Milliken: That's awesome. I definitely would also want to highlight like a Filipino thing I always look forward to that BOSFilipinos works on: Our blog posts that come out in October for Filipino American History Month. I know both you and I have written posts, and so has Hyacinth, another volunteer. But I definitely encourage folks that, if they have a great story to tell about their Filipino American upbringing or an aspect of Filipino or Filipino American life they really like… I've talked about books in the past one. So it's not only just family history, definitely get writing and send them in. And it's always exciting to read those from a person-on-the-internet perspective. So very excited for that.

Trish Fontanilla: That is like a really good point. It doesn't have to be historical. It doesn't have to be a list. Get in your feels. It doesn't all have to be like rosy happy stuff like there's a lot of different things that we experience in the city as people and you know, as people that are growing up around this. If you have some personal essays, we'd love to read those and even if they've been published before.

Kaitlin Milliken: Thank you so much, Trish, again for taking the time. Very excited to see what 2022 has in store.

Trish Fontanilla: Thank you.

[MUSIC]

Kaitlin Milliken: This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Trish Fontanilla for everything — including making the time to chat for this episode. If you’re interested in running this show or pitching in, send an email to info@bosfilipinos.com. If you like our show, you can subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, for more. Thanks for listening and see you soon.

Celebrating Religion and Culture with the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston

Religion, especially Catholicism, has been deeply intertwined with Filipino history and culture. Catholicism was first brought to the region by the Spanish over 500 years ago. As of 2015, The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that nearly 81 percent  of the total Filipino population are Catholic. And, according to Pew Research, 65% of Filipino Americans identify as Catholic. 

For many Catholic Filipinos, religious life doesn’t just mean going to mass. It can mean celebrating the ways that their heritage and religion intersect. The Filipino Apostolate is one way people can participate in religious celebrations specific to the Filipino culture and connect with other members of the Filipino community. 

Our guest today to talk about the Apostolate and Filipino-Catholic celebrations is Father Alex Castro. Father Alex is the pastor of Saint Anne Saint Patrick Parish in Sturbridge Massachusetts. He is also the chaplain for the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston.

Listen to the full episode.

TRANSCRIPT

[MUSIC]

Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos.

In each episode, we highlight a different aspect of Filipino life in Greater Boston. Today, we’ll take a deep dive into one of the area’s religious communities: the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston. Religion, especially Catholicism, has been deeply intertwined with Filipino history and culture. Catholicism was first brought to the region by the Spanish over 500 years ago. As of 2015, The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that nearly 81% of the total Filipino population are Catholic. And, according to Pew Research, 65% of Filipino Americans identify as Catholic.

For many Catholic Filipinos, religious life doesn’t mean just going to mass. It can mean celebrating the ways that their heritage and religion intersect. The Filipino Apostolate is one way people can participate in religious celebrations specific to the Filipino culture and connect with other members of the Filipino community.

Our guest today to talk about the Apostolate and Filipino-Catholic celebrations is Father Alex Castro. Father Alex is the pastor of Saint Anne, Saint Patrick Parish in Sturbridge Massachusetts. He is also the chaplain for the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston.

Thank you so much, father, Alex, for taking the time to chat today.

Father Alex Castro: Thank you, and it's my pleasure. Thank you for inviting me to be part of this activity.

Kaitlin Milliken: Tell me a little bit about the history of the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston? How did it get started? And when did it get started?

Father Alex Castro: Well, I think it's around the late 1990s. It came out I think, as a part of the celebration of the centennial of the Philippine Revolution. So specifically, I think it's before 1998. There was already a group of people, group of Filipinos in Boston, who are desiring to celebrate the Filipino Centennial here in Boston, the longing for more, not only for the celebration, came out after that. So therefore, they established officially, the Filipino Apostolate, and different communities joined them, participated and providentially there was a Jesuit priests from Boston College, who help them and guide them in towards forming the whole apostolate. From there, it grew into a different level, not only for the celebration, but now regularly we meet. We celebrate together in different places.

Kaitlin Milliken: So you mentioned that this started in the 90s. It's sort of grown a little bit more celebrations, more togetherness. Tell me a little bit about how things have changed over time.

Father Alex Castro: Well, right now we are strategically present in two areas of the Boston area. We have what we call the North Shore communities, and they celebrate mass in Malden, Lexington, and then now it's another growing community in Salem. So those are the North Shore communities and then they celebrate mass together at 1pm, at St. Joseph's in Malden, and then Central/South Shore are located in West Roxbury, at Holy Name, and then that's where they gathered together for the celebration. Before that, they were in different churches. But now in those you see them almost permanent in those two areas. So those are just the Filipino Apostolate. But outside the Filipino Apostolate, there are other organizations not PAMANA. And then the Philippine Nurses Association and the Central Massachusetts Filipino American Association. It's a growing group now, but again, the desire for the Filipino Apostolate is to really bring people together through the celebration of the Eucharist and then also to celebrate our Filipino traditions related to our faith. Now that's how it continues to grow.

Kaitlin Milliken: So tell me a little bit about some of the traditions that are related to religion that intersect with Filipino culture and identity.

Father Alex Castro: What are constants are this: one, Easter celebration is specifically Salubong. Now, we have that on a regular basis. Or sometimes when when Easter Sunday falls into one of those two Sundays, we have that big celebration. So then, of course, Christmas. Christmas, either in one of those two communities also. And then of course, Santo Niño. And then during the month of May we have Santacruzan. And so those are just some of the Filipino traditions that we celebrate together here in the Boston area. Unfortunately, we don't have Simbang Gabi because well, it's too cold here in Boston. And then so people might be, they would like to be in bed, still during that time, but we still have the regular masses and then those major celebrations.

Kaitlin Milliken: Some of our listeners may not be Catholic, or they may not be Filipino. We have all types of folks who listen to our show that might be their first time ever hearing those terms.

Father Alex Castro: Santacruzan and the feasts of the Santo Niño are to very unique Filipino celebrations, I would add another one that's the Easter Salubong. So I will start with the Easter Salubong, salubong in Spanish is encuentro or in English, the encounte. For us Filipinos for us Catholic Filipinos, we believe that Jesus after his resurrection, first of all, he appeared to his mother. For us, whenever we go out, and then we come back at home, the first thing we do is to tell our parents we're back. So we see that also in the experience of the Salubong that Jesus first appeared to his mother. So we reenact that through what we call the saloon or the Elantra early morning of Easter Sunday 1000s of people gathering in every church has to celebrate that.

The Santo Niño, the holy child. The image of the holy child is the earliest image brought by the Spaniards to the Philippines that was recorded April of 1521. And that original statue is still in Cebu. So for us, it's a connection. It's a connection to the faith that was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards in 1521. Now that is a clear connection of 500 years of Christianity. So we still celebrate that in Cebu. And not only Cebu, in other areas of most of the area, the churches in the Philippines to really recognize and commemorate the presence of Christ and Christianity 500 years ago. That's the Santo Niño.

Santacruzan. Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo, actually there are two, interconnected celebrations. Flores the Mayo obviously is pertaining to Mary during the month of May. But Santacruzan is different. It is the reenactment of the founding of the True Cross in Jerusalem by Queen Elena. That is why in every Santacruzan and you have what you call the Reina Elena and then with his with her Constantine, because Constantine then is the son of Reina Elena. So you'll see that in all the processions and then Reina Elena carries a across which symbolizes the true cross now, and then you will see in that procession, the women dressed beautifully representing the different mysteries of the Blessed Mother. And also you will see that with their symbolisms with their images of the Blessed Mother so it's really connected.

So those are very unique and very festive celebrations that we would like to always bring to people, and not only Filipinos now but also to the faithful or just to to really be immersed in the Filipino culture here in the greater Boston area.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great. So tell me a little bit about your journey. What brought you to the greater Boston Massachusetts area?

Father Alex Castro: Just like what I said I belong to an international congregation. Now, when I started my vocational journey in the Philippines. I started with the assumption sisters in Pampanga. But then when I told them that I would like to join a congregation they told me like oh, we have the Assumption Fathers is the Assuptionists, why don't you join them. So in 2001, I was sent here to discern with the community and then I liked it. So I joined them and then became a part of their community. And then in 2006, when they started the Filipino Foundation, I volunteered to be part of that foundation to be back in the Philippines. But then after my ordination in 2011, my first assignment was to be sent back to In the United States in 2012. I stayed for two years at our university, Assumption University and then 2014 to 2018. I was transferred to our community in Brighton in Massachusetts nearby the Boston area, that's where I met the Filipino community, I became part of the celebration and then the activities. And then that was the time when I became the chaplain not to be a part of the planning and organizing activities for the Filipino communities in Boston. But then after that, in 2018, I was moved to our parish here at St. Anne’s now but I'm still connected to their activities, because right now, we don't have yet permanent chaplains. I'm still doing, I'm still the chaplain for the Filipino Apostolate. And all the became bigger now. Because right now here in the parish, more and more Filipinos are visiting the shrine and then connecting them to the whole Filipino Apostolate so that they could participate in those activities.

Kaitlin Milliken: So when you were in Brighton and became involved with the Filipino community in Massachusetts? Were you surprised by the number of Filipino folks who were living in the area? Or was that something you already knew about?

Father Alex Castro: From the very beginning in 2001? We thought like, “Are there Filipinos here?” No. Well, I was surprised they were Filipinos. Well, I think I don't think that's already a surprise, because some people would always tell us “all the Filipinos are everywhere.” But no, I never thought that there would be a big group. And then when I went to Boston, I was introduced to the community. And then, there was a lot of first Filipino families and then the communities. That was the time when I asked the group to introduce me to the different groups so that I will feel connected. And then we can invite them to all the activities, which was really, really an opportunity for me to know more about the Filipino situation and then the Filipino presence, in not only in the Archdiocese of Boston, but outside Boston.

Kaitlin Milliken: So I'd love to just hear if you have any personal memories or stories that you'd like to share from leading mass for this community.

Father Alex Castro: I think it's October 30, we celebrate with the cardinal of Boston, the commemoration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. I brought the idea to the cardinal when I participated in one of his masses, when I told the cardinal, “Your Eminence, this year is a special year for us Filipinos because we're celebrating 500 years of Christianity, and we would like you to celebrate with us.” And that he said, like, “I'll be happy to join you now.” So it was October 30. It was in Holy Name. And he was so impressed with the presence of the Filipinos. It was the weather was not good, but we were able to gather around 200 people. And then he was so impressed with that. So that was big.

And then at the same time, it's an expression of who we are in the diocese — in the Archdiocese, and then the Greater Boston Area. And then at the same time, we saw the support of the cardinal in what we do, and that he recognizes our presence in the greater area and what we can do now how to participate in the activities of the Archdiocese of Boston. That was where that was big. That was something that we treasure, and then we would like to pursue that in different activities also.

Kaitlin Milliken: My final question for you, Father Alex, if people want to get involved and attend the celebrations that you're leading, how can they do that?

Father Alex Castro: Second Sunday, it's at St. Joseph church in Malden at one in the afternoon. And the third Sunday, it's in Framingham, St. The Church of St. Tarcisius in Framingham, again one in the afternoon. And then fourth Sunday at Holy Name church in West Roxbury, at one in the afternoon. And all of these are posted on our Facebook account, the Filipino Apostolate of Boston, where you we post all the information and all the activities, aside from the regular masses, and we hope that this will be an opportunity for Filipinos around to join us in those activities and to participate and to share and to express the culture that we have an expression of faith expression of who we are as as Filipinos and then at the same time sharing that to the wider community.

One of the Filipino theologian, Jesuit always mentions this. What is unique about the Filipino culture is one, it's faith. Two is fun. You know that. There's always a celebration in relation to fate. And of course, food. Food will always be there. It's the nourishment of the soul, nourishment of camaraderie, and nourishment of the body. So those are what is unique about the Filipino character. It's always being expressed. And you know that I mean, like, it's our way of expressing who we are. So we invite people, not only Filipinos, but those who are interested in our culture to join us in those activities.

Kaitlin Milliken: Thank you. I think that's an excellent note to close on. Thank you so much, father Alex, for taking the time.

Father Alex Castro: And thank you also for this opportunity.

Kaitlin Milliken: This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Father Alex Castro for making this episode special. To learn more about the Filipino Apostolate of Boston, visit their facebook page.

If you like our show, you can subscribe to the BOSFilipinos Podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, for more. If you have ideas of what we should cover, you can let us know at bosfilipinos.com. Thanks for listening and see you soon.

Aldrin Agas on Culinary Pop-ups and Filipino Cooking Tips

With Thanksgiving in the rearview, the holiday season is in full swing. While many folks kept their gatherings small in 2020, more folks are celebrating this year with family and friends. And that often includes sharing a meal.

So today’s episode is all about food. Aldrin Agas, chef and owner of Kuya’s Cooking, joins us to talk about his own culinary journey and tips for improving your kitchen chops. That includes how he launched his catering and popup business, where to get ingredients for your Filipino pantry, and how to get your hands on recipes. 

Listen to the full episode.

TRANSCRIPT

Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos. 

With Thanksgiving in the rearview, the holiday season is in full swing. While many folks kept their gatherings small in 2020, more people are celebrating this year with family and friends. That often includes sharing a meal. 

So today’s episode is all about food. Aldrin Agas, chef and owner of Kuya’s Cooking, joins us to talk about his own culinary journey and tips for improving your kitchen chops. That includes how he launched his catering and popup business, where to get ingredients for your Filipino pantry, and how to get your hands on recipes. 

Thank you so much Aldrin for taking the time to be on our show.

Aldrin Agas: Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here and an honor to be interviewed by you.

Kaitlin Milliken: So just to get started, tell me about how you got interested in cooking. When did you get started?

Aldrin Agas: Oh, I've always had an interest in cooking. It's definitely been a lifelong passion of mine. I think one of them, one of my fondest memories, or earliest memories of cooking is being taken to my Lola's house. This was before I was old enough to watch over my younger brother, but she would always cook us really simple things. And, one of our dishes that we loved was just simple eggs and rice. And I remember being just barely able to be able to safely operate the stove. I asked my grandma, “Grandma, can I make eggs? Can I make eggs?” I made my best attempt at scrambled eggs as I could, and now that was back when I was probably seven or eight years old at the time. Yeah. Probably how I first got interested in cooking. 

And you can almost say that it's kind of in my blood too, because my dad was a chef in the Navy. My parents usually tasked me with cooking food. I always wanted to help him prep whatever needs to be prepared for cooking.

Kaitlin Milliken: There's a big jump between learning how to cook eggs, and opening your own catering business. Tell me a little bit about the learning process. What really helped you develop your culinary skills?

Aldrin Agas: It's always a lifelong sort of love for learning. Because there's always something new to learn, whether it's a new ingredient, a new technique, a new way to fuse different sorts of cultures and different flavors, or if it's a new way to present a food or present a dish. I feel that you always have to have that passion for learning when it comes to cooking. 

For myself, I've been really blessed to, to first have, have my parents teach me all these wonderful recipes from home. But as I've had transition into being a being a chef, learning how to cook food professionally, I definitely attributed to just a lot of love research and more importantly, being able to have a really great network of folks that have been in the industry and have been able to have show me different things show me different tricks and just having a really wide network of support to kind of guide me along this journey. So it's definitely been exciting and fun, and I can't wait to see where this journey takes me next.

Kaitlin Milliken: Let's get a little deeper into Kuya’s Cooking. When did you start it, and what inspired you to launch that?

Aldrin Agas: So I've always had a passion for hospitality. I've been in the hospitality business for for over 10 years now. So I've done everything from bartending, to managing a bar, to sales and events and so it was a way to marry my passion for hospitality with my passion for food. And right around 2017 I'd say is when we when myself my brother and one of my closest friends we were all on the couch just kind of kind of taking it all in and just talking about dreams and aspirations that we came up with the name of Kuya’s cooking and it kind of stuck. So for a period between 2017 and 2020 I had a really simple website. It was just something to kind of tease the senses, and I would make some dishes every now and again for friends and family. 

Right around when the pandemic hit, it was really an eye opening thing for me just because the whole hospitality industry dropped off from top to bottom. And it gave me a chance to kind of really assess, what do I really want? What do I really want to do with my life? And what do I want to do special? That's really what gave me that kick in the pants to say, “You got to do this. You got to make it happen.” So I went through the formal process of starting up Kuya’s cooking right at the back end of 2020. And then I officially joined Foundation Kitchen, which is where I operate out of now. Foundation Kitchen is a shared kitchen space. Some shout out to all the members of Foundation Kitchen, by the way. And that's where I operate now and where I've been operating since January of 2021. 

At the beginning of the year, I did limited food releases. I did a few things between January and April. And I had a few couple months to just kind of take a step back, reassess. There are crazy things going on in my life during that time as well. So just take another step back to say, “Where do I want Kuya’s Cooking to go?” At the end of July, I did my first pop up. And I've been going strong ever since. So it's definitely been an awesome journey. And, the thing that prompted Kuya’s Cooking was just being able to share my love for Filipino food, share my love for food in general, to everyone and specifically to the Boston area. There's definitely a lack of Filipino food and of Filipino restaurants in general. And I'm looking to change that.

Kaitlin Milliken: So Aldrin, how can folks eat your food? How can they get in touch with you and get access to everything that you're making?

Aldrin Agas: So right now the number one way to do that is through my pop ups. Take a look at my website. It's www.kuyascooking.com. I  have a schedule of my upcoming pop-ups. You can also contact me directly if you want to do catering orders of some sort. And yes, I think the ultimate goal, definitely the ultimate goal of Kuya’s Cooking is to eventually open up a brick and mortar restaurant that's accessible to the greater Boston community. So that would definitely be the ultimate goal here. But for now, please support my pop-ups. It definitely helps to get the word out about Filipino food in general. And it’ll definitely help Kuya’s Cooking take off and hopefully get to the point where we're able to open up a permanent location.

Kaitlin Milliken: Tell me about your first pop up. Is there a memorable moment that really sticks with you when you think about that experience?

Aldrin Agas: Yeah, I would say the main thing from my pop ups and like one thing that really, really sticks out to me is when I get a chance to talk with someone, during all the busy moments that will pop up. If I do get a chance to talk to someone and I've heard this quite a bit, I ask them, “Is this your first time having Filipino food?” Sometimes you will get that rare “yes.” But I follow that up with asking them, “Is this your first time having Filipino food in Boston?” And I would say nine times out of 10 folks say “yes.”

That just warms my heart, just knowing that people's first experience when it comes to Filipino food and in New England. Filipino restaurants are kind of few and far between in New England right now. And yeah, wouldn't have hurt to have another Filipino restaurant in the area. 

Kaitlin Milliken: Let's talk about cooking. Not only are folks looking for ways to eat Filipino food at restaurants and at pop-ups, some folks may be interested in learning how to do some cooking at home. What guidance do you have for those folks?

Aldrin Agas: I would say and this applies not just to Filipino food but in general… I would say or actually I’ll quote Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus for this one. 

Kaitlin Milliken: Excellent choice. 

Aldrin Agas: “Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy.” I really think that learning how to cook, especially learning to cook a specific dish,  it takes time. It takes trial and error. Sometimes you make something that's not so good. Trust me I've had my fair share. 

And, really learning that when it comes to recipes, don't be afraid to improvise. A recipe is never set in stone. And sometimes you have to make do with what you have in your kitchen or your pantry. So, feel free to talk about ingredients. Feel free to say, “Maybe I like a little bit more spicy or a little bit more salty. Maybe I'll add a little bit of this. Add a little bit of that.” Really make the make the dish your own. And really, really listen to your gut. Because Lord knows there's a lot of bad recipes. And I feel like if you have that mentality of really putting yourself out there and trying out new things, you really can't go wrong.

Kaitlin Milliken: Let's get a little deeper into recipes. So when it comes to Filipino cooking, you can find stuff online. If you speak Tagalog, sometimes there's videos of people. You can hit up relatives. Where can people get started? If they're like, “I want to eat this, but I have no idea what even goes into it at all.”

Aldrin Agas: I would say that for one — just to plug you all — go to a BOSFilipinos event and just ask around. I'm sure everyone has their own awesome take on whether it be adobo or sinigang, dinuguan on maybe you'll even run into me and we can chat about food. There's actually a pretty surprising amount of Filipinos here in Boston and I definitely think that it's definitely evidenced by like my pop ups there are a ton of Filipinos around. So definitely go up to the Filipino meetups. But if you're looking for a specific website, if you want to really get granular about it, one of my favorites to go to for just entertainment value too is Panlasang Pinoy. So I believe the guy's name is Vanjo Morano. And, he's always entertaining. He posts pretty regularly. So if you're looking for a recipe, I’d definitely go there. But again, recipes are always up for interpretation. So feel free to ask around. Get different opinions on recipes and let the wind take you where it may. Yeah.

Kaitlin Milliken: My second cooking question has to do with ingredients. Where do you get some of the harder to find Filipino staples when you're making your dishes?

Aldrin Agas: So for one, like I would think that the number one ingredient that I use pretty often that is kind of hard to get is bagoong. So for the audience that is not familiar, bagoong is a salted shrimp paste that's used in a lot of Filipino cooking. Bagoong is actually pretty difficult to find if you don't have a car at the moment. And that's actually something that I hope to change as well, better access to Filipino ingredients. 

Speaking here and now, if you want to get really great Filipino ingredients, if you want to support a local Filipino business, I would say Sure Pinoy down in Quincy. That's the number one place to go to for Filipino ingredients. And then if you poke around, there are a few Asian grocery stores. It's definitely hit or miss. But sometimes Asian grocery stores in the area will have a Filipino section where you are able to get bagoong and like none that I can recall in the immediate downtown Boston area. But if you expand your search to Everett, Malden, those areas, sometimes you'll find Asian groceries with Filipino ingredients.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great. So we're sort of moving into the holiday season and that's a big time for — hopefully this year — gatherings and food. Tell me what one of your favorite holiday Filipino dishes is to eat and why.

Aldrin Agas: I would say, so I don't cook this that often. So I always find I tend to cook it during the holidays just because it's nice and rich. It's also, by the way, the dish I submitted when I auditioned for Master Chef a few years back. I love cooking kare kare. It's one of those things that's awesome on a cold winter day to warm the soul. That mix of bagoong, peanuts, peanut butter — who doesn't love peanut butter? And then have some nice green veggies in there, and an awesome protein of your choice. I usually go with a nice kind of chop but you can go with whatever.

Kaitlin Milliken: My final question for you Aldrin, what's one kitchen tip that you want to leave with the folks listening?

Aldrin Agas: Definitely invest in a good knife and cutting board.Those are two touch points that you use to cook with on a daily basis. So you don't need a super expensive knife. You can actually get a really good knife for under 50 bucks. But a really awesome knife and cutting board would be one tip. And then I'll actually throw in a bonus tip for actual food. For all your proteins brine them. Whether it's chicken breast pork, brine them because it just takes the flavor and when you do cook it, it brings the juiciness of the meat to a whole new level. 

Kaitlin Milliken: Awesome. Thank you so much, Aldrin, for taking the time. 

Aldrin Agas: Thank you so much for having me. Have a great day. 

Kaitlin Milliken: This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Aldrin for making this episode special. To learn more about Aldrin’s business visit kuya’scooking.com

If you like our show, you can subscribe to the BOSFilipinos Podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, for more. If you have ideas of what we should cover, you can let us know at bosfilipinos.com. Happy holidays, and see you in 2022.

The History of Filipinos in Boston

While Filipino American History Month is officially over, we’re going to extend the conversation and talk about the history of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in Boston. In this episode, we discuss when Filipinos first came to Massachusetts, as well as the organizations that create communities to bind them together. 

Guests include Richard Chu and Mary Talusan. Richard is a professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. He teaches courses on US empire and the Philippines, Asian American history, and Chinese diaspora history. He also published a 2007 paper of Filipino Americans in Massachusetts. Mary is an assistant professor at California State University Dominguez Hills. Her family immigrated to Boston in 1974. She is also doing a research project on Filipinos in Greater Boston that will be published by Arcadia press. 

Listen to the full episode.

TRANSCRIPT

Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos. 

While Filipino American History Month is officially over, we’re going to extend the conversation and talk about the history of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in Boston. In this episode, we’ll discuss when Filipinos first came to Massachusetts, as well as the organizations that create communities to bind them together. 

For this discussion, I’m joined by Richard Chu and Mary Talusan. Richard is a professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. He teaches courses on US empire and the Philippines, Asian American history, and Chinese diaspora history. He also published a 2007 paper of Filipino Americans in Massachusetts. Mary is an assistant professor at California State University Dominguez Hills. Her family immigrated to Boston in 1974. She is also doing a research project on Filipinos in Greater Boston that will be published by Arcadia press. 

Thank you so much, Mary, and Richard, for joining us today to talk about Filipino history in Boston. Just to get us started. What do we know about early Filipino immigrants and they're settling in the greater Boston area? Mary, if you want to start us off, that would be great.

Mary Talusan: The earliest record that I found of Filipinos in Greater Boston were students who came here and went to elite universities, or they were sent by the Philippine government as Pensionado under the Pensionado Act, but a lot of them did go home to the Philippines and to take up positions in the government. 

What I found while I was doing research on my book on the Philippine Constabulary Band, which was a band that was formed during the early years of US colonization, and then ended up touring the United States several times. They came in 1909, and actually played at Symphony Hall. And what was most fascinating about this visit by this Philippine band was that it included my great grandfather, who was playing flute and piccolo for this band.

Their conductor Lieutenant Loving was an African American officer, and he actually attended New England Conservatory, but he spent 40 years in the Philippines, so I have to maybe count him as Filipino as well.

But in doing that research, I also found that there was a couple of groups. In 1915, there was the La Gota de Leche who, you know, had meetings of Filipinos that were living in Boston. Filipino Collegians of Greater Boston, in 1904, they had an event talking about Rizal, and these were again Pensionados from the Philippines who were attending Harvard, Tufts, MIT, Boston University, and Northeastern University.

Richard Chu: In the course of writing this study on Filipino Americans in Massachusetts, which I published in 2007, I came across what you may call an amateur historian. His name is Nestor Enriques. He's a retired US Navy man. He did some research on Filipinos participating in wars here in the United States. And he listed at least 12 Filipinos enlisted in Massachusetts. So that was about the 1860s. That's sort of the earliest kind of history that we can find about Filipinos in Massachusetts. They fought in the Civil War, but probably left after the Civil War. 

And the same thing with the Pensionados, the students who probably didn't stay. In the 1960s, when we do have some kind of record showing that there were some Filipinos who have settled here in Massachusetts, I found out that there were about 900 Filipino men, and about 550 Filipino women, who were registered as living in Massachusetts. And over time, that number has increased as more and more Filipinos migrated to Massachusetts, either directly from the Philippines or from other states.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great, and I'd love to talk a little bit about that increased migration to the greater Boston area and how that affected cultural hubs. Can we discuss some of the groups or cultural hubs and centers that took root in the region? I know that's something you mentioned in your paper Richard.

Richard Chu: Yes, one of the earliest groups, for example, was PAMANA mainly formed by Filipinos who worked in the Navy and then decided to settle here in Boston or in Greater Boston. They started out with themselves and their families. And then later on the organization expanded to include other families who are not necessarily from the Navy or the Coast Guard. And since then, there are other groups that have been formed. And today, I think there's a thriving number of organizations for Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

Kaitlin Milliken: Mary, I know that you're also writing a book about the history of Filipinos in the Boston area. Have you found anything about those types of cultural hubs or centers?

Mary Talusan: Richards, right. They're formed around professions. So some of the earliest, as he said, were founded in the 1960s. But we do know of one that existed in the 50s called the Philippine Bataan Club of Boston and New England. But again, yes, a lot of these Filipinos went back home, and a few of them stayed. The few that came in the 60s and then settled here, they formed the PMANE, which is the Philippine Medical Association of New England, for physicians. And then PNANE later was started for nurses as well. 

I have a book here that was published by the Filipino Association of Greater Boston Inc., which was published, which was formed in 1967. And in 1982, they published a self published work called Montage, and there's only a limited number of copies. But Joyce Javier did a great job of putting together photos of Filipinos and their cultural activities around that time. And so it only goes up to 1982. So the book that I'm working on will focus mostly on the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and a little bit into the 90s. 

But the longest lasting ones that are still around today, I would say, are PMANE Philippine Medical Association of New England. PNANE, the Nurses Association is still in existence. And of course, Iskwelahang Pilipino which was founded in the early 70s is still around today. We have some, you know, really wonderful records of organizations that have lasted for a number of decades and are still around today.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great. I would love to dive a little deeper Mary into the book that you're working on. Can you give us some background on what exactly it is and why you decided to write it?

Mary Talusan: For Filipinos in Boston... I would say when I came out here to the West Coast, and I told people that I was from Boston, the first thing they would say was, “There are Filipinos in Boston?” And I said, “Yes, of course my parents have been there, you know, since the early 70s.” 

But I know of many Filipinos that came in even in the early 60s, before the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act kind of opened the doors to immigrants from Asia, for example. Ildefonso de Laurant was performing for the Boston Pops in the 1960s. He arrived in 1962, and was a flutist for the Boston Pops for many years. I think it's really interesting to capture those little known histories of Filipinos in Boston, as well as you know, the larger organizations that kind of have been the backbone of making Filipino culture in Boston and Greater Boston really visible to the wider public. 

So that's what I really wanted to do in this book was to share the pioneering work of my parents' generation and their friends, to really lay down the foundation for the next generation and their grandchildren to feel a sense of pride, history and belonging to the greater Boston Society.

Kaitlin Milliken: What are some of the things that you're focusing on or subjects that you tap that people would expect to see when the book comes out?

Mary Talusan: Yeah, well, I'm really excited because in addition to taking folks through a photographic history of Filipinos arriving in the 50s, 60s and 70s. When we get up to the 1980s, I'm sure you know that Benigno Aquino Jr. and his family came to Boston when they were in exile. From Boston, Ninoy, as we called him, returned to the Philippines and sadly was assassinated. His wife, Corie Aquino, who we know became president of the Philippines, was here in Boston with him as well.

So, my parents’ friends who were part of their inner circle, or their barcada, had all these wonderful family photos of the Aquino's during that time and generously shared them with me. So I don't think there are a lot of family photos of the Aquino's during their time in Boston. So that's going to be kind of one of the gems of the book. I think I have the final Christmas family photo of the Aquino family in Boston, the year in which Ninoy was assassinated. And that was contributed by a first cousin of Corie Aquino, who ended up joining the board of the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Memorial Foundation, whose headquarters was on Commonwealth Avenue in Massachusetts. 

I also have a lot of photographs from the early 1900s, the Lichauco family, who were here, they had some daughters that lived in Newton, Massachusetts in 1914. The son, Marcel Lichauco was the first Filipino to attend and graduate Harvard College as an undergraduate. So they were so wonderful to share those historical photos with me as well. 

But later on, we get into the, you know, the 90s, when my generation starts coming into adulthood, and they're going off into different parts of the country. I did as well. I'll never forget my roots in Boston. And part of the goal of this book was to capture that time period when this older generation, I mean, they're coming of age, some of them are passing away, and their children are moving all over the United States pursuing their own careers and having their their families. I hope to capture that generation of Filipinos, but I know that there are new communities forming. New immigrants have come to Boston and so I'm really hoping that other people will kind of take on the goal of continuing to archive and promote and make visible Filipino American lives in the greater Boston area.

Kaitlin Milliken: Moving forward a little bit. Richard, I'd love to toss this over to you. In your paper that you published in 2007, you sort of talked about some of the demographics of Filipino folks living in Boston, can you share a little bit about that and the role that the Filipino population plays in the Boston community today?

Richard Chu: Unfortunately, the 2020 census has not yet been this aggregated. In other words, the details of the census have not yet been released. And so what I'm going to rely upon are the census records from the year 2000 and 2010. And from these two census records, there are interesting demographic statistics about the Filipinos that can tell us more about the community in terms of population. 

The steady growth of Filipinos, or Filipino Americans in Massachusetts. In 2010, the number was only 11,980. And then in 2013, it increased to 18,673. Now, in 2020, there are 25,842 Filipinos or Filipino Americans in Massachusetts. 

And then in terms of the gender ratio, it's interesting that over time. There are more females than males in earlier times. And this was back in the 1960s. It showed that there were 897 Filipino males and 546 Filipino females, and this can be explained partly by the large number of Filipino nurses. There is a large number of Filipino nurses in Boston. 

So that's the gender ratio and in terms of median income, Filipino median income for 2010 was $86,143. In terms of educational attainment, many Filipinos also have at least a bachelor's degree. And the statistics show that in 2010 62.2% of female Filipinos have at least a bachelor's degree. And then English proficiency. No surprise is high among Filipinos because of our colonial history, so we were colonized by the United States for almost 50 years and until today, the medium of instruction in many Philippine schools is English. Many of them who came here to the United States are proficient in English. 

The average household size of Filipinos in the year 2000 is also larger than the average in the state. And I guess this we can attribute to the familial practice of Filipinos of having extended families. It's not surprising if adult children still live with their parents or, that they live with their relatives. 

And lastly, in terms of occupation, over 50%, in the year 2000, of Filipinos are in management, professional and related professions. This can also be explained by the fact that many Filipinos who came to Boston are in the medical or healthcare sector. So these are just some of the statistics that we can glean from the census records. That gives us kind of a broader picture of the Filipino community in Massachusetts.

Kaitlin Milliken: Yes, thank you so much for that context, Richard. It's always really helpful to see how you know the history connects with what we see today. Mary, my follow up question to you is, when you were writing your book, I know that you mentioned it's focused on the 60s through the 80s. Were there any points of research or things that stood out about the Filipino community in the 2010s, early 2020s, you know, that you might have come across as you were working on the project?

Mary Talusan: Well, as Richard said, you know, there's always been like fresh influxes of Filipinos immigrating into the Massachusetts area, mostly because of work, their professional work. In the early 2000s, for example, the Boston Public School system actually went to Cebu, and hired about a dozen teachers to fill positions in math and the sciences in the Boston Public School area. And so it was wonderful to connect with them, and, you know, 20 years later, ask them what their experience has been like. A lot of them did stay in Boston. A lot of them joined existing groups such as the Filipino Apostolate. And some of them even formed newer groups. There was a group of Filipino psychiatrist that I know came in the 90s.

 And, you know, fast forward to today, there's a lot of businesses, also by Filipino immigrants. And so I was able to include some of them in my book. But again, I focus mostly on Filipinos during the 70s, 80s and 90s. It was really great to know that there was a FANHS New England chapter, that's the Filipino American National Historical Society, which has 35 chapters around the country. But FANHS New England was really active, like from the 90s, up until about 2005. And I hope that some folks would revive that again, because I think it's one of the ways that we can engage organizational structure to help with research projects involving Filipino Americans. 

I know Richard still continues to do research and I think you're involved with there's an archive at UMass Boston, Asian American Archive as well. Hopefully what the book will do would be to encourage some more research. I don't think this is going to be definitive, but I hope to kind of encourage continuing research on Filipino Americans because there are always new things going on.

PAMANA, which is the Philippine American Mainstream Advocacy for Nonpartisan Associations, has been doing flag raising at Government Center on Philippine Independence Day. Iskwelahang Pilipino continues to educate American-born youth about their Filipino heritage and instills pride in that. There's Santa Cruzans that are going on and different, just informal get togethers by the community. But I think one way to help make that more visible is to find a way to centralize the information and build directories and collaborate more between the different organizations. 

Kaitlin Milliken: My final question to both of you, what's one thing you want people to remember one short thing about Filipino or Filipino American History in Boston? What should they bring with them once this episode is over?

Richard Chu: Our history is really tied to American colonial history. And that is one course that I teach at UMass Amherst, which is the US Empire and the Philippines. The reason why there are many Filipinos here in the United States is that the United States colonized the Philippines and that created this migration of Filipinos to the United States. We have to also look back to our history and be critical of this history. While we have many things to be grateful for here in the United States, we also have to ask those questions why Filipinos, for example, have to leave their country to find better economic opportunities. And how is this migration history tied to our colonial history?

Kaitlin Milliken: Great and Mary, do you have anything to add?

Mary Talusan: Document for yourselves your own family's history, the accomplishments that you've done and someday we can get together and archive from which people can build histories around the Filipino community in Boston and throughout New England.

Kaitlin Milliken: Fabulous thank you both so much for taking the time. 

This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Richard and Mary for making this episode special. 

If you liked this episode of our show, you can subscribe to the BOSFilipinos Podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, for more. If you have ideas of what we should cover, you can let us know at bosfilipinos.com. Thanks for listening and see you soon. 

What’s on My Fil-Am Bookshelf…

Ever since I was young, I have loved reading. As a child, I always had a book with me — a habit I carried into adulthood. Reading allowed me to explore the world and myself, offering one way for me to grow my understanding of my cultural background. 

Here are the books by Fil-Am authors that are on my shelf, and what I’ll be reading next. 

Fe: A Traumatized Son’s Graphic Memoir by Bren Bataclan. In this graphic memoir, Cambridge-based artist Bren Bataclan explores his relationship with his late mother, Fe. He celebrates her life in it’s totality — retelling moments of closeness, their fights, and funny stories from their time together. Bataclan also shares his immigration story and how that shaped his family relationships. 

I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib. Another graphic memoir, journalist Malaka Gharib shares her experience growing up as an Egyptian and Filipino American. She explores the intricacies of living between cultures, spending the school year with her mother in Southern California and her summers with her father in Egypt. With whimsical art and interactive elements, Gharib guides the reader through her cultural identities. 

The Body Papers by Grace Talusan. In her first memoir, Talusan retells stories from throughout her life, tackling themes including immigration, cultural identity, hereditary disease, and belonging. She shares her experience living in Greater Boston as an undocumented immigrant and how her culture shaped her childhood. She also dives deep into points of cultural reconnection — including a Fulbright trip to Manila that she took as an adult. 

In Waves by AJ Dungo. In this comic, AJ Dungo memorializes his late partner and her battle with cancer. Not only does he walk through her diagnosis and treatment, but he details the love of surfing that binds them together. Dungo intertwines his personal story with those of surf legends. 

What I’m Reading Next: Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala. A mystery novel released this year, Arsenic and Adobo blends Hallmark movie and mystery theatre in one engrossing tale. When main character Lilia Macapagal experiences a breakup, she moves back to her home town to save her Tita Rosie’s restaurant. But when a food critic (who happens to be her ex) drops dead on the premises, Lilia has to solve the case. 

Do you have other Fil-Am book recommendations? Let me know! 

What's Kept Me Going Through the Pandemic

By Hyacinth Empinado

Going through the pandemic while pregnant has left me longing for some creature comforts. When the going got tough, I found myself seeking out things from my childhood in Cebu. I craved Filipino food, videos and music. Hearing Tagalog and Bisaya just wrapped me in warm fuzzies, and soothed my hormonal 30-something psyche. So when Trish asked me to write a blog post, I thought I would share some of the things that have kept me going. 

Ginaling and Nilatang baboy

These dishes really take me back to my childhood. When I was in elementary school, my mom used to bring my sister and I homemade lunches. Some of my favorites were ginaling (ground pork simmered in tomato sauce with peas, carrots and tomatoes) and nilatang baboy (boiled pork soup). We parked under a huge acacia tree, and they were sometimes joined by my friends. My mom would pack the food in stainless steel containers and serve the dishes piping hot with white rice (of course). So much yum!

Image via Maxpixel

Hilaw na Mangga (Green Mango) 

In the Philippines, green mangoes are akin to pickles — many women crave them when they’re pregnant. I am no exception. It’s also one of my favorite foods. I always bought them when the mango man made the rounds at school. Sometimes my mom would buy a kilo, and the whole family would have them as an after-dinner snack while we watched soap operas. Many people prefer them with bagoong, fermented shrimp paste, but I think they’re just perfect with a little bit of salt. 

Filipino Music

When September hit, I couldn’t help but listen to Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts.” I’m usually pretty adamant that Christmas music should only be enjoyed in December, but I was feeling pretty nostalgic. Listening to this gave me all the warm fuzzies and really hit the spot. 

I’ve also been enjoying some OPM (original pilipino/pinoy music). I keep going back to KZ Tandingan’s Wish bus rendition of Isang Linggong Pag-ibig (originally sung by the legendary Imelda Papin). When I just want to sit back and relax. I listen to Janine Berdin and Joanna Ang’s Bisaya song Bulalakaw. These songs take me back to a simpler time and make me feel like I’m back home in Cebu.

Toni Gonzaga’s Toni Talks 

I’ve been glued to Toni Gonzaga’s Toni Talks on YouTube. I’ve learned so much about the big names I grew up watching on TV. She’s talked to many of my role models growing up like journalist-turned-politician Loren Legarda, newscaster Ces Drilon and media mogul Charo Santos-Concio. As a multimedia producer, it was interesting to me to see how these women progressed in their careers and tackled challenges in their work. If you want to learn more about what drives certain Filipino celebrities and politicians, her show is worth checking out!

👋🏽So What's New?

Hey BF-ers and friends…

It’s been a minute. Well actually, it’s been 577 days since I wrote a formal BOSFilipinos update where I gave us a couple months to “get back to normal.” LOL4EVERANDEVER While BF hasn’t been fully functional during the pandemic, I will say we’ve been keeping the lights on over the past year and a half. Hyacinth was doing/editing Word Wednesday videos, Katie’s been getting the monthly podcasts up, and I’ve done community member profiles on social media, along with reppin’ BF on external panels (BTW - Hyacinth and Katie both got blog posts coming up this month!). But some of what I love about this community has been missing… the in-person interactions. Our last restaurant pop-up was January 2020, our last meetup was February 2020, and our last big potluck was December 2019. I didn’t feel safe doing events last year. And to be completely honest - I was in a bit of a funk that took lots of therapy, self-care, and work on myself to climb out of + seeing my mom after a year and a half (I still haven’t been able to see my brothers). Then even after I got vaccinated this past Spring… I still felt an uneasiness about gathering large groups together. And let’s face it, the BOSFilipinos crew has never been one for “small” - from the size of our dishes, to how loud and joyful and affectionate we all are.

All this to say: we really miss y’all. I am daydreaming and planning all we’ll get to do together next Spring. Please continue to tag us and tell us your stories. Please continue to ask for help when you need it. Email is usually best: info@bosfilipinos.org but it may take a minute to get back to you… as a wee reminder we’re completely volunteer-run and all have day gigs and ::gestures wildly:: life to deal with. But feel free to pester us like a tita asking, “When will you get married?”.

Love, rainbows, and turon,
Trish

2021 Boston Asian American Film Festival

By Trish Fontanilla

While I’m sad we won’t be sitting shoulder to shoulder in a movie theatre this year (especially for the comedies!), I’m so excited to say that the Boston Asian American Film Festival / BAAFF is back! Not only that, BOSFilipinos is co-presenting a very special Filipino Friday featuring 3 films and a Q&A with the producers/directors. I’ve seen screeners, and y’all, they’re all wonderful in their own way. Check out the blog post below for more info on the movies (all making their New England premieres!), our special BF discount code, and of course, Filipino food deals!

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Wherever We May Be
Friday, Oct. 22, 5:30PM EST
[Available to view on-demand from premiere time until Sunday, October 24, 2021, 10:00PM ET]

Directed by Adrian Ellis Alarilla, Jed Yabut, Joseph Unsay, Kenneth Cardenas, Pat R., Pauline M., Zoé Ciela Guenne
Documentary | 79 mins | USA | English |

​[Film Available in MA, RI, NH, and ME until Sunday, October 24, 2021, 10:00PM ET]
Followed by a Q&A.

Through a traveling video camera that circumnavigates the globe, a group of friends share their migration stories as they search for themselves and their place in the world wherever they may be.

Website: https://adrianalarilla.com/film/wherever-we-may-be/​

Tickets: http://www.baaff.org/2021.html

The Girl Who Left Home
Friday, Oct. 22, 7:30PM EST
[Available to view on-demand from premiere time until Sunday, October 24, 2021, 10:00PM ET]

Directed by Mallorie Ortega
Narrative | Musical | 100 mins | USA | English | New England Premiere

​[Film Available in MA, RI, NH, and ME until Sunday, October 24, 2021, 10:00PM ET]
Followed by a Q&A.

After finally landing her breakthrough role in Los Angeles, Christine (Haven Everly) receives news that her father suddenly passed away. She immediately makes her way home to Maryland to face the bitter past she left behind.

After becoming close to her family and friends once more, Christine must choose to either stay home and keep the family business alive, or go back to LA to continue her own dream.

Website: https://www.girlwholeft.com/​
Tickets: http://www.baaff.org/2021.html

Lumpia with a Vengeance
Friday, Oct. 22, 9:45PM EST
[Available to view on-demand from premiere time until Sunday, October 24, 2021, 10:00PM ET]

Directed by Patricio Ginelsa
Narrative | 109 mins | USA | English | New England Premiere

​[Film Available in MA, RI, NH, and ME until Sunday, October 24, 2021, 10:00PM ET]
Followed by a Q&A.

The LUMPIA-armed avenger reappears in Fogtown and teams up with high school student Rachel to prevent a crime syndicate from selling drugs masked as food in this crowdfunded action comedy.

Advisory: Age 13+ recommended. Strong language, off color humor.

Website: http://lumpiamovie.com/​
Tickets: http://www.baaff.org/2021.html

Bundle and Save

Enjoy all three Filipino films (Wherever We May Be, The Girl Who Left Home, and Lumpia with a Vengeance) for a special price of $24: Click here to buy the bundle!

Special BOSFilipinos Discount

We couldn’t hype all of this up without giving our community a special discount! Use PARTNER2021 at checkout for the bundle or for individual Filipino Friday films.

Special Filipino Food Boxes

And well, you really can’t watch these movies on an empty stomach, so BAAFF teamed up with Catering by Julies and Bits & Bites by Kristine to get you some Filipino food/snacks! Available Friday, Oct 22 – last day to order is Tuesday, Oct 19: Click here for more info and to order.

Menu (as of this publication date)

Boodle Feast for One: $20 Includes: Rice, Salted Egg, Tomato Mango and Eggplant Salad, Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Fried Pork Spring Rolls), 4 pcs Filipino Pork BBQ, 1 pc Chicken Inasal, (Filipino Grilled Chicken), 1 pc Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles), Steamed Shrimp with Head, 4 pcs

Boodle Feast for Two: $36 Includes: Rice, Salted Egg, Tomato Mango and Eggplant Salad, Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Fried Pork Spring Rolls), 8 pcs Filipino Pork BBQ, 2 pcs Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken), 2 pcs Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles), Steamed Shrimp with Head, 8 pcs

Mini Cake: $3.95 Choice of: Ube Cake, Mango Cake and Pandan Cake

Ube Crinkles: 2 for $5.00

Ensaymada (Filipino Brioche): $2.95

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Filipino Friday is just one evening during the festival, and we encourage you to check out the rest of the films to support Asian American filmmakers across the board: http://www.baaff.org/2021.html

You can also tag @bosfilipinos on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram and let us know which films you’re most excited about! We’ll see you (virtually) at the screenings!

Inside Iskwelahang Pilipino, the Longest Running Filipino Cultural School in Mass.

It’s officially October, which means it’s Filipino American History Month. To celebrate, we’re making a podcast episode about one piece of Fil-Am history in Massachusetts: Iskwelahang Pilipino or IP. 

IP is the longest continuously running Filipino cultural school in the US. Founded in a church basement in Newton in 1976, the school became a non-profit organization in the 1980s and relocated to Bedford, Massachusetts in 1995.

Today, the completely volunteer run program serves students between pre-K all the way through high school with a variety of cultural programming. That includes language, cooking, dance, and a rondalla music program. 

We are joined by three of IP’s volunteers to discuss the program’s history and how to get involved: Myra Liwanag, Executive Director of IP; Elsa Christiansen Janairo, the Director of the Rondalla Instructional Program; and Michelle Lazaro Payumo the School Age Program Director at IP. 

Listen to the full episode.

TRANSCRIPT

Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos.

It’s officially October, which means it’s Filipino American History Month. To celebrate, we’re making a podcast episode about one piece of Fil-Am history in Massachusetts: Iskwelahang Pilipino or IP.

IP is the longest continuously running Filipino cultural school in the US. Founded in a church basement in Newton in 1976, the school became a non-profit organization in the 1980s and relocated to Bedford, Massachusetts in 1995.

Today, the completely volunteer run program serves students between pre-K all the way through high school with a variety of cultural programming. That includes language, cooking, dance, and a rondalla music program. In fact, the school’s musical program, The Iskwelahang Pilipino Rondalla, toured the Philippines, Europe and Canada multiple times.

Here to discuss the program in depth, we have three of IP’s volunteers: Myra Liwanag, Executive Director of IP; Elsa Christiansen Janairo, the Director of the Rondalla instructional Program; and Michelle Lazaro Payumo the School Age Program Director at IP. All three of these women also have personal connections to IP. Myra is a member of IP’s first graduating class. Elsa was a member of the program as a child. And Michelle started volunteering at IP with her now husband.

And with those introductions, thank you Elsa, Michelle, and Myra for taking the time today. Tell us a little bit about what IP is for folks who may not be familiar. Myra, why don't you kick us off?

Myra Liwanag: IP, Iskwelahang Pilipino is, first and foremost a community. It translates as Filipino school. And we do run an educational program. But it's a group of Filipino families and families who have a connection to the Philippines who come together as families to participate in activities related to Filipino culture, food, dance and music. From the ages of preschool, all the way through 12th grade for the students. And then adults of all ages.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great. And Michelle, I know that you're working with kids and trying to program for the different ages. Can you talk a little bit about what some of those activities and things that people participate in might be?

Michelle Lazaro Payumo: So at IP, so every Sunday we meet. We have preschool to high school. And then we have different subjects for classes, our classes’ names are binhi for a preschool, we have ilang-ilang for grades one and two. We have some sampagita, grades three to five. And then for the older kids, we have bonifacio for middle school and rizal for high school. And then we offer classes like Filipino life. So it talks about the week, combines culture language, so it's more activity based. And then we also offer FAE which is short for Filipino American experience. And we also offer which is one of the favorite of students is arts and crafts and cooking...then we also have music and dance.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great. So IP is fascinating because it's both a great way to preserve the culture, but it also has a great history and is a big part of preserving Filipino culture historically in the US. And it started in Newton in 1976. And I'd love to get a little bit more information about the history and why it was started. Elsa, why don't you give us some insight.

Elsa Christiansen Janairo: Back in the 1970s, there was an entire generation of immigrants who had come relatively recently within the past 10 for some 20 years prior to that, and they were having children. They were having children in a land far from their parents. In addition to trying to find ways to help children stay in touch with their cultural roots, they also wanted the children to be able to connect to one another. And to know in a place like Massachusetts where there weren't really large Filipino communities that one could find geographically that their children weren't alone. They weren't the only Filipino or Filipino American child ever to exist.

And so they, they very intentionally wanted to bring together kids in community, and families in community to support each other, while at the same time sharing aspects of their culture that the kids could become more familiar with in a community based setting, and also become really proud of, and create an identity together that they feel good about, and then go out, you know, as young adults and represent.

Kaitlin Milliken: So anyone can chime in here. In that founding era, how many people were involved? Who were the families that were getting started with it? Was it hard to find people to participate?

Elsa Christiansen Janairo: The two women who are usually credited with pulling together the founding group, both had educational backgrounds. They were teachers in various ways. And their interest was to really just pull together any Filipinos they could find. So it was a small group, initially, maybe around 10 families. They would just get together and the basement basically, that was almost free rent wise, in the neighborhood where one of them lived, and look for any volunteers that they could find amongst themselves. And perhaps if there was expertise they were looking for outside of their immediate circle, like dance specifically, they would recruit from anyone they could find in the Boston area.

And it was a little bit of a challenge at first to figure out how they would do it. But they were very intentional about doing it, and about what their goals were. They, they listed their goals and their mission. And our mission these days, which we've re-examined a few times over the years, has largely stayed intact. I think we've added to it. But we never found that there was anything to take away from it. Because they had a really expansive vision of what and how Filipino American children should come together to learn about themselves and learn to be proud of themselves.

Kaitlin Milliken: Great, that is an awesome mission. You just mentioned Elsa, that sort of that mission has grown over time. I was wondering, Myra, if you would be able to give a little bit more color into the ways in which the mission has expanded?

Myra Liwanag: Sure. I think, you know, early on, as the story is told to me, because I wasn't around in the early years, actually, families were finding that there was a gap between the immigrant generation and the generation that was born here. So a lot of the effort was really about finding ways to close that gap. And in the early years, it was largely immigrants, as Elsa was saying, from the post 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act era, right? So a whole bunch of folks came to the United States around the same time, so it's this little boom of families, particularly in the Boston area.

And then over time, you know, the school struggled. There were some years where maybe there were just a handful of students, maybe just six students. And other years where there were more. In the first decade, you know, it was always a struggle to get to the next year. But one of the things that I think the founding generation was committed to, particularly Chris Castro, who was our longtime executive director, she said, “We need to open every year just like a school, for families to know that this community is alive. We need to open every year.”

So that's one of the reasons why we lay claim to the idea that we are the longest running continuously run school. We're not the oldest but we've never closed our doors, not even during the pandemic. So you know, at the end of the first 10 years, there was this moment of “Aha, we've made it through a decade.: And then the school grew and changed and tradition started to really firmly establish themselves. So now starting with our 10th year, every five years we try to have a big celebration of another five years of operation. And then over time, we saw new programs come up in our 10th year, the Rondalla program was born. And that's our music program which Elsa can tell you a lot more about. And then in the late 90s and the O's, we moved out of the church. And we moved to Bedford, Mass., which is where we are now at the town center, and somewhere around.

Shortly after that, we hit a milestone, serving 100 students a year. In the early late 00’s and early O's, we started building our Filipino American Experience Program. And all through all of these years, we also had some consistent programs for our families, like our caroling programs. We have a choral group of families that come together and they sing every fall. And we have different activities, social activities, and different celebrations, such as a talent show where the kids can share their talents every year, to all of these things are things that the students take part in, but also families that were part of IP before are welcome to come back. And so they're like mini reunions when they have these community events.

Kaitlin Milliken: That's great. You mentioned Myra, that over the last year, even during the pandemic IP was still offering classes. What was it like to run educational programming completely online?

Myra Liwanag: For the first maybe the first few classes, it was terrifying. We're a community of volunteers. The program is entirely volunteer run. So we're all parents of children or alumni who've come back. And then parents of children who've graduated who stuck around to continue teaching, you know, only a handful of our teachers are professional educators. So we really kind of tapped our professional educators to give us advice on how they were handling remote teaching and education. Because, you know, for all the rest of us, we feel like amateurs, you know. And we really gained a lot from them. But I will say that the folks who saved the day were our IP dads who were really well versed in technology, and AV and zoom and microphones and cameras. And because they made it easy for all of the rest of us to do what we usually do, and they helped us put it online every Sunday.

Kaitlin Milliken: That's great. And Michelle, when it comes to that online programming, you know, how did some of the activities have to change from when they were in person to when they were online?

Michelle Lazaro Payumo: Actually, that was one of the discussions that Myra and I would have planning the year. So we have a yearly schedule. So that's all set, whether in person, right, and then in virtual, we tried to maintain that. So every time it's a special community event, let's say it's music or the talent show, so we had to reinvent. But it's amazing how it feels like we're together, seeing the kids perform. But now on a different platform. We also have activities like our games, which everyone loves… So we also had to, you know, somehow still keep that spirit. But just on this platform, but we always had that in mind. We had to keep the schedule, keep what's familiar. We tried to just make the flow as if we were in person. But, you know, we just kept that spirit on and, and, you know, our theme last year was by baya ihan, so making sure that we're a community working together, and I stayed connected.

Myra Liwanag: It was challenging in the beginning, and we made our way through bit by bit. But it was this incredible year of innovation for all the teachers because just as Michelle was saying, everybody had to reimagine how we make it feel like regular IP, regular classes. And so our talent show suddenly opened up because everyone was submitting a video of their talent. And so we had sports demonstrations and really creative videos edited and all kinds of talent that we didn't expect to see showcased which was wonderful. And we got to see the kids engage in really different ways and, in many ways, they taught us because they were ahead of us. They started school before us and they knew how to participate with online classes better than we did, oftentimes. So they give us some tips along the way.

Michelle Lazaro Payumo: Can I add one more thing I think that we need to highlight that's very Filipino? That is very IP? We also had the Luton workshop, which was a success, like because that's one thing that IP is when we get together, it's during our Merienda time, because we're now virtual, we couldn't do that. So we had two workshops where it was a family effort. And first of all, it's not just students doing cooking in person when we did it, now it's the whole family doing it together. So and then after we all send pictures, send each other pictures eating. So it was innovation and just different. But it still has the same spirit and heart.

Kaitlin Milliken: I love how it's become a family activity. I definitely do want to take a dive into how you get families incorporated. Are there any activities, Michelle, and Myra and Elsa that you'd want to highlight of how families together can work to preserve their cultural identity and stay in touch with their roots?

Elsa Christiansen Janairo: Well, it's interesting, because when you started your question, I wasn't sure where you're going with it. And one thing that came to mind immediately that we do, as families together, is what some people would consider a giant community service project that we do at the Lowell Folk Festival. And we have a food booth. And it's one of the longest running food booths at the festival since we've been there since the first year. And the families come to gather, prepare food, fres. I mean, we're even, you know, starting with whole cabbages. They're chopping them up, turning them into the insides of lumpia, wrapping the lumpia, frying lumpia, everything's happening there, and everyone from some of the youngest members of our community, to the lolos, and the lolas, the grandparents are all there helping together to create food.

That is one of the major ways I think that cultures here in the US that may not be as well known, become known to other people is through sampling their food. And so it's with great pride that our families put all of these meals together and serve them to people with big smiles and explanations of what the food is and how it was made. And it only happens once a year. And it's for three days. But it is this amazing opportunity for families not only to meet each other, but work together, you know, with all the different generations of the family coming together around culture, and around the importance of connecting with people through your culture. So it's one of the great things that we do.

I think, in terms of finding ways to preserve culture and hand it down, I think one of the things that I found important growing up... I'm multiracial. So part of my family's Filipino, and part of it's not, is really having the opportunity to come into a space which IP was for me, where it was normal, to be thinking about all of this, to be thinking about the fact that I'm living in a certain place in the world. But the way that my home life is and my reality is, is influenced by different places in the world and different cultures in the world. And how do I pick and choose? And how do I try to understand the important things, perhaps the ideals, the values, the history of different sides of my family, and decide what I want to take with me, and, and then ultimately teach to my children?

So I think just by the fact of attending IP, because it's not really a drop off program. It's not something where a parent just dumps the kid and runs. The parent remains engaged, helping out on the day of part of the community, part of the planning, part of the support for the children, meeting the other kids in the community, so it becomes a giant family really. So I think just from engaging, even if you only engage for one year, it instills in children the idea that there's really this possibility of embracing the many cultural influences that they have as children of immigrants or grandchildren of immigrants, and possibly of different cultural influences within their own families. And not having to cut themselves into components or pieces, whether this one place and this in another place. It's really an amazing opportunity to be part of a community where everyone's doing that. Right? And you don't feel like you're alone trying to figure yourself out. Who in the world am I?

Kaitlin Milliken: I would love to talk about the volunteer process. Michelle, I'd like to hear from you. Because I know that you've had a very long running history as well as a volunteer, how can families that are interested in getting involved with their kids or folks who are just willing and wanting to get involved, you know, as Filipino people living in the greater Boston area? How could they do that?

Michelle Lazaro Payumo: Because we always need volunteers. But I think it's really just coming to the school and experiencing it with your child. I think I can speak for myself. It's like, it was organic, what happened in you, like I said, it was my husband, I met him he was active at IP Rondalla. And then it kind of turned around when we had kids. And I'm, it's just being there with everyone, like what Elsa said, you're engaged. And then you feel like, you want to be involved in the community. So it's really having friends and just being with your child, and you find yourself helping, you're in merienda, you're helping prepare the foods, you're bringing food, lumpia or anything mac and cheese, whatever, you can bring. So then it kind of becomes organic, but always we ask, we need help, and that's what's amazing about IP, or everyone willing to help. Myra, maybe you have some input on that, too?

Myra Liwanag: Well, I tell people all the time that the IP experience is what you make of it. And that, when you give to it, you get back so much more from the experience. So, you know, one of our, our main sort of our main mission is to strengthen families and community. And one of the ways that you strengthen families and communities is building connection, of course, the best way in our sort of philosophy is to really live it. And so that means, you know, coming in the door as a parent helping out with merienda, serving food, or helping the teachers in the classroom. Just wherever you can find a spot to help out. And that's how people get to know each other.

Everyone there is giving themselves to achieve something greater than any of us could do alone. I started IP when I was a senior in high school, so I had spent most of my childhood years outside of IP. And my parents were very focused on building a life here in the US. We were fortunate to have many cousins around. So I grew up with a pretty good awareness of, you know, what being Filipino means: we ate the food almost every day, and we saw our family almost every weekend. But when I went to IP, I got to see what was more than just my family, I got to understand better Filipino culture, Filipino values more deeply, because I could see it extended beyond the people I was related to, but further to this community of folks who help each other and support each other who laugh together and eat together and, and love each other.

So I think if you you know, if you're new to Filipino school, and you're just trying to make your way, introduce yourself to folks, connect with other parents, find out how long they've been there and throw yourself in, and somehow you managed to land and find a place for yourself and your family.

Elsa Christiansen Janairo: I also want to add that there is a place for volunteers who aren't parents yet, or maybe won't be parents. And there are different places where people have gotten engaged. Sometimes adults who are musicians have joined our caroling group and loved being part of that community. Some have joined our rondalla group and engage with the students there. And then there are other really interesting things like we'll have a cook off, and we'll invite local Filipino or Filipino American chefs to be like the celebrity chefs who get to judge who did the best or most creative job. And it's great, it's great.

Some of those things are one off things where they're just occasions for kids to get to see role models from throughout the community. Other times, there are people from local college programs who are interested in Asian American youth development and want to come and you know, engage maybe for a few sessions, run a series, or become a speaker at a workshop. So there are various ways to volunteer and you can always connect with Myra or Michelle to find out more about that. We welcome folks even if you're not yet a parent.

Kaitlin Milliken: Wonderful, I think that's an excellent note for us to close on today. Elsa, Myra, Michelle, thank you so much for talking about this piece of Greater Boston and Massachusetts, Filipino American history and for covering so much ground today.

This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Elsa, Michell, Myra and the team at IP for making this episode special. Enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year at IP is still open. To learn more visit ipbahay.org.

If you liked this episode of our show, you can subscribe to the BOSFilipinos Podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, for more Filipino american history month content. If you have ideas of what we should cover, you can let us know at bosfilipinos.com. Thanks for listening and see you soon.