Written by Vanessa Hermoso
This past October was Pilipino American
History Month (PAHM) and in order to help celebrate the contributions and the
history of Pilipinos here in the United States, the sisters of Kappa Psi
Epsilon, Delta Chapter organized a week’s worth of events called Pilipino
American Herstory Month. The week-long celebration commemorated the past,
present and future of Pilipino and Pilipino Americans. The events of the week included a Baybayin
workshop, a Pilipino food fundraiser, and this year’s Pinay Symposium. As a means
of celebrating the past, our Baybayin workshop allowed us to share the history
of this ancient script that was used in the pre-colonial day of the Philippines
and the techniques in writing it. The Pilipino Food fundraiser allowed us to
share with others the Pilipino food that we know and love with all of campus
and let us share our present as Pilipino Americans with all of campus. This
year’s Pinay Symposium entitled “EmpowHERed Pinays” celebrated the fact that
many Pinays that are currently working to improve the future of Pilipino
Americans here in the United States. This year’s speakers included Tracy
Buenavista, a Ph. D. professor from CSUN who researches how topics like race,
gender and socioeconomic status affect Pilipino Americans, and Loralei Bingamon,
a Pinay artist who uses her art as a means of empowering not only herself but also
her community. This year’s events helped to celebrate PAHM by allowing us to
“learn from the past, live in the present and work for the future” of Pilipino
Americans.
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