Meeting the Needs of our Community

I had dinner with a couple friends the other night, and we talked a lot about the different areas that our work in the community was addressing. From youth to the elderly, our Filipino American community has unique needs. Our culture is diverse, including our taste in music and fashion, and our preferences in politics and education.

The conversation forced me to look at the areas that I am focused on, including:

• Filipino World War II Veterans
• Portrayal of Filipino Americans in the media
• Youth empowerment
• Filipino American curriculum
• Filipino American cultural preservation
• Education
• Political empowerment

My friends share m concerns in these areas and also devote their time and energy towards:

• Economic empowerment
• Social empowerment
• Philippine socio-economic issues

While not always easy to see, these issues are all interrelated. One affects the other. So if we work on just one of these issues, we can improve the other areas as well. Also, these issues are multi-layered and multi-faceted. There is not an area that we do not need help. A Filipino proverb that I often quote is: "Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi kapwa Pilipino."

In this day and age, it may be helpful to keep that in mind.