- How do you like to honor your cultural roots?
- One of the biggest, most well-known parts of my culture is the food. Filipinos use food to show love. I like to honor my heritage by cooking Filipino food for my family and friends.
- What dish or dishes symbolize your heritage best and who first made them for you?
- Breakfasts and dinners were a big deal for Filipinos. Growing up, my father would make us eggs, garlic fried rice and Filipino sausage or bacon. My mother would make us Chicken Adobo (which was very popular with my non-Filipino friends)
- Can you share a story about someone from the community who has influenced or challenged you to become your best? (Family, friends, celebrities, artists, etc.)
- For me, that person was my father. He had such an intense work ethic that he developed growing up in the Philippines. He instilled in me the importance of never giving up, to giving everything I had into what I was doing and to always lend a hand to anyone who needed it. These lessons carried me through some challenging times in my life and I’m very grateful for them. The night I left for the military boot camp, my father, pulled me aside and told me that he was proud of me and that, no matter how hard things get, no matter how much I might want to give up, to always continue onward and to never give up. He also reiterated these sentiments in the weekly letters he would send me and those words helped to carry me through.
- Do you have recommendations for your favorite film or television shows featuring AAPI stories?
- I don’t have any specific Filipino films or shows, however I’ve read a lot of works written by Jose Rizal, who was among the first proponents to Philippine independence in the late 1800’s
- Why is May a significant month for the AAPI community?
- May signifies the month that the first Japanese Americans emigrated here as well as to honor the contribution of Chinese immigrants in building the Transcontinental Railroad.
- How can non-Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, celebrate AAPI Heritage Month?
- One of the best ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage month is to take some time to speak to your Asian American friends about their culture, how they choose to honor their heritage….and definitely try the food!
Deckers Careers 