What unique perspectives can Filipino-Americans contribute to society?
We are one of the most westernized nations in Asia. We had universities before America did. Many of us here grew up not taught our culture in order to make it. I did blame my grandparents but it was for survival. So yes, Filipino-American households rank high in income. On paper, we 'made it.' Data doesn't show the the pain young people have around their identity. Two days ago at Sierra college, would it be ok since... That's not a Filipino problem. That's colonialism working exactly as designed, across generations, across oceans, across zip codes. Our contribution to America isn't the nurses, the engineers, or the caregivers, as real and vital as that is. Our contribution is being the living case study of what happens when you strip a people of their story. And if we're brave enough to tell that truth out loud, we become the model for how to reclaim it.