Skokie Marks Filipino-American Heritage Month

Sitting on low chairs at the Skokie Public Library, a diverse group of children gathered around author Almira Astudillo Gilles as she engaged them in a story about a young Filipino-American boy and his unusual coin bank.

Using interactive materials, including a coconut shell, Gilles kept the children's attention, while weaving Filipino cultural references into Willie Wins, her tale about a boy searching for identity in America.

The Sunday afternoon book reading was part of an October line-up of events in Skokie. The month was officially designated by U.S. Congress last year as Filipino American Heritage Month.

Skokie is home to thousands of Filipino-Americans in Chicago area, and it is spearheading the monthlong celebration featuring cultural dances, workshops, a movie night and a cooking demonstration.

On Oct. 2, Westfield Old Orchard hosted a parade of Filipino costumes, followed by a musical presentation and fashion show at the Skokie Public Library.

"Filipino-Americans should be proud that they recognize us," said Angeles Carandang, a longtime Skokie resident and chairman of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) in Illinois.

"It's very important that they know us, and that we should show that we care for our community [Skokie]," Carandang added.

In a statement, Philippine Consul General to Chicago Leo Herrera Lim said the celebration highlighted the economic, cultural and social contributions by Filipino-Americans "toward the development of a multicultural America."

"Our strong commitment to family and education, discipline, work ethics, as well as our cultural values, have added to the strength and vitality of American society and economy," Lim added.

The Filipino-American community is the second largest Asian-American group, after the Chinese, in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau.

According to a California State University study, the first Filipinos called Luzon Indios crossed the Pacific Ocean to explore and claim more lands for Spain when the island was part of its colonial holdings.

The same study said Filipinos arrived in what is now Morro Bay, CA, on Oct. 18, 1587--about 50 years before the first English settlement of Jamestown on the eastern seaboard. At the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, the U.S. took control of the Philippines until it gained full independence in 1945.

Today, more than 4 million Filipino-Americans are spread out across the U.S., according to a 2007 U.S. State Department study.

Because Filipino-Americans assimilate to the mainstream society fast, it has become harder for children to appreciate their origin and culture, artist Fred de Asis said.

"Sometimes, if you grow up here, you lose some kind of identity easily," said de Asis, who organizes "culturally significant" workshops for children. He led a group of children and their parents in a saranggola (Filipino kite) making workshop at the Skokie library.

As part of the effort to get Filipino-Americans reacquainted with their culture, NaFFAA and the Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF), staged a cultural presentation at the public library attended by Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen.

The Hawak Kamay (Linking Hands) group, the performing arts group of PACF comprising Filipino- American students, did folk dances that highlighted the Philippines' joyous and colorful festivals.

Sama-Sama (Coming Together) Project, another Filipino-American group, performed kundiman songs, a music genre that centers on relationship and romance.

Filipino dancers from St. Peter's Parish of Skokie also performed.

Other events include the Oct. 4 showing of the film, Magnifico, which won the Crystal Bear award at the 2004 Kinderfilmfest in Germany, and an Oct. 6 cooking demonstration.

 Filipino artifacts, including religious and cultural objects, were also on display at the Skokie Public Library from Oct. 2-8.

"The participation was beyond my expectation," Carandang said.

She added events like the Filipino-American Heritage Month also enriched the multicultural character of America.

"It's our differences that make us strong. United States is strong because of the different cultures that came here," Carandang said.

Other Filipino-American events were also scheduled in other Chicago suburbs, including the first Gala Dinner Ball in Rolling Meadows on Oct. 15 and the International Cultural Dance Show at Wheaton College on Oct. 30.