When They Cut SNAP, They Cut Filipino Culture Too How the One Big Beautiful Bill’s cuts don’t make sense if you’re Filipino
When Americans think about budget cuts, they don’t usually think about rice cookers, potlucks, or grandparents who insist you’ve eaten enough even when you haven’t. But that’s exactly what’s on the line with the One Big Beautiful Bill, a federal proposal that slashes food assistance programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), making it harder for millions to eat.
And if you’re Filipino, these cuts don’t just threaten your fridge. They threaten your culture.
What’s in the Bill?
Nicknamed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” this legislation proposes historic reductions to SNAP, nearly $300 billion over 10 years, about a 30% cut to the program’s current funding [1]. According to the Congressional Budget Office, up to 5.4 million people could lose food assistance, and the poorest families would lose around $1,600 a year in benefits [2].
The bill also expands work requirements for parents and older adults, shifts SNAP funding to states, and creates new red tape that makes it harder to qualify at all [3]. Experts say these changes don’t improve employment outcomes—they just increase food insecurity [4].
Why This Hits Filipino Families So Hard
At least one in three AANHPI children in the U.S.—a category that includes Filipino children—benefits from SNAP or Medicaid [5]. But that number doesn’t even tell the whole story.
In a Southern California study of Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants—including Filipino, Tongan, Vietnamese, and Chinese households—nearly 60% of participants reported food insecurity [6]. While the study doesn’t isolate Filipino households, the findings reflect the vulnerability many face in accessing food programs.
Many eligible families don’t receive help due to:
confusing application processes
language barriers
immigration fears
and stigma rooted in cultural shame
Now imagine adding more hurdles. That’s what this bill does.
Filipino Culture and Food Are Inseparable
Filipino values like bayanihan (communal unity), kapwa (shared identity), and pakikisama (harmony) are expressed through food. Every celebration, apology, reunion, and moment of grief is accompanied by a meal. As one writer put it:
“Food isn’t just food for Filipinos—it’s how we say love” [7].
When families lose SNAP support, they don’t just lose calories. They lose potlucks. Shared tables. That sense of dignity and generosity that comes from being able to offer someone a plate, even if you’re struggling yourself.
These Cuts Go Against What the Catholic Church Teaches
Many Filipino Americans are Catholic, and the Church is clear on its position:
Food is a human right.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has warned that the One Big Beautiful Bill violates Catholic social teaching [8]. Leaders across the faith have called on lawmakers to protect food programs like SNAP—not cut them.
What Can We Do About It?
This isn’t just a federal budget fight—it’s a question of who we choose to care for.
And that means we need to show up for each other. Here’s how:
📞 Join a Phone Bank
Call voters in key districts from home. You don’t need experience—just your voice.
📬 Contact Your Lawmakers
Tell your state and federal reps: Protect SNAP. Protect Filipino families.
📣 Spread the Word
Tag your friends. Forward this article. Talk to your elders. Every conversation counts.
📚 Sources
https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/06/06/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-will-mean-big-budget-hits-for-families/
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2025/jun/how-medicaid-snap-cutbacks-one-big-beautiful-bill-trigger-job-losses-states
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/20/nx-s1-5437851/children-poverty-republicans-big-beautiful-bill-reconciliation
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/20/what-children-in-poverty-could-lose-from-the-big-beautiful-bill/
https://unidosus.org/press-releases/new-report-34-million-children-at-risk-from-proposed-cuts-federal-programs-medicaid-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32489104/
https://www.kgmresorts.com/post/why-filipinos-always-share-food
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2025/06/03/trump-big-beautiful-bill-catholic-250830
