For many undocumented Filipino immigrants in the United States, the promise of a better life comes with relentless challenges. Striving for security, stability, and dignity, they live in the shadows, often referred to as "TNT" or "tago ng tago," meaning "always hiding." While the common refrain, "They should just do it the right way," oversimplifies the issue, the reality is far more complex. With barriers such as visa backlogs, sponsorship limitations, and stringent refugee policies, the road to legal status is fraught with obstacles. More than 300,000 Filipinos face the constant threat of deportation, yet their contributions to the American economy and society remain undeniable.

One of the biggest Asian culture festivals in Los Angeles chose to center on Filipinos. This is Lotus Festival 2024!

Let’s face it- Filipino culture and history is often forgotten and erased especially in the US where our people’s contributions are never really taught at lectures or mentioned in books. Even in media and entertainment, it’s very rare to see ourselves being portrayed or at least playing a significant part. But through an important event like PCN, we are allowed to look back and celebrate 600 years of Philippine heritage, as we share them with different types of people. Pilipino Cultural Night is an annual tradition held at many colleges and high schools across America. This is the one time of the year that Filipino stories get to be told on Filipino terms.

What defines a Filipino? Is it the way we look or certain skills that we’re supposed to have? Does it matter if we speak Tagalog? A majority of the world knows our community as just enthusiastically hospitable or being in the medical field and while those are accurate, it doesn’t stop there. Whether you’re a born and raised local or a proud immigrant, being a Filipino means more than just being able to sing or dance. Just like everyone else, Filipinos are limitless.

Have you ever asked your parents how you got your name? If you did, then their responses may have been along the lines of merging your mom and dad’s names together or putting into one sentence all the baby names they could think of. What about our country’s name or our name as a race? Before we were called “Filipinos”, the early inhabitants of the Philippine islands referred to each other as the languages they spoke and eventually it also became the name for the regions they belonged to. Then in the year 1565, the Spanish dubbed the islands “The Philippines” in honor of King Philip of Spain.