Paulina Longoria | THE RIDER
To celebrate Filipino American History Month, the Cultural Council is hosting Netflix watch parties via the Teleparty Google Chrome browser extension, and the Filipino Student Association is sharing daily cultural sessions via Instagram.
October was recognized as Filipino American History Month in the United States by Congress in 2009, but the Filipino American National Historical Society has observed it since 1991, according to its website.
The celebration “commemorates the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, which occurred on October 18, 1587, when ‘Luzones Indios’ came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California,” the website states.
Founded in 1982, the society promotes “understanding, education, enlightenment, appreciation and enrichment through the identification, gathering, preservation and dissemination of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States.”
From 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Cultural Council will host a Netflix watch party with the Filipino thriller film “Dead Kids,” directed by Mikhail Red. The film is about a group of misfits and a socially awkward teen who plots a kidnapping that turns out deadly.
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, there will be another Netflix watch party for “Eerie,” a Filipino horror film also directed by Red. The film is about the unexpected and gruesome death of a student at a Catholic girls’ school.
Last Wednesday, students watched the Filipino history film “Goyo,” which was directed by Jerrold Tarog, and showcases one of the youngest generals during the Philippine-American War.
Vanessa Sandoval, a program coordinator for Leadership and Mentoring and adviser for the Cultural Council, explained the reasons the movies were chosen.
“These specific movies are either directed by a Filipino American director and … they include Filipino American actors … so we wanted to showcase and highlight that for the month for students to enjoy,” Sandoval said.
Students must register on the Cultural Council VLink to receive the link to the Zoom meeting.
Marco Castillo, a Spanish junior and student assistant for Leadership and Mentoring, said students will receive instructions on how to install the Teleparty browser extension on Google Chrome during the Zoom meeting before the watch party and then the link to join.
“When we were choosing the movies, we were trying to make it fun, but of course, I always try … to get learning out of something,” Castillo said. “We’re trying to balance it out, like information and learning, and then having fun.”
He said he encourages students to come to the watch parties to engage with others.
The first 30 students that RSVP to the Netflix watch parties are given a Filipino snack pack. Students will be emailed to set up a time to pick up their snacks on the Edinburg or Brownsville campus.
Students can receive only one snack pack per celebration month to allow others to receive snacks.
Sandoval said the department also created a Spotify playlist where students can add their favorite Filipino music.
“We want to be inclusive, we want our student body to be represented … the different populations that we have here at UTRGV,” she said.
The Filipino Student Association shares short videos every day on their Instagram account, @fsa_rgv, to showcase food, music, highlights and the Filipino culture.
“We have this whole month … where we’re previewing many Filipino-related events on Instagram,” said Johnathan Ysquierdo, a multidisciplinary studies senior and FSA’s co-president.
Alfred Montejo, a nursing senior and FSA’s co-president, explained each day’s mini cultural session:
–Language Sunday: Lessons on Tagalog
–Music Monday: Choosing artists of the day or listening to the Spotify playlist with Filipino music
–Culture Tuesday: Sharing Filipino American history
–News Wednesday: Discussing news in the U.S. or the Philippines
–Highlights Thursday: Showcasing Filipino businesses in the Rio Grande Valley or anyone suggested by the FSA’s cultural chair
–Food Friday: Watching cooking tutorials
–Celebs Saturday: Admiring Filipino celebrities.
Asked why it is important to celebrate Filipino American History Month, Montejo replied, “We recently came up with this schedule for this month because we never fully … did an event … for Filipino American history. We never really praise the Filipino American throughout, like, history or throughout the world. We never really get … recognition about us.”
Noelyn Llasos, an administrative coordinator for Institutional Accreditation, was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. when she was 9 years old.
“I think it’s really important that we celebrate [Filipino American History Month] so our local community can appreciate and learn about our culture,” Llasos said. “It’s a good learning experience.”
