Filipino culture to be celebrated at Saturday event

The 7th annual Pilipino Culture Night will be held this Saturday, April 25. The event is hosted by Western Washington University’s Filipino-American Student Association and will begin at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

This year’s theme is Maalaala na Kultura: A Culture Remembered. The event will consist of a small scale skit with performances by WWU FASA members and various guests in between. The skit will tell a story of a young Filipino-American, Manny, that doesn’t realize his Filipino culture is an integral part of himself. Manny takes a trip and takes the first steps of learning what it means to be Filipino.

“Maalaala na Kultura: A Culture Remembered encompasses the idea that, we, as next generation Filipino-Americans, aren’t exposed to the Filipino culture here in America,” says WWU FASA President Kevin Canda. “Our Filipino culture is a large part of our identity and forgetting about it is disrespectful to our ancestors. It's important that we take it upon ourselves to learn about what it means to be Filipino and to understand and appreciate the struggles of those who came before us.”

The Filipino-American Student Association seeks to unify all students interested in Filipino heritage, promote growth and achievement among its peers in education, and encourage awareness and knowledge of Filipino culture and history.

Tickets for this year’s Pilipino Culture Night are $6 for students, and $8 for general admission. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Western Washington University Box Office. For more information about the event, contact WWU FASA at wwufasa@gmail.com or visit the event’s Facebook page.