ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Filipino Americans spoke about their dual identity and the needs of their community on Oct. 22 at the Elk Grove Diversity and Inclusion Commission’s annual Cultural Connections series.

The event featured three storytellers who discussed perspectives on their heritage as well as their work to promote inclusion for Filipino Americans and their culture.

Between talks, the audience enjoyed performances by dance groups Kapitbahay and Sinag-tala and singer Remy Solomon.

Commission Chair Tina Lee-Vogt said Cultural Connections “is an opportunity for us to share information about the different cultures that make up our vibrant community. And so we hope that throughout the evening, you’ll hear stories, you’ll see performances but really as the name implies, it’s about learning about other cultures but also finding out the connections that we have with our own.”

Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Vice-Mayor Rod Brewer and City Councilmember Darren Suen read out a proclamation for Filipino American Heritage Month.

Murray Navarro, president of Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity, described plans to build a Filipino community center at the corner of 66th Avenue and East Southgate Drive.

The first of the storytellers, Cheena Moslen, encouraged listeners to take off the “masks” they present to hide their troubles. Moslen serves as an educational equity coach for Elk Grove Unified School District and formerly taught theater and English.

“I want to live an authentic life, I want to live where I can be exactly who I want to be, and I want to encourage the next generation of folks to not be afraid,” Moslen said.

Community organizer Megan Sapigao recalled watching Elk Grove evolve demographically; her family moved to the city when she was in high school.

“I saw when Elk Grove became a city and I saw it became diverse,” Sapigao said.

Sapigao serves as a board member on the Sacramento Filipino Political Action Committee and has taken leadership roles in multiple other Filipino groups.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sapigao helped form the Sacramento API Regional Network, aiding area Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“When the pandemic hit, it was a scary time for Filipinos, No. 1, because we were on the front lines as nurses and essential workers,” Sapigao said. “No. 2, we’re an aging population.”

Sapigao was involved in programs to get COVID-19 testing, vaccines and resources in Filipino languages, which she said promoted equity.

“Equity is meeting folks that are closest to the pain where they need to be met,” Sapigao said.

The final speaker of the night was Melissa Javinar, middle school principal at Sol Aureus College Preparatory, who described the challenges of growing up Filipino American in Southern California in the 1980s.

“I always felt like I was balancing two worlds at home because my parents spoke to us in English but they also spoke to us in Tagalog,” Javinar said, adding that she didn’t know the English names of some vegetables until third grade. 

“I was never fully Filipino, and I was never fully American, and it wasn’t until I became an adult and moved away from home that I learned that I didn’t need to be one or the other. That was the beauty of being Fil-Am.”

She concluded her talk by calling on elders to reach out to youth, and vice versa.

“Let’s make sure that this culture continues, not for ourselves but for our kids and our future generations,” Javinar said.