WWU FASA Heritage Night
WWU FASA Heritage Night
Amount Awarded: $1,000.00
Academic Year: 2022-2023
Implementation: May 2023
Full Application: Link
Categories: Campus and Community Engagement Student Life
Heritage Night is an event hosted every year by the WWU Filipino-American Student Association (FASA) as a celebration of Filipino culture. This project assisted in funding catering, decorations, and entertainment for the enjoyment of the attendees. Through the celebration of Filipino culture, the event helped foster a sustainable community by solidifying the presence of Filipino-American students on Western’s campus, allowing for the continued strength and existence of this community at Western and Bellingham.
The theme of this year’s Heritage Night was Masayang Nakaraan, or A Distant Dream – the night was centered around nostalgia from the past, with performances featuring throwback songs from many of the students’ childhoods. The keynote speaker of the night was Janis Velasquez-Farmer, a FASA alumna from the 90s who talked about her experiences in the early days of FASA, as well as sentiments she wanted to pass on to the future generation.
Testimonials
"An event like this is important for the Filipino community of Bellingham specifically, because Bellingham is a predominantly white city with an unfortunate history of racism. This event brings Filipinos in Bellingham together and allows them to see a community that they relate with and can exist as a part of without having to prove themselves. An event like this also allows other people to see the presence of a Filipino community and acknowledge our existence. Although the majority of the population of Bellingham is white, this event showed that there ARE people of color that exist and live and love here. This event provided a place to celebrate Filipino heritage and continue to participate in customs that tie us to the practices of our ancestors." - VP of WWU FASA
“I hope that Filipino attendees gained a sense of community and a renewed pride in their heritage. For those that attended but were not Filipino, I hope that they left with a heightened understanding of Filipino culture, a full stomach, and good memories of a fun night.” - VP of WWU FASA