Filipina actress Kris Aquino once gave us a highly popular quote that resonates in the Pinay community.
“Sometimes, no matter how focused we are on our goals, there will be unexpected situations and stains that will challenge our abilities. But being a Filipina and a mother, I learned to use the last ounce of strength to stand up and face my fears,” the actress once said.
Here in the city of San Diego, that strength and courage is displayed relentlessly by a group of women who have introduced a new summit that aims at empowering the Pinay and Natiive Asian Pacific Island community.
On this Women's History Month, API initiative launched the Inaugural Pinoy Women Empowerment Summit, a celebration that unapologetically celebrates the accomplishments of Filipina and women in the Asian-Pacific Islander community, gathering to inspire the future generations of their minority groups.
API Initiative is an organization that promotes, celebrate, advocate, and advances Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders communities.
At the helm of the Inaugural summit that was held on this Women's History Month is JoAnn Fields, Government and Public Relations Director of API Initiative. JoAnn Fields gathered community leaders to express their pride and enthusiasm of having the opportunity to advance their cultures in San Diego.
JoAnn, along with other leaders in attendance at this summit, made it a promise to themselves and to their communities, to advance the qualities of their cultures more than ever going forward and make a difference.
"Growing up, I didn't see a lot of people that look like me, especially in the higher-education system and political arena, so what am I going to do about that?"
In attendance at the Inaugural empowerment summit was Moana Alo, an NHPI community leader and proud Native Asian Pacific Islander.
Alo has a career working inside the political field, a field that she says is crucial and extremely important for women minorities to get involved in, and in particular her Native Asian Pacific Islander community and Filipina women alike.
Moano, as many other Native Asian Pacific Island and Filipina women alike, grew up in their communities and professional fields not seeing many people that look like them. And that, is what she says needs to change going forward.
"Growing up, I didn't see a lot of people that look like me, especially in the higher-education system and political arena, so what am I going to do about that?" she says. "So i rather choose to do something about it. I've got daughters, so when it's their turn, I want them to see people that looks just like them, we need a lot more representation in our communities." she added.
As the population numbers of Pinays and Native Asian Pacific Women increase in our communities, the influence and impact needs to be on par or even greater, Alo says.
And with social movements and advocacy gatherings such as the Pinoy Women Empowerment Summit, that objective aligns these minorities groups in the right direction.
The right direction that places a spotlight on Filipina and Asian Pacific Islander women to give them an essential platform and voice in our community.
And with the eventual increase of this essential platform, their community's recognition will inevitably reinforce with it to new heights.
"We have been here for a long time and yet we are not recognized and known how we should in this community." Moano Alo said. "Empowerment movements like this one is so important to make ourselves more visible to other communities in the city, because at the end of the day we are your allies and neighbors, and what happens to us, happens to you. Our problems are your problems," she added.
