FASU group disappointed with low turnout

Gonzaga's Filipino American Student Union held its fourth annual Filipino Festival last Saturday, providing attendees with traditional Filipino cuisine and entertainment.

The theme of this year's event was "Paglalakbay: A Journey." The performance featured two Filipino-American students visiting the Philippines for the first time and outlined the struggles of identifying with two distinct cultures.

"We wanted to tell an authentic story that would be familiar to students. It was something that we all had in common," FASU president Giselle Cunanan said.

"Most of us have been back to the Philippines and you really feel like an outsider," FASU secretary and dance chair Marisa Crisostomo said. "It's hard to try and embrace your culture here."

FASU members hoped to teach their audience a lesson of acceptance and the importance of developing a curiosity for the cultures that make up who we are, Crisostomo said.
"I hope they understand that it's OK to show your culture and be proud of it," she said. "You don't have to ignore one side of you."

Unfortunately, the lesson was heard by a modest audience.

"I think that there were a number of reasons as to why we did not have as many people as last year. It could have been the basketball game; the free food festival at the COG or the fact that tickets were slightly more expensive than last year," Cunanan said. "It could also be that some people do not care. That's the unfortunate truth."

Club members advertised for the event through Facebook, morning mail and sent out personal invitations to 20 staff members. In spite of their efforts, the festival did not sell out as it did last year.

"I invited faculty members and people from the administration but probably had a handful of supporters show up," Cunanan said.

Members of GSBA were also absent from the event, showing how independent FASU's work is from the rest of the student body, Cunanan said.

"GSBA is a big help in many ways and they are very generous, but I feel that there's a lack of support for diversity on this campus. Our campus climate survey fails to properly address the lack of diversity. I really question where our priorities stand," she said.

"Simple attendance goes a long way. It means, ‘We support you. I am curious and want to learn about Filipino-American culture. Your club's year-long work means something to me and I want to know why it is important to you.' When no one shows up, it can easily mean that someone may not find your efforts or interests or values important or not important enough," she added.

The lack of support from students may be because of their unfamiliarity with different cultures and fear of differences, Cunanan said.

There are divisions across the Gonzaga campus that many students are oblivious to.
"Some students feel marginalized but it often goes unnoticed unless you have some personal contact or opportunity that connects you to the issue," Cunanan said. "These people are the minorities on campus."

FASU members will continue to advocate for awareness, drawing the support of clubs who share the same goal of spreading diversity.

"Festival was an invitation to the Gonzaga community to appreciate and celebrate differences and similarities across cultures on many levels. The clubs who share the same efforts and values to educate are an alliance. This does not strictly include cultural or ethnic clubs. This includes those of varying sexual orientations, beliefs and religions. We support each other in many ways because these clubs are often times the only support system that exists on campus," Cunanan said.

FASU as well as other clubs representing different cultures on campus are a way for students of different ethnicities to embrace and share their culture with others.

"I am confident that I can speak on behalf of the club when I say that FASU is a second family for many of our members, me included," Cunanan said. "A little more than a third of our members are not even Filipino but we share a commonality with each other because we seek a community that is inclusive and self-educating."

Many Gonzaga students struggle to identify between clubs like FASU and HPIC, Crisostomo said.

"These clubs are small and I feel like people don't know enough about them," she said. "I wish that students were more interested in learning about other cultures. They would discover that the Hawaiian and Filipino culture are actually quite different. I hope that students will come to recognize and appreciate the diversity that exists on campus."
Cunanan hopes the Gonzaga community will develop an appreciation for the Filipino culture.

"Filipino-American culture is beautiful," Cunanan said. "We are all tied in together one way or another. Diversity is necessary for the growth of the Gonzaga community."