For those who don’t know, NWFASA stands for Northwest Filipino-American Student Alliance. Within the universities in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), there is a Filipino-American student-run organization. If you studied/are studying in one of the big universities in Oregon or Washington, you may have heard of this organization as they host Filipino Cultural/Heritage Nights and many other cultural events. What you may not know is that each individual organization is part of a much bigger alliance, called NWFASA.

This alliance currently includes 17 active organizations: Western Washington University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, Washington State University, Seattle University, University of Washington-Seattle, University of Washington-Tacoma, University of Washington-Bothell, Saint Martin’s University, Seattle Pacific University, Sisterhood of Pi Nu Iota, AnakBayan Seattle, University of Portland, Portland State University, Oregon State University, and University of Oregon.

Throughout my two years of being a member of the alliance, here are seven things I have grown to love.

1. We are a family.

Being away from our families in college, this organization — this alliance — became my go to. I have not only found friends in college, but I also found a family.

2. We understand each other through commonalities.

Many of us experienced the struggle of living in a system that wasn’t built for us. We connect with each other through the harmony of our experiences. More so, we understand each other in a way that is only understood by people of color, or specifically other Filipinos.

3. We support one another.

Just like how Stitch is there for Lilo, we help out and aid one another. For instance, when Western Washington University hosted their Filipino heritage night, University of Portland drove five hours to attend the event. When University of Oregon couldn’t attend our annual Conference this year, Oregon universities (PSU, UP, and OSU) made sure that they were there in spirit by incorporating UO in their chants.

4. We learn many things every year through events, activities and workshops.

The purpose of our alliance is to promote cultural awareness within the Filipino community. Every year, we have our very own NWFASA Conference where we can attend different workshops that teach about culture, language barriers, social justice, and much more. Additionally, we are able to show our talents, meet new people, and engage in many activities.

5. We do our best to keep our alliance and camaraderie strong.

Every month, a designated organization will host an alliance meeting where each organization’s presidents and alliance representatives (my position) get together and talk about our upcoming events, changing constitutions, and just basically to laugh, hang out, get to know each other, and have fun.

6. We accept and welcome ALL other cultures and backgrounds.

NWFASA membership is not limited to Filipinos only, better yet, we highly encourage students of other cultures to join our organization. Fortunately, I’ve seen many non-Filipinos join the organization, which makes me

really happy.

7. Lastly, we have fun.

Through music, dance, art, and food, our culture is filled with fun and festivities. No matter what, who, why, where, or when, we always find our way through everlasting laughter and friendships.