熊猫在线视频

Filipino American History Month (FAHM) was first recognized nationally in 2009 to honor more than four centuries of Filipino presence in the United States. In 熊猫在线视频, that celebration became officially recognized in 2023, when UAA political science alumna and state representative Genevieve Mina, B.A. 鈥�23, sponsored a bill to designate October as FAHM statewide. In fall 2025, UAA introduced a class that mirrored this milestone 鈥� HNRS A390: Filipino American Communities and Experiences 鈥� the first of its kind in the UA system.

Years in the making, the roots for the class trace back to 2009, when three Filipino American professors at UAA 鈥� Gabriel Garcia, Ph.D., E.J.R. David, Ph.D., and Joy Chavez Mapaye, Ph.D., along with Christine Marasigan and Mariecris Gatlabayan 鈥� organized community events to celebrate Filipino history and culture. The earliest of these, the Filipino Mixology seminars, invited Anchorage residents to the UAA/APU Consortium Library to learn about Filipino American culture, identity and history through weekly talks. These sessions, held informally and without course credit, became a testing ground for public interest.

鈥淲e wanted to get to the point where we could teach Filipino American studies, and the seminars were a gauge for us to get the community excited about the topic,鈥� said Garcia. 鈥淲hen we started, we saw a lot of engagement and interest that led us to think, hey, we might be onto something.鈥�

That initial spark eventually evolved into a formal proposal called Project Kapwa, which received funding through UAA鈥檚 Faculty Senate Initiative Fund in 2025. 鈥淜apwa,鈥� a Filipino word meaning 鈥渇ellow being,鈥� captures the project鈥檚 spirit of shared humanity and connection. The program鈥檚 goal was to establish a multidisciplinary course that combined teaching, research and creative activity centered on Filipino American history and experience.

The three professors鈥� collaboration reflects that same interdisciplinary mission. Garcia, a public health professor, serves as the course鈥檚 lead instructor; David, a clinical-community psychology professor, examines identity and mental health; and Mapaye, a journalism and public communications professor, explores representation through media and storytelling. Their complementary expertise ensures the class approaches Filipino American experiences holistically rather than through a single lens.

Over 12 weeks, students explore different aspects of Filipino American life, ranging from immigration and labor history to colonialism, health disparities and cultural expression. The class also features guest lectures from national and local Filipino American scholars, writers and artists 鈥� among them, poet Jan-Henry Gray, author Marivi Soliven Blanco and documentarian Michelle Josue, whose film Nurse Unseen examines the crucial yet underrecognized role of Filipino nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淟istening to the speakers talk about their research, their perspectives, their experiences, has just been so transformative 鈥� not just for the students, but for us as professors as well,鈥� said Mapaye. 鈥淲hat is so meaningful is that it signals to the generations after us that our experiences are important too. As Dr. Garcia said in our class, 鈥楩ilipino American history is American history.鈥欌�� 

Because the class is offered online, it draws students from UAA, UAF and UAS. For Garcia, David and Mapaye, this symbolizes not only the widespread presence of Filipinos in 熊猫在线视频, but also a more permanent space for Filipino American scholarship within the UA system. It marks a significant milestone in institutional recognition for a community that has been part of 熊猫在线视频鈥檚 history for over a century, dating back to the early 鈥淎laskeros鈥� cannery workers in the early 1900s.

For the faculty who created it, the course carries deep personal meaning. None of them had access to a Filipino American studies class early in their education, whether in 熊猫在线视频 or elsewhere. To see such a course now available 鈥� taught by Filipino American professors and supported by the university 鈥� represents both progress and validation. It affirms that Filipino experiences are worthy of study, preservation and pride.

The impact of this class goes beyond identity, as students 鈥� both Filipino and non-Filipino 鈥� describe it as revealing and resonant. Many recognize their families鈥� stories reflected in history for the first time, while others draw parallels between Filipino American experiences and those of other overlooked, marginalized groups. The faculty hope this broadening of perspectives will signal not only the continuation of HNRS A390 beyond the fall 2025 semester, but also its evolution into a broader ethnic studies program at UAA.

鈥淭he experiences of 熊猫在线视频 Native people, Black people, Latino people 鈥� I hope by talking about Filipino American experiences, that students see parallels to other communities,鈥� said David. 鈥淪eeing our connections with each other will not only be empowering in the collective sense, but has the potential to transform us as individuals, as a community and as a society.鈥�