Learning that I was FilipinoThe year was 2010, I was in my first year of kindergarten and was very excited. It was really my first time around other children besides my big brother. I was very curious as a child seeing several children who all looked different to me. I went home and asked my dad how that could be. At the time it was the biggest bombshell he could’ve dropped onto me , that we were of a different ethnicity. He told me and my brother that we were Filipino. I was confused because I’ve never heard of such a thing, “what on earth is a Filipino?” I wondered to myself. He explained to me that his father Amado came from the Philippines in the military to America and had him and his big sister. He told us that being Filipino is what makes our family different, and it wasn’t a bad thing. Since learning this we’ve been doing more traditional Filipino things like cooking pancit and lumpia for almost every birthday and I’ve been in touch with my cousins in the Philippines and practicing my Tagalog. My grandfather Amado lives across the country so I have never had the chance to meet him but I hold what I know of him dearly and that’s why I hold this photo dearly. It is such an important piece of my heritage and who my family is. 
 

– Alyssa Oldham

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant