FAMJAM: Coming Together

Written by Placement Students Amenah Abusara and Christine Reprado

Over the past 3 months, Kapisanan has been a space for us to explore, connect with, and redefine our roots. During our time here, the wheels in our brains have not stopped turning, and we had been trying to come up with an initiative that would allow others to be able to experience and understand Filipino culture the way we have. This is how FAMJAM was born.

The intention of FAMJAM was simple; to showcase Filipinx talent, to celebrate Filipinx culture, and to start a conversation. We wanted people to leave the event with a fresh perspective, a sense of pride, an understanding of community, and a hunger to learn more. Based on our feedback, our mission was accomplished.

With a solid team of passionate people, we were able to showcase a multitude of artists who shared their talent and experiences through poetry, painting, music, collages, and architecture, among other mediums. We were also able to offer people a taste of Filipino culture through food. With upwards of 100 people in attendance, we were able to raise $450 dollars to donate towards Kapisanan, as well as 3 large boxes of new and gently used clothing items for CLUTCH and NAVIGATION to use for future fundraising projects.

As this was our first ever fundraising event, we are very proud of this accomplishment, but are more than that, for the opportunities, for the turnout, and for the passion, we are thankful.