Indigenous music and the smell of fresh Filipino barbecue reigned the halls of the Leonard and Claire Tow Theater, filled with the cheerful sounds of BC students. On Oct. 16, the Brooklyn College Asian American & Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution Project (BCAP), Student Activities & Involvement Life, and the Wolfe Institute collaborated to hold the second annual Pasifika Fest, gathering students from various cultural backgrounds to celebrate Filipino and Indigenous culture.
The BCAP staff members chose to host the Pasifika Fest in the month of October to honor Filipino-American Heritage Month and in anticipation of Native American Heritage Month in November.
The Pasifika Event was organized to bring awareness to Filipino and Indigenous experiences that are often overlooked in American history and culture. The word “Pasifika” originated from native Polynesians and is used as an umbrella term to refer to Pacific Islanders.
“When you think about Asian-Americans, usually people think East Asian,” BCAP director Megan Go told the BC Vanguard. “That’s why we wanted to highlight that Pacific Islanders are still a part of that community as Asian Pacific Islanders.”
Students were drawn to attend for various reasons, but most came intending to learn more about cultures different from their own.
“I heard about the Pasifika Event, and I’ve been trying to go to more events around campus, and especially cultural ones, to appreciate different cultures around the world,” said BC junior Aaron Jean Francois.
