A Vibrant Filipino Community

By: Joe Mauricio

 

After successful independence day celebrations all over America last June, the Filipino American communities are ready to have a Phil (or Fil) Town built, mostly in big metropolitan cities of America. Forget the so-called assimilation that we went through the years and did not get us anywhere. Maybe now is the time to build a vibrant Filipino community.

Vibrant communities don’t just happen, they are built. Every community wants to become a great place to live and work. The why is no mystery, We want to create a place our children and grandchildren will want to be. We also know the WHAT. We want to attract investments, provide good jobs, create a lively downtown where citizens will want to work, live, shop, and play. What’s usually missing is HOW. When Pensacola, Florida started revitalization, Quaint Studer (businessman, philanthropist and visionary), addressed all these three aspects but mainly focused on the last one… how can your community get from where it is now to where it wants to be?

Today, there is more downtown construction taking place than any time in modern history, Small businesses are strong and growing. There is deeper focus on education. Finally, property values are soaring.

For us Filipinos, we can learn from this journey and layout tactics our communities can use as we move toward vibrancy. But are we ready? Are we going to wait another century to have our own vibrant community?

As Quaint Studer says, “Whether in a society or organization, the culture is in many ways defined by the way we talk, the language we use, the nature of the debate and dialogue we engage in….too often, we try to change our culture by focusing on the structure, on the rewards, or the roles and core competencies. “ These words carry a certain logic, but are the best preceded by an effort to talk about things that matter in a way that we have not done before?

Are we ready? Are we ready to move forward, Filipino Chicagoans? Calling all the civic leaders, business owners, and all citizens who have a stake in building a community they can be proud of, to call home….a VIBRANT FILIPINO COMMUNITY.