Filipino Adoptees Network

Maligayang Araw ng mga Nanay: Happy Mother’s Day

FAN Admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:23:48 +0000

LEGACY of an ADOPTED CHILD

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call mother.
Two different lives, shaped to make your one…
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.
The first gave you life and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love, and the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name.
One gave you a seed of talent, the other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.
One gave you up … that’s all she could do.
The other prayed for a child and God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me, through your fears,
the age old question unanswered throughout the years…
Heredity or environment, which are you the product of?
Neither, my darling neither.
Just two different kinds of love.

~ Author Unknown ~

Filipino Heritage Camp/August 1-4/Golden Colorado “A is for Adobo-The Philippines from A to Z”

FAN Admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:24:16 +0000

August 1st -4th, 2013 in Golden, CO

2013 Directors: Sarah Parino & Maeline Barnstable

What does Filipino Heritage Camp mean to you?

“I Love Camp” – FHC 2nd Grade Camper

“This is my Favorite Camp” – FHC 5th Grade Camper

“I don’t want Camp to end” – FHC 7th Grade Camper

“It’s worth so much to see our girls grow with confidence – giving them the tools to cope with adoption/race issues we don’t fully understand. They look forward to seeing their long lasting friends every year.” – FHC Parent

“I did not realize how much camp would help me as a Parent too!” – FHC Parent

FOUR DAYS A SUMMER……IMPACT FOR LIFE!

The Filipino Heritage Camp is one of a handful of camps around the country designed especially for families with children adopted from the Philippines. Committed to exploring both the cultural and the adoption aspects of growing as an adoptive family, it is one of ten camps facilitated by the highly respected Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families, Inc. FHC 2013 is going to be a great year as we return to Golden, Colorado, which proved to be so much fun and such a great venue for camp last year. FHC will again be planning an optional “Family Fun Day” for folks who would like an extra no frills day. Our incredible Filipino community volunteers will return with us to cook delicious food, entertain, teach, and interact as counselors and adult role models with our kids.

This year’s camp theme is “A is for Adobo-The Philippines from A to Z”. We plan to have a grand time, exploring the culture, people and land of the Philippines, including Filipino-American culture today, especially with our friends in the Filipino community.

We will return to the American Mountaineering Center, in Golden, Colorado, which was a lovely meeting space for FHC 2012. There were plenty of outdoor activities available in the foothills of the Rockies. Lodging will be available for those traveling to Colorado from a distance. We will also be spending time at the Filipino American Community of Colorado’s wonderful cultural center, which is about 15 minutes away.

Planning for our 2013 camp is underway, so watch this site, check your email inbox, and follow us on Facebook for updates as workshops and activities are solidified. Some of the highlights for 2013:

Again this year, we will be providing programming specifically designed for our adult adoptee community.
Opening Ceremony will be on Thursday evening after a potluck dinner where we can renew old friendships and welcome new faces.
Friday afternoon and evening we will include some free time in the schedule for your family to explore Golden, CO. There are many opportunities for swimming, hiking, shopping, and dining, all within walking distance of our hotel and meeting space.
Our Saturday evening Dinner and Dance Party will be held at the Filipino American Community of Colorado’s Cultural Center, where we will spend some relaxing time with our wonderful community volunteers.

As always, we will explore the unique gifts and challenges that come with our mostly transracial adoptive families. We realize that as your children grow, they will be dealing with issues faced by any child of color, no matter their country of birth. At our camp, they are with a sea of families who are like theirs, and with children who are in the majority for a few days. Though we enthusiastically celebrate their birth country, we also celebrate adoption as a culture of its own. The similarities of being with other families “just like theirs” is what really bonds the children and their families so immediately at our camps.

We hope to see you at camp in August. For further information, please contact us, or visit our Facebook page.

The Ties Program: Birth Country Travel–A Journey Back, A Journey Forward

lecrowder — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:10:23 +0000

CT Workshop Info

Saturday, April 13
2:45 to 4:15 PM

Windsor Public Library
323 Broad Street
Windsor, CT 06095

RSVP for the workshop!
Please indicate your country(ies) of interest.

This workshop will encompass information from the following two workshops:

Birth Country Travel–A Journey Back, A Journey Forward
A heritage journey is one of the most significant factors in the identity building process of internationally adopted children. So, what’s the journey all about? What age is the best age? How can families prepare? What role does “adoptee loyalty” play in the journey? What are the pros and cons of group vs individual travel? What adoption exploration is possible in country? How do the kids react before, during and after the trip? This workshop will address the top questions asked by families considering birth country travel.

Teens and Tweens–
What I Would Tell You if I Could Find the Words
If you are raising a tween or teen, chances are they are holding back. It’s what my 12 year old daughter calls “restricted information.” “Why is it restricted?” I ask, holding on to her every word, listening for clues for what is on HER mind, despite the fact that via my professional work, I’ve got a pretty good clue.

“Because I don’t want to hurt you, or make you feel bad about stuff,” she replies. “But what stuff?” I ask. “You know Mom, just stuff.”

So what’s the stuff? What are tweens and teens pondering in the corners of their minds? The answer: questions and thoughts related to:

1. Fitting in
2. Their relationship with their adoptive family & adoptee loyalty
3. Feelings related to their birth family and birth country
4. And the double whammy-things that combine both birth and adoptive family
5. Understanding background, a.k.a. Life History
6. Poverty in birth country
7. Why? Why? Why? (to a million things)
8. Abandonment issues, insecurities, and control
9. Self-worth & guilt
10. Hope

This workshop will take a look at concrete questions & thoughts that MAY be going through your child’s mind, or may be soon.

In this very interactive workshop, you will hear and experience the thoughts of international adoptees….the “restricted information” shared openly and honestly by adoptees themselves. It will provide insight to help you create a strategy that will strengthen your relationship with your child.

RSVP for the workshop
Please indicate your country(ies) of interest.

Learn more about our sister organizations:

World Ties
Humanitarian aid in your (or your child’s) country of birth. Information is on each country page on The Ties Program website. In the right hand column, look for “Project Kindness”

Gift of Identity Fund
www.Gift-of-Identity.org
The Gift of Identity Fund, Ltd. provides funding to international adoptees visiting their birth country with the goal of helping them understand their identity, heritage, and culture.
If you prefer not to receive information, please opt out using the Safe Unsubscribe feature below.

Note: We share our newsletter platform–Constant Contact–with the above two organizations to help these non-profits keep overhead low. If a newsletter comes to you from either of these organizations, and you unsubscribe, you will be unsubscribed automatically from The Ties Program news as well.

Filipino Ties Motherland Tour for young adoptees! June 23 – July 6, 2013

FAN Admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:29:03 +0000

Filipino Ties- Our Flagship Program
June 23 – July 6, 2013

Private or Semi-Private Travel

“The end of all our exploring will be to arrive
where we started and know
the place for the first time.” T.S. Eliot

FILIPINO TIES HIGHLIGHTS –
Our Flagship Program

Offers a comprehensive, meaningful, fun itinerary where all activities are optional so you can do the things important to YOUR family.
Is staffed by:
- A Ties group leader, who creates community, builds bridges and deals with details. This enables you to focus on your family and the profound meaning of the journey.
- An adoption professional who is available to support your family as you discover the message of the journey, prepare to connect with significant people and places important to your family, and explore how to help your child weave what they experienced into their life story.
- An English-speaking Filipino guide who will share lifestyle, customs, humor and warmth.
Includes our signature “Connect & Chat” for kids and “Talk Times” for parents, both of which are optional. These informal gatherings give you a chance to reflect on the journey as the journey unfolds.
Gives you opportunities to visit people and places important to your family, in a supportive environment.
Prepares your family logistically and emotionally for the journey.
Invites your participation in Project Kindness—The Philippines.

Filipino Ties Itinerary

Arrive in Manila, where Ties staff will meet you and provide transportation to the hotel. Filipino Ties families stay in moderate, clean hotels, where after a day out experiencing many new tastes, smells, sights and sounds, help families relax.
Gather for an orientation meeting, a chance to connect with the other families, and discuss the journey ahead.
Tour Manila and see Rizal Park, Intramuros and Fort Santiago.
Stroll along Manila Bay and yes, eat scrumptious Filipino cuisine.
Enjoy an afternoon with children living at The House of Refuge. Better come prepared with a song to share.
Bargain hunt at Greenhills Mall for traditional Filipino goods.
Take the bus to Tagatay City. Along the way visit a Jeepney factory and observe how these unique vehicles are constructed. Stop by Las Pinas Church to see one of the world’s finest old organs, completely made from bamboo.
Witness the beauty of Lake Taal and Mt. Batulao, one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes.
For most families, Manila will be the jumping off point for the “Centerpiece of your Adoption Homeland Journey.”
- Meet Inter-Country Adoption Board and their staff.
- Visit your child’s orphanage and meet caregivers. If your adoption connections are elsewhere in The Philippines, The Ties Program will help with those arrangements too.
Enjoy two nights at a resort on the sandy shores of Subic Bay.
Explore Las Casas de Acuzzar, a living architectural museum celebrating the 18th and 19th centuries.
Interact with Aeta (an indigenous people) families in Pamaulaklakin village where you’ll enjoy a cooking demonstration and a tribal dance performance.
Experience a festive farewell dinner featuring traditional Filipino music and dance.

Relax. Savor. Reflect.

Support Little Manila Foundation (CA): 2013 Fil-Am History Calendars AVAILABLE!

FAN Admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 04:53:33 +0000

Our 2013 Filipino American History Calendar

Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 9:00PM

Just in time for the holidays and the new year, our sixth annual Filipino American History Calendar from FANHS and Little Manila Foundation is hot off the press and ready for you to order! Order TODAY because we sell out every year! (Last year we sold out in one week!)

All calendar proceeds benefit the preservation efforts of the Little Manila Foundation and the Museum Fund of the Filipino American National Historical Society.

At only $10, it’s the perfect gift for everyone and an affordable way to learn Filipino American history. Each month features a historic photograph from the Filipino American National Historical Society’s extensive archives as well as community members’ personal albums, as well as important dates in Philippine and Filipino American History. The calendar is designed by Stockton Filipino American Rick Narvarte. This year’s cover features the glamorous Los Filipinos Tailoring Shop, located at 232 S. El Dorado Street in the heart of Little Manila in the late 1920s. The Lazaro family (from left, Placido, a friend, Juliana, and Juliana’s daughter Asuncion Guevarra (Nicolas) ran the shop.

This year’s photographs features veterans of the First Filipino Infantry, strawberry workers, UFW Co-Founder and former Filipino Community of Stockton president Larry Itliong, a Manuel Roxas Post Christmas party, a Caballeros de Dimas Alang float, the Castillo family restaurant in Little Manila, the Aynaga family and Cecil Bonzo at the farmer’s market “under the bridge” in Little Manila, a big crowd of Bridge Generation Pinays and Pinoys at a luau party in the 1940s. The photographs feature members of the following families and organizations: Caballeros de Dimas Alang, Filipino Youth Association (circa 1940s), Manuel Roxas Post and Auxiliary, the Filipino Community of Stockton, Castillo, Engkabo, Lazaro, Nicolas, Reyes, Unsod, Juanitas, Aynaga, Ninonuevo, Somera, Peña, Inosanto, Mata, Arca, Bonzo, Ybera, Saturno, Villegas, San Juan, Saguindel, Tomek, Agdeppa, Navarro, Cabayan, Itliong, Caballero, Gesulga, Rosal, Liwanag, Ente, Cordova, Bilar, Sabac, Riego, Batugo, our Little Manila Afterschool Program students, and many, many more. In fact, if you trace your roots to Stockton, you have a relative or friend in this calendar!

Almost every day features a different significant date or event in Filipino American history. If you had your 2012 Calendar, you would know Dec. 13, 1928, California farmers passed a resolution to exclude Filipino immigration. Also, on Dec. 13 1941, Filipinos in Stockton called a boycott of Japanese businesses and wore “I Am Filipino” buttons to protect against anti-Japanese racial violence that unfortunately erupted against Asian Americans during World War II . And those are just a few examples of all you will learn from our calendar!

WHERE TO BUY: (buy now online or via phone! Delivery and mailing begins Thursday 12/21)

Online – Little Manila Foundation Online Store: Buy Now!
- Because of USPS delays and possible inclement weather, we cannot guarantee Christmas Eve delivery, but ordering by MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 12/20 is your best bet as the orders will go out Friday 12/21 via priority mail from Stockton. If you live in the Stockton area or the SF Bay Area, keep reading for other ordering options.

To Buy in the Stockton area:

• Every Little Manila Foundation board member has calendars to sell: Elena Mangahas, Dillon Delvo, Lorenzo Romano, Florence Quilantang, Addie Suguitan, Fay Olympia, Sylvia Oclaray, Tony Somera, Jessica Hernandez, Sandi Olega Miyai, Flora May Teague, and Dawn Mabalon. If you know any of these board members, contact them and they can sell you and deliver any quantity you need!

• By Phone (in Stockton only): (209) 477-7143. Clearly state your name, the number of calendars, and your phone number.

• Email Us: Go to this page on our website: http://www.littlemanila.org/email-us/. Tell us your name, how many you’d like to order, and someone will get back to you ASAP.

• Yet Bun Heong Bakery
Filipino Center, 6 W. Main St., Stockton, CA 95202
10:00 – 3:00 PM daily; only until 1:00 PM Saturdays. Closed on Wednesdays.

To Buy In San Francisco/Bay Area:

• Arkipelago Books
1010 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 553-8185 http://www.arkipelagobooks.com

Give the gift of Books: philippineexpressionsbookshop.wordpress.com

FAN Admin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:37:23 +0000

Give A Book This Christmas!

Dec8 by PEB

Celebrate Christmas with a gift that keeps giving, even to the next generation that follows.

Give a Book for Christmas, not just any book but a Filipiniana book that embodies the thoughts, words and aspirations of the Filipino people. Fortunes come and go but the culture of a people stays as long as the people live. But culture must be nurtured among the young so that it is passed on to the next generation. And when memory fails, there is nothing like Philippine books that document all the cultural treasures of a people to bring back the customs and traditions that enrich the Filipino.

In our 28 years of serving the Filipino Community in the US, this is the first time that we are offering a special Christmas sale of select items suitable as gifts for your loved ones. We take pride especially in the children’s titles that we have chosen as gifts.

Since the sale is only until December 15, please shop early so that you will receive your order on time for Christmas.

Maligayang Pasko at Masaganang Bagong Taon!

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Colorado Gives Day TODAY!

lecrowder — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:38:00 +0000

Four Days a Summer…Impact for Life!

Give TODAY, December 4th from anywhere in the world, and YOU can have an impact.

100% of your donation comes to us on Colorado Gives Day! Thank you @Community First
Foundation and FirstBank! And…the FirstBank Incentive Fund increases the value of every dollar donated. Make your tax deductible year-end donation to Heritage Camps TODAY and help change lives for adopted children! Please DONATE HERE NOW!

How do we Change Lives?

• We Celebrate Adoption!
• We Create a Community that is sustaining for the whole adoptive family.
• We make Connections for Life between adoptees, adoptive parents, and the supportive cultural community.
• We facilitate Cultural Immersion for the adoptees and for their families to feel like they belong to the culture they were born into, and to the culture of adoption.
• We provide Countless Resources for adoptive families to have access to all year long.

Being adopted is not a stigma, nor certainly is it not a disease, but it is something that needs to be reckoned with, moreso for some than for others, and in so many different ways. It is like an “extra layer” in someone’s life that can have an impact on the adoptee and on the entire family. It is the not knowing exactly who you are or where you came from that can have lifelong repercussions. It cannot be ignored, and it can surely be celebrated! At Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families, we hit it right over the head, and we have so much fun doing it! In four days, we can have a lifelong impact on an adopted child, and on their entire family.

Please help us make this happen again for the 1,000s of children and their families who come to our camps each summer.

Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families
c/o Pam Sweetser
Executive Director
2052 Elm Street
Denver, Colorado 80207
Email Us or call 303.320.4234
Where was your Adopted Child Born?
Africa
Cambodia
China
Ethiopia
Guatemala
Haiti
India
Kazakhstan
Korea
Mexico
Nepal
Philippines
Russia
Ukraine
Viet Nam
Other Country
African Continent
Caribbean Country
Central American Country
Central Asian Country
Eastern European Country
South American Country
United States

Maligayang Pagpapasalamat! Happy Thanksgiving!

lecrowder — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 03:44:46 +0000

Dear Fam and Friends,

Wishing you and your loved ones a belated Happy Thanksgiving! The Filipino Adoptees Network hopes to continue building with you in the future.

Please come back to the site for more information Filipino/English children’s cultural books of the Philippines and other gift ideas for Christmas/ Pasko.

Looking forward
FAN

Filipino Turkey stuffed with Rice

Time to get ready for PASKO (Christmas) part I

FAN Admin — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 02:46:52 +0000

With the Holidays around the corner what better time than now to order those one of a kind gifts!

A is for ADOBO is a must have alphabet picture book for Filipinos (and non) of all ages. It will have you salivating with curiosity from each and every photo. Perfect for those who are not familiar with Filipino cuisine and other edibles! You can order from Tahanan Books, Amazon.com and Asia for Kids.

2012 “I Am… Filipino American” Contest for Children

lecrowder — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:45:00 +0000

2012 “I Am… Filipino American” Contest for Children

October is Filipino American History Month. And, to celebrate the achievements of Filipinos in America and encourage cultural pride in our youth, The Filipino School of New York & New Jersey will be holding its 2nd Annual “I Am… Filipino American” Contest!

Contestants must answer both questions:
What is it about being Filipino American that makes you proud?
How have you shown your Filipino American pride?
Be creative! Entries can be submitted in any of the following formats:
Short Essay (no more than 100 words)
Drawing/Picture/Poster
Photograph
Poem or Song Lyrics
Video (no more than 15 seconds)
The Grand Prize Winner will receive:
Two (2) free tickets to attend and read/showcase their winning entry at the 2012 TOFA-NY Awards Program (www.facebook.com/TOFANYI2) in Carnegie Hall on October 27
This year’s hosts include: Jose Antonio Vargas and Bessie Badilla; special guests Broadways star Adam Jacobs (Lion King) and Ali Ewoldt (Les Miserables and West Side Story); and performers Gail Banawis, Kay Habana, Alyssa Shoemaker, Roberto Villanueva and Tiffany Viray.
Read/showcase their winning entry at the 2012 FANHS Metro NY (fanhs-nyc.org) FAHM Closing Ceremonies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice on October 30
At this event, a Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed to Mr. Joe Bataan, also known as the “King of Latin Soul.” Joe Bataan, whose given name was Bataan Nitollano, was born and raised in Spanish Harlem in 1942 to an African American mother and Filipino father. As a musical pioneer, he has credited as one of the innovators of SalSoul (Salsa and Latin Soul), Latin Funk, Latin R&B, Latin Jazz, and Boogaloo.
A Filipino American themed gift basket (valued at approximately $150)
One (1) Runner-Up will receive a Filipino American themed gift basket

To qualify, you must be of Filipino descent, in grade 1-12, and reside in NY/NJ/CT.
Deadline for submissions is: Saturday, October 20, 2012 EST midnight.
Submit all entries to: info@filschool-nynj.org with “FAHM Contest” in the subject. Include your name, age, city/state, along with phone number or email address.

For more information, contact:
Venessa Manzano, School Director
info@filschool-nynj.org
774.257.4669
www.filschool-nynj.org
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Copyright © 2012 The Filipino School of New York & New Jersey, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email to stay informed of our upcoming programs and activities promoting Filipino language and culture. Many thanks for your interest and continued support.
Our mailing address is:
The Filipino School of New York & New Jersey
2520 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, 3D
Jersey City, NJ 07304

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