PASS it On FALL '15
- 1. BI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER FOR PILIPINX ACADEMIC STUDENT SERVICES (PASS) MEMBERS AND ALUMNI PASS 31 STAFF JAN BAUTISTA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EDGAR YAP DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS MARYCON JIRO EXTERNAL RELATIONS COORDINATOR MARVIN BACLIG FINANCE COORDINATOR NIKO STEPHEN MARTINEZ DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT ANGELICA PATRICIO AND ERICA PINEDA HIGH SCHOOL AND TRANSFER OUTREACH CO-COORDINATORS REDJAN QUARTO SHADOW COORDINATOR FRAN CARUNCHO AND BRANDON BASA YOUTH MENTORSHIP CO-COORDINATORS NIKKI ACOSTA DIRECTOR OF RETENTION KAYLA MORENO TRANSFER COORDINATOR MARINELLA BOHOL ADVOCACY COORDINATOR FALL 2015 to the Fall 2015 issue of PASS It On, the newsletter of Pilipinx Academic Student Services. This caters to PASS members, community members and alumni by showcasing events, stories, and pictures from the Fall semester. So what’s in this issue? First, we introduce PASS 31 staff and our newest member, Kayla Moreno, our transfer coordinator. Next are excerpts from “the Jollibaes” on the internship experience. We then highlight PASS programs. Firstly, there is PASO, and PDD. Fil- ipino Empowerment Day, a day-long conference in collaboration with Pil organizations from different colleges had amazing turnout and was coupled with the FED SHADOW program in which volun- teers housed and mentored high-school students over the week- end in Berkeley. Then there’s Pathways, the annual graduate stu- dent panel and Night with the Seniors, a celebration banquet for Pilipino seniors. The Advocacy Coordinator held Kasama Night, a benefit concert that fundraises for PASS’s undocumented student scholarship (more information in the Spring!). YM Shadow Day was also held with a winter theme, ending with an article on affirma- tive action by Daryl, one of PASS’ External Relations Intern. We’ve included an alumni spotlight to highlight PASS alumni. Welcome Happy Reading, Marycon Jiro EXTERNAL RELATIONS COORDINATOR Daryl Cristobal & Jaelynne Noble EXTERNAL RELATIONS INTERNS PASS it ONPASS it ON
- 2. PASS 31 Staff JAN BAUTISTA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FRAN CARUNCHO YOUTH MENTORSHIP CO-COORDINATOR EDGAR YAP DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS MARVIN BACLIG FINANCE COORDINATOR MARYCON JIRO EXTERNAL RELATIONS COORDINATOR ANGELICA PATRICIO HIGH SCHOOL AND TRANSFER OUTREACH CO-COORDINATOR ERICA PINEDA HIGH SCHOOL AND TRANSFER OUTREACH CO-COORDINATOR BRANDON BASA YOUTH MENTORSHIP CO-COORDINATOR DOMINIQUE ACOSTA DIRECTOR OF RETENTION NIKO MARTINEZ DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT REDJAN QUARTO SHADOW COORDINATOR KAYLA MORENO TRANSFER COORDINATOR MARINELLA BOHOL ADVOCACY COORDINATOR And Introducing... Internal. Recruitment. Retention.
- 3. The JOLLIBAES Fall 2015 Intern Class The interns of PASS put in an immense amount of work into their Fall programs--Filipino Empowerment Day, SHADOW Weekend, Night with the Seniors are only a few prime examples of the wonderful work our interns help execute out of the many events PASS holds. Yet, this is not the whole picture. PASS interns also participate in weekly internship meetings, tailored specifically for interns to share ideas and grow together. Led by Director of Internal Affairs, Edgar Yap, interns delve into more pressing issues re- garding the Philippines, Pilipinx-Americans in the U.S., as well as Pilipinx-Americans within the American higher education system. These classes foster meaningful dialogue amongst passionate and willful students, spreading the importance of social activism, of having our voices heard. Even though addressing this social issues are extremely important, PASS in- terns also have fun and bond socially within the class. Whether it is doing a small ice breaker in the beginning of class or playing an intense round of PASSassins, the interns can certainly leave this class full of fond memories with each other. The internship meetings serve as a space for growing as a member of PASS, as a Berkeley student, and as an individual. -Alyssa Gonzaga | 1st year, Director of Recruitment Intern “Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.” If I could choose one song to describe PASS, I would choose “Purpose” by Justin Bieber. Coming into Cal as an aimless first year, this organization has “given me the best gift that I’ve ever known.” Yes, PASS has given me purpose. The gift of purpose was given to me in three different boxes: mentorship, programming, and self-reflection. Box #1: Mentorship. Growing up as the eldest child, I never had a Kuya or Ate to look up to. As an intern, I have been blessed with the guidance of the upperclassmxn who I not only see as staffers, but as the older siblings I never had. They not only supported me in my aca- demics, but in my physical, social, and even spiritual well-being, too. My one-on-ones with different staffers have taught me that although there are different leadership personalities, they are all of equal importance; some work silently behind the scenes while others lead at the front lines. My mentors have pushed me to become a better version of myself. Someday, I hope to be even half the mentor that my mentors were to me. Box #2: Programming. FED SHADOW Weekend was my component’s biggest event for the semester. The work nights leading up to the event were some of the most stressful nights of my life, but seeing our students walk away with determination put me on a high I can never fully describe. I learned the true meaning of gratitude through my Ate Redjan’s story: in 2013, she was a SHADOW attendee, a year later, she was a SHADOW intern, now she’s SHADOW coordinator. Talk about the circle of life, right? I will always hold a special place in my heart for FED SHADOW Weekend 2015 because it was the one thing that changed my little sister’s mind about apply- ing to Cal. Seeing students that look like you in a school that is advertised primarily by using images of white students is crucial to increasing minority representation here at Cal. I am so thankful for the two days and three nights spent with these amazing students. Box #3: Self-reflection. Interning for SHADOW has pushed me to strive to become a better leader. I have discovered my ca- pacity in terms of workload and relationship management, as well as the importance of transparency when working with other people. As winter break approaches, unwrapping these gifts one by one has given me the strength to stay here at Cal. Simply being surrounded by people who care about you can make all the difference when you feel like you don’t belong at such a prestigious school in the first place. My visions of helping the youth have become reality through this organization, and I can’t wait to apply for another PASS internship position in the spring! -Angelica Sinsuangco| 1st year, SHADOW Intern FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO THE JOLLIBAES: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INTERNING THIS SEMESTER, Y’ALL ARE PASS AND THIS SEMESTER IS NOTHING WITHOUT Y’ALL. THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING MY SEMESTER GREATY -Edgar Yap
- 4. PASO for me was fun and definitely PASOtive. Its an event that introduces first years and transfer students to what the Pil commu- nity offer. When we arrived at Evans we were automatically greeted with the Filipino dishes, what better introduction than being welcomed with FOOD! It automatically makes you feel at home definitely, because I remember that being the first time I’ve eaten lumpia and pancit since I’ve left SoCal. That was also the perfect time for mingling and going around the tables and see what other programs and organization you might be interested in. The orientation was then taken inside one of the lecture halls where they talked about resources that may be helpful concerning your academics, social life, basically all the transformations that you go through when becoming a college student. Something that I definitely benefitted from was the research workshop that I was put in. Before that workshop, I completely had no clue how crucial and important research experience is as an undergrad, especially if you are considering applying for graduates school. It was a small workshop so I felt comfortable asking questions and the members hosting the workshop were undergraduates as well. They didn’t just inform us about the process of applying for research oppor- tunities and their experiences but they also told us about their first couple years as undergrads. I remember kuya Edgar saying that he wished he had started earlier and even visited his professors during offices hours in his freshman and sophomore year. Listening to their experiences made me look forward to becoming more passionate about the major that I intend to pursue. Espe- cially as an undeclared student, you don’t really know what path to take and can be a bit skeptical whether you could find a passion for that major. I left that workshop with more that just knowledge about research opportunities but college life in general. One of my favorite moments during PASO was watching all the performances that were done by the community members. Its amazing how confident and comfortable they are when on stage. You can see how supportive and everyone is for each other and you could feel the positivity radiating the moment the performances began. I remember thinking how amazing it must be to be apart of a community that’s so close. The orientation definitely reflected the sense of family and close bond everyone has with one another. Pilipinx American Student Orientation BY: CHRISTINE HENZON | 1st Year SHADOW Intern PASO I didn’t really know what to expect with PASS Development Day. At first I was a little nervous because I thought it would be hard to fit in with everyone but once I got to the event, everyone was wel- coming and highly inclusive. This event gave a lot of the mem- bers of PASS to get to know each other and make new friends. My favorite part about P.D.D. was learning about Pilipinx hxstory and engaging in a self-reflective workshop. PASS Development Day was such a great way to kick off the semester! -Kevin P. Pilipinx Development Day MAKIBAKA. Struggle and Revolution. Fight with me.
- 5. FED SHADOW Weekend is an event that invites under-re- sourced/underserved high school students to experience college life, learn more about higher education, and empower themselves by attending Filipino Empowerment Day. With this event being my first big program and being part of the team that coordinated it, I was surprised by the amount of col- laboration and, both mental and physical, support that I saw from other organizations within the Pilipinx community. For the most part, I’ll admit, I was intimidated to accept the re- sponsibilities given to me as an intern; however, as the days go by and the event nearing, I found motivation through the hard work that my team and other members of the Pilipinx community were putting in. From the late night workshops of debriefing volunteers to making posters, I suddenly felt comfortable contributing what I had to contribute. This solely wasn’t be- cause I was an intern, but rather, because I want- ed to be part of this supportive and caring family. As the Friday of FED SHADOW weekend approached, little did I know that my learning of what compas- sion and support meant was only starting. During Fri- day night, these high school students found out who their mentors and hosts were through very fun and comical reve- lations. Signing up to be a mentor—a kuya or a big bro—for a couple of these high school student started off as just volun- teering, but then I was approached by one of my mentees and everything felt different. He came and said, “Kuya Rodney, what are we going to do now?” My response was a stutter of, “Uh- uhmm, what did you want to do?” I never had younger siblings before. As a kuya, the agenda for the program were no longer obligations, they became things that I wanted to do with my SHadings—a term used to refer to the mentees of the mentors. With my three mentees, along with my co-mentor, we visit- ed the workshops, which were part of Filipinx Empowerment Day, that were meant to educate and empower them through academic, cultural, and political awareness. During that same day, on Saturday, we were able to go on a brief, but fun, tour of the campus before taking part in the solemn and artistic Community Dinner. Before I knew it, it was the last day of the weekend. The blur of a moment of the last-minute shopping, quick lunch, was halted by a moment of affirmations given to each mentor-mentee group. It was at this moment, that I knew long-last- ing relationships and impacts were made. With an overt smile that subtly disguised my bittersweet feelings, I was able to successfully fa- cilitate a time of thanks and appreciation amongst each oth- er. A time of physical goodbyes, a time of long-lasting hellos. -Rodney Canlas FED Shadow “As a kuya, the agenda for the program were no longer obligations, they became things that I wanted to do with my SHadings” BY: KEVIN PAULE | 1st Year, Outreach intern & RODNEY CANLAS | 1st Year, SHADOW intern Filipino Empowerment Day: Makibaka On Saturday, November 7th, college students, transfer students, and high school students came together at the Valley Life Science Building for the annual Filipino Empowerment Day. The theme for this year’s FED was Makibaka! or Let’s Fight! Sources of empower- ment included guest speakers Chat Aban and Joi Barrios. Tita Chat presented that learning the Filipino language is empowering; it’s not only about the vocabulary, but also about the cultural aspects of Filipinos. Tita Joi presented that learning about Filipino history, from the colonial times to the contemporary events, is also important. Other sources of empowerment included cultural work- shops presented by nearby colleges on topics such as the recent Lumad killings and mental health in college, as well as academic workshops tailored for prospective high school students as they prepare to submit their college applications. As an intern for Niko, the Director of Recruitment, it was amazing to see all of this come together. The many months of planning were truly worth it once all of the participants truly got a dose of college advice and college experiences. And of course, who could not forget how lit it was? BY: ALBERT SAMSON | 1st Year Director of Recruitment Intern FED
- 6. Night With The Seniors, or NWTS (not to be confused with Drake’s album) is an annual event in the fall held by PASS’s Re- tention component. The event celebrates the journey and ex- perience of the graduating senior class, and it builds up the ex- citement for the commencement ceremonies that follow up in the spring semester. Most importantly, it honors the retention rate of Pilipinxs in higher education, and it serves as an inspi- ration to the underclassmxn to commit to retention so that they can participate in their very own NWTS. I was excited for this NWTS in particular, because it was finally my own NWTS! For the past three years, I attended NWTS to show support to my PAAmily members, fellow core members, and friends. This is definitely an event that I look forward to every year. In particular, I enjoy watching the graduating senior class collab- orate together for the planning process, and also watching the underclassmxn collaborate with one another to find gifts for their favorite seniors. The planning process began at the beginning of the semester, around late August/early September. Nikki Acos- ta, PASS’s Director of Retention, launched the NWTS Registration Form during this time, and many seniors were eager to sign up. This year’s NWTS had a total of 60 participants. After registration was complete, we were divided into different committees that addressed various aspects of the night, such as food, decorations, entertainment, community investments, logistics, and slideshows. My favorite moment of the entire process was the week of NWTS, when all these seniors congre- gated in the newly constructed Eshleman Hall for worknights. My favorite moments included watching the participants in the senior dance grooving along to Tootsie Roll, and also jamming out to popular 90’s hits with the NWTS choir. On the night of NWTS, there was much enthusiasm in the air. All of the participants polished up nicely, as they entered the banquet hall looking dapper as ever. The most mem- orable moment of the night for me was the begin- ning of the programming – this was when Nikki introduced the graduating senior class, and our flawless headshots were displayed on a pro- jector while we all walked across the stage of the hall. Walking across that stage made me feel some type of way, mainly because it’s crazy to think that I’m already a senior at Berkeley, and I only have a semester and a half left at the #1 public university in the world! At the end of the day, everybody enjoyed this year’s NWTS experience. IT was definitely a night filled with memories, laughs, nostalgia, and solidarity. This event is an all-time favorite of members in the Pil-Community, and I’m grateful that I had a chance to spend my NWTS as a Reten- tion Intern. Shoutouts got out to my lovely staffer, Nikki Acosta, who spearheaded this successful event. Also, shoutouts go out to my co-interns, Jed Tabernero and Trisha Giron! We did it! J “At the end of the day, everybody enjoyed this year’s NWTS experience. IT was definitely a night filled with memories, laughs, nostalgia, and solidarity.” Night with the Seniors BY:RANDALL ORTIZ | 4th Year Director of Retention Intern FED Shadow Weekend was so lit! At first I was not planning on partici- pating with the event because it was during midterm season but I am SO glad I decided to be a part of it because not only was I able to mentor two really cool high schoolers, but I was also able to bond with real- ly cool Pilipino community. Redjan and the whole force behind Shadow Weekend did a really good job organizing and bringing the event to life. It is humbling knowing that our combined efforts have the power to im- pact the lives of younger students. My favorite experience during the FED Shadow Weekend was the closing affirmations that my mentees and I had. Both of my sh-adings opened up to me and told me some of the things that they have taken away from the weekend and will bring back to their communities. This warmed my heart and definitely excited me for all of the future P.A.S.S. events. -Kevin Paule
- 7. I came into the Pilipinix community at UC Berkeley through my friend who has been a part of the community for three years now. I didn’t know what it really entailed, but I figured I should attempt to get involved in something on campus. When I decided to in- tern for PASS, I didn’t know what “Internal” referred to or what External Relations really meant; I figured I could fake my way through everything. In short, my plan didn’t really work out. I’ve enjoyed my time as an intern, learning about the community through the intern classes, spending time with my fellow PASS members, and working with my staffer and co-intern as External Relations. I didn’t have to fake my way through my time in PASS this semester because there were people there ready to help me. As an External Relations intern, I mainly focused on preparing this very newsletter as well as Pathways. Pathways is a program meant to open the eyes of undergraduates to the world of education and life after a Bachelor’s Degree. The biggest aspect of Pathways is the panel of Berkeley alumni who have either already gotten their Master’s or are cur- rently working towards getting their higher degree. This past November, we were lucky enough to have a panel of six alumni, including an architect, a lawyer, and a pharmacy student. Although I am only a first year, I know that the experience that Pathways offers is something that people should take full advantage of. Even though my main focus is just getting my lower division requirements done, the panelists were still able to provide some insight that I can utilize right now as well as some reassurance that I really appreciated. One of the panelists, an Immigration law layer named Charina Palomares Garcia, wanted everyone to know “It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re going to do. At some point you will find yourself. It’s okay to have challenges.” Most of the people who go to Berkeley were the top students in their high schools, so transitioning from being to someone at the top to someone struggling through classes is a tough reality. In the end, these chal- lenges shape us to be successful like Charina, and for that, we can only be grateful. Pathways BY: JAELYNNE NOBLE | 1st Year External Relations Intern Kasama Night was a fundraising event that featured performances and presentations in an effort to raise awareness of issues and to provide support to undocumented students within the Pilipin@ community and beyond. All the proceeds went to PASS’s annual Bagong Daan, Sikapan Piraan scholarship for undocumented students. It was a wonderful night filled with a mixed balance of keynote speakers and performances. It was enlightening to learn about Ben- yamin Yusof and the struggles he faced as an undocumented student. Meng So, a member of the Standing Committee for Undocumented Members in campus, inspired people to support and create safe spaces for undocumented mem- bers through his story and his initiatives. I was also exposed to different laws and terms such as AB-540, a law that grants undocumented students to pay in-state tuition instead of out of state tuition, and DACA, which is an immigra- tion policy that allows the youth to apply for work permits and provides them with a social security number. Along with the speakers, the event offered ex- cellent entertainment. Ukulenny gave an amazing performance on his ukulele and incorporated a language lesson that got the people singing. Aliza Rae and the Souled-Out Underground is a soul, R&B, and funk band that blew the roof out of the venue with a memorable performance. Hassan performed original songs that introduced the audience to a new style of music he coined as “Arab Americana.” Helping plan out the event and being part of publicity committee was enjoyable. I also had the opportunity to be an MC with my co-advocacy intern, Melanie, which was a great experience. Being part of the event not only educated me about the social issues that need to be addressed, but also en- couraged me to help advocate for the undocumented community. Kasama Night BY:CHRISTOPHER IBASAN | 1st Year Advocacy Intern
- 8. Youth Mentorship Shadow Day, organized by the YM coordi- nators, Francesca Caruncho and Brandon Basa, took place on December 4, 2015. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students from the Galing Bata programs at Bessie Carmichael Elementary and the Filipino Education Center came to visit the Berkeley campus. In the morning, a giant poster reading “MALIGAYANG PAGDIRI- WANG GALING BATA” greeted the students. Because of tradition, the mentors allowed the students to destroy the poster after a group picture was taken. The students were separated into pamilias where they were given mentors to be their Ates and Kuyas for the day. The dif- ferent pamilia names included Team Penguin, Snow Fam, Polar Bear Pals, Team Reindeer, and Gingerbread Fam. The pamilias then split off and went to workshops. Three of the pamilies went to a workshop facilitated by Jack- ie Ceballos and Jan Bautista, two frequent Galing Bata mentors, and Angelica Simsuangco, a volunteer for the day. At this work- shop, the students learned how to make instruments from pa- per plates, bells, cups, and rice. With these instruments, they learned to play and sing Filipino carols. The other two pamilies started at a workshop led by Donaldo Sambajon and Jude Ocampo, who are also frequent Galing Bata mentors. At this workshop, the students learned how to make traditional Filipino ice cream using ice, salt, and ziplock bags. The students mixed milk with different ingredients like yams for ube flavor and coconut for macapuno flavor. The groups switched off for workshops so that all the students were able to carol and make ice cream. Lunch was served back at Lower Sproul. This led to a gin- gerbread house making contest. The students were given ma- terials such as graham crackers, red vines, gummy bears, spice drops, and frosting. Their imaginations ran wild resulting in gin- gerbread cities, gingerbread houses destroyed by tornados, and gingerbread houses inspired by the Grinch’s house. In the end, a winner was chosen, but all the students were given candy canes as a prize for their creativity. The students were given pamilia time and were taken around Berkeley to go shopping, get boba, and bond with their mentors. Closing took place at the VLSB lawn. A mentors versus stu- dents game of capture the flag took place. After the game, the students were surprised with goodie bags containing s’mores trail mix, a photo frame with the picture that was taken at wel- coming, and a holiday pencil. The day at the university was over for the students and they headed to the bus back to the city. Caruncho exclaimed, “I thought the day was a success! The children enjoyed being at Berkeley and spending time with their mentors. The Galing Bata staff was impressed by the workshops. It was many of the Ates’ and Kuyas’ first time participating in a YM event, so I hope that Shadow Day encourages them to start mentoring regularly. At the end of it all, I felt really proud of the work that Brandon, the interns, and I did for this event.” YM Shadow Day BY:JASMINE SALONGA | 1st Year Youth Mentorship Intern Affirmative Action has been at the forefront of a widely contested debate amongst students and within college ad- missions. A growing number of programs, such as the quota system, have all been linked to affirmative action, which is a policy designed to impede past discrimination against mi- nority groups by imposing measures meant to improve ones’ opportunities within the workplace and in education. With the Supreme Court taking up the issue of affirmative action again this month, it is crucial that Pilipinx students understand just how important this policy was within the Pil community and UC Berkeley. In 1972, Pilipinxs were declared “underrepresented” students and were included in Affirmative Action programs in outreach and admissions within the University of California (UC) school system. However, it was not until 1980 when Pilipinxs reached parity (12%) UC system wide. Because of this, Pilipinxs began to lose the resources that were once afforded to them for re- cruiting because they were no longer “underrepresented.” It was not until 1985 when Pilipinxs were removed from status as a Students Affirmative Action (SAA) target group. In short, 1985 was the last year Pilipinxs had full Affirmative Action sta- tus. When 1986 came around, Pilipinxs ultimately lost full SAA protection at UC Berkeley. With that, admission rates of Pilip- inx students dropped by 90%. (Roque, 2008). With the passing of Proposition 209 in 1996, Pilipinxs faced a huge disadvantage and their numbers on the UC Berkeley campus began to dwin- dle steadily. As a current UC Berkeley and Pilipino-American student, I seek to help others understand the politics of affirmative action and to make sense of the fact that affirmative action was need- The Plight of Pilipinx-Americans in Higher Education Post-Affirmative Action BY:DARYL CRISTOBAL | 2nd Year External Relations Intern
- 9. ed out of necessity, that its implementation was necessary in order to afford educative opportunities for Pilipinx-American students in higher education. With that, I argue that affirma- tive action was meant to be used as an “alleviation tool” to increase the number of Pilipinx students on campus; however, with the passing of Proposition 209 that made such practices illegal, efforts at increasing Pilipinx student presence at UC Berkeley skyrocketed. I want to convince people that affirma- tive action has acted as the catalyst for Pilipinx-Americans to assemble to create programs meant to make higher education accessible even though institutional- ized barriers, such as Proposition 209, hindered them from achieving this at times. Race-conscious admission have afford- ed Pilipinx-American students a great- er chance of admission into UC Berkeley. According to a report by the Committee on Admissions and Enrollment of the UC Berkeley Academic Senate, which was sub- mitted in 1989 to Academic Senate Chair John Heilbron, Pilipinxs were categorized as a Tier 3 group, which was a group that consisted of stu- dents selected from the “complemental admissions category” (Karabel). This category includes students who have “overcome disadvantages of some sort or who exhibit unusual excellence in one or another realm of non-academic activity” (Karabel). Students in Tier 3 were meant to add di- versity to the student body. In this report, it is interesting how Pilipinxs are not conflated with the affirmative action group, which consist of “Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans” (Karabel). The disaggregation of Pilipinxs from this said group “reduced the rough Filipino target because an increasing number of Filipinos are qualifying for Tier 1 and because meet- ing this target would be sufficient to insure that there would be a substantial number of Filipinos among the student body” (Karabel). Tier 1 students qualify solely on the basis of their academic index scores, which is a combination of GPA and test scores. I argue that Pilipinxs being outcasted from the af- firmative action group was not because they qualified for Tier 1, but because more and more Pilipinx students are graduat- ing from high school and entering college at the same, high rate (12%). Because of this, political maneuvering was at play that made it possible to remove Pilipinxs from the affirma- tive action target group; I believe this is because UC Regents thought there were sufficient amounts of Pilipinxs that could be accounted for in the diversity on campus. After being removed as an SAA target group, Pilipinxs suf- fered dwindling representation on campus. Their numbers plummeted from 700 in 1985 to 500 around 1995. In response to this negative trend, Pilipinx-American students on campus felt the need to create a space that was committed to the recruitment and retention of all Pilipinxs in higher education since they were no longer afforded the resources they once had under affirmative action status. Thus in 1985, they creat- ed the Pilipino American Recruitment Center, now called the Pilipino Academic Student Services (PASS), to address the educational concerns of Pilipinx students in pursuit of higher education and to attempt to remedy the lack of representa- tion amongst the University’s student population with respect to the growing Pilipinx population in California. Despite the scarcity of Pilipinx-Americans, and their ex- clusion and disinterest by the university, PASS’s recruitment and retention efforts showed an increase in Pilipinx students despite the passing of UC Board of Regent’s SP-1 resolution in July 1995, which eliminated race-based affirmative action in university admissions, and Proposition 209 in November 1996, which prohibited race and gender-based affirmative action in college admissions and in hiring and contracting by public institutions in California (Okamu- ra, 2013). Initially, many thought that their numbers would substantially decrease, accounting their failed efforts at having the resources and programs, formerly sponsored by the university, to recruit and retain Pilipinx students. Instead, numbers increased by 62%, or more than 300 students, between Fall 1997 and Fall 2009 (Okamura, 2013). This showed that despite the institutionalized barriers that made accessing higher education very difficult for Pilipinx students, they were able to find means of support amongst students that were generally positive and successful. There is much more that needs to be done in order to make higher education for Pilipinx-Americans equitable within the UC Berkeley system. Comprising 3.3% of the UC Berkeley un- dergraduate population (Okamura, 2013), Pilipinx-American students continue to work to this day to increase the pres- ence of their unique identity on campus, an identity clearly distinguishable from Asian-Americans. Although there were few impediments that post-affirmative action brought on Pil- ipinx-American students, I believe that affirmative action was the stepping stone for more collaborative efforts to be per- formed to increase the visibility of Pilipinxs on campus. The advancement of the Pilipinx-American community in Cali- fornia and the United States cannot be accomplished without the continued representation of Pilipinx students on campus and in higher education that are doing work to ensure the Pilipinx community will remain visible in a White-privileged society for years to come. Work Cited Karabel, Jerome B. “Freshman Admissions at Berkeley: A Poli- cy for the 1990s and Beyond.” Freshman Admissions at Berke- ley: A Policy for the 1990s and Beyond. University of California: Academic Senate, 11 Mar. 1998. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. Okamura, Jonathan Y. “The “Other” Students: Filipino Amer- icans, Education, and Power.” The “other” Students: Filipino Americans, Education, and Power. By Dina C. Maramba and Rick Bonus. Charlotte: Information Age, 2013. 213-35. Print. Pilipino Academic Student Services and Maureen Ann Roque. (2008). PASS History: A collection of important events that happened throughout the years that reflect on our past and the work that we do. Unpublished Document. “Af- firmative action was needed out of necessity, that its implementation was necessary in order to afford educative opportunities for Pilipinx-American stu- dents in higher education.
- 10. Alumni Spotlight c/o 2007 | Integrative Biology HOMETOWN: Chula Vista, CA First year medical student at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NE. How were you involved in PASS and the Pil community? I attended Senior Weekend in 2003, which convinced me to join PASS. I was an intern during my 1st and 2nd years at Cal, then Assistant Director of Recruitment my 3rd year, and finally Executive Director during my 4th and final year. During my time in PASS, many changes occurred. These included the first tenured Pilino-American studies professor was hired through the work of Com- pass, the Gender and Sexuality Awareness Coordinator (GSAC) position was created, the PASS advisory board was first formed, and the Advocacy position was created. Outside of PASS, I also performed in three PCNs and was an intern for PAHC during my 1st and 2nd years. Piece of Advice for undergrads? Enjoy your time at Cal. You’ll miss the school. You’ll miss the free time (even though it may not seem that you have very much). But most of all, you’ll miss the people. Fun Fact: Even though we graduated almost a decade ago, I still see many of my Filipino friends I met at Cal, most often when we get together at weddings (and sometimes in Vegas). Nicky and I both wanted to pursue medicine, but since our tenures at Cal were separated by many years, our paths were very different. I took a gap year with the AmeriCorps/Community HealthCorps doing a year of service at a community health center, and Nicky worked with the non-profit Greenlining Institute, traveled, and got a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences degree at Tufts University in Boston, MA. Little did we know our paths would cross. Earlier this year, we met during our orientation week at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NE. Once we found out we both went to Cal and were part of PASS, we started reminiscing about our times in the Filipino community and Berkeley. There were a lot of differences. When Nicky was there, it was a less digital world; WiFi was not available on campus, notes were more often taken with pen and paper than on computer, and the first iPhone had not even been released. During my time at Cal, the football team was unimpressive. But while Nicky was there, they were heralded, with current NFL players such as Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, and Justin Forsett sporting the blue and gold (I can never understand why Nicky still follows Cal football). Although a lot of things have changed, there were still many aspects about Cal that stayed constant. For example, the activism at Berkeley hasn’t changed. While Nicky advocated for Filipino WWII veteran benefits and for Filipino American Studies at the university, I protested the tuition hikes and how it specifically affected communities of color (Isang Bagsak). Newman Hall also didn’t change much: the 10PM mass is still candle-lit with the “guitar guy” play- ing, and many of our classmates sit on the second floor. And lastly PASS still does much of the great work! It was funny to hear that tabling never changed in the past ten years - it’s the place to hang out when you want to see your favorite Filipinos. Nicky and I loved our time with PASS. We made many of our fondest mem- ories and best friends there. We’re happy to see PASS is still continuing its work in recruitment and retention of Filipinos into higher education. c/o 2014 | Microbial Biology HOMETOWN: Modesto, CA First year medical student at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NE How were you involved in PASS? I attended Senior Weekend in 2010 which convinced me to attend Cal! I was an intern Spring 2011 and then on staff 2011-2012 as the Finance Coordinator. Though I did not choose to stay on staff after my second year, I remained involved with PASS every year as a Senior Weekend a volunteer. Piece of Advice for undergrads? Pursue all your passions, explore all your resources (inside and outside the Filipino community!), and don’t be afraid to branch out! Ferdinand (Ferd) Cacho Nicholas (Nicky) Cabal NICHOLAS CABAL FERDINAND CACHO
- 11. HOMETOWN: Union City, CA c/o 2009 | L&S Ethnic Studies & Asian American Studies Stealth Startup Founder (big data visualization in Aug- mented Reality & Virtual Reality w/ Game & Motion Design Principles). Prior DataHack14 hackathon winner 1st Place, Former staff for Ro Khanna, Candidate for Congress in Sil- icon Valley. How were you involved in PASS and the Pil Community? PASS - Transfer Outreach & Retention Intern Fall 2007 PAA General Member 2007-2008 {m}aganda magazine staff 2008 P4 - General Member 2007-2008 Piece of advice for undergrads? Read my Facebook post on 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Surviv- ing Life at Cal & Entering Into Careers http://bit.ly/caladvice15 Fun Fact: Filipino Americans are often the second largest Asian American community in the United States, and one of the largest Asian American voting blocks in Silicon Valley (South Bay/Peninsula), yet are underrepresented in fields of tech and politics. My motto: “Move faster and build community.” I’m a co-founder of FASTER, Filipino Americans in Silicon Valley Tech to help attract and accelerate Filipino Ameri- cans in tech careers, including, but not limited to, entre- preneurs/founders, engineers, designers, data scientists etc. HOMETOWN: Stockton, CA c/o 2004 | Anthropology Major Assistant Principal of a 6-12 school in the New York City Department of Education How were you involved in PASS and the Pil Community? I co-taught the Contemporary Issues of Pilipinos in Amer- ica de-cal, which we lovingly called “Contemp” in the Spring of 2003. Piece of advice for undergrads? Network with as many people you can - you’ll meet life- long friends who you can count on for years to come. Also, have fun!! PCN was one of the best experiences I had at Cal because I met so many people who I would not have met otherwise. Fun Fact: I can’t verify these numbers, but in 2003, there were 949 Filipinos out of approximately 30,000 students at Berkeley. HOMETOWN: Oakland, CA c/o 2010 | BA Ethnic Studies; BA Asian American Studies Graduate Student at Cal - Double Masters’ - MPP/MPH; Policy Aide for Alameda County Board of Supervisor Wil- ma Chan How were you involved in PASS and the Pil Community? bridges Community Organizing Director - 2009-2010 ASUC Pilipin@ Senator - 2008-2009 PAA Academics Chair - 2007-2008 PASS Shadow & Retention Intern - 2006-2007 PCN Participant - 2006-2008 Piece of advice for undergrads? It’s perfectly acceptable to say “no” to attending/coor- dinating/planning events. Take time to exercise, eat well, and sleep! Have a LOT of fun. Remember there are alumni in the Bay Area that are easily accessible for help/ad- vice/feedback. Our community is rooted in a rich hystory of activism and knowledge creation, therefore it’s nec- essary to always re-evaluate the current political and social state of our Cal community. Don’t forget about the real activism we need to continue. Fun Fact: I traveled to 2 continents, 6 countries, and 12 cities this past summer for 7 weeks! HOMETOWN: Stockton, CA c/o 2011 | Ethnic Studies; Theater, Dance & Performance Studies Kindergarten Teacher at John McCandless STEM Charter School, Ethnic Studies teacher and Dance Director for the Little Manila Foundation, Dance Lead at Parangal Dance Company SF How were you involved in PASS and the Pil Community? I was a former PASS SHADOW student, turned intern, turned coordinator between 2006-2009. I was also a for- mer Chief of Staff and PCN Producer for PAA. I performed in a few {m}anganda open mics with the critically ac- claimed acoustic trio the “Dub Collective” and was part of the founding members of the PASAErendae. Piece of advice for undergrads? The one thing I regret is not devoting a year to build with community organizations in Oakland and San Francisco. Don’t be afraid to balance your school and social life with a substantial amount of involvement in the surrounding East Bay and SF community. Fun Fact: My favorite number is 4. Erin Pangilinan Mary June Flores Joyce (Narvaez) Adgate Brian batugo
- 12. Special Thanks to... EXTERNAL RELATIONS PASS 31 DARYL CRISTOBAL JAELYNNE NOBLE MARYCON JIRO AND ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO PASS IT ON! Website: PASS.BERKELEY.EDU Email: PASS.EXT.RELATIONS@GMAIL.COM Address: 2465 BANCROFT WAY, STE. 31 BERKELEY, CA 94720