My Filipina Women, My herStory

The Colonel celebrated her 70th birthday over the weekend. In fact, her and Spaghetti were born on the same day! So the family and I headed to my hometown where we hosted a party in her honor. Of course, she did most of the planning: coordinating the program, scouting for a venue and managing the guest list. But last Saturday night about 100 folks came to celebrate my mother's birthday and life!  It was such a special occasion.

For her celebration, the Colonel had asked me to put together a montage of her life for the party. She had sent me photographs from all parts of her life along with their descriptions and as I worked through the photographs I could not help but feel so proud of her and all that she has done in her life. My mother was born in Pampanga, a province in the Philippines in 1940. She is the eldest of 4 brothers and 2 sisters. She attended medical school in the Philippines then immigrated to the United States. Her first stop was New York City where she continued to pursue her education and was able to achieve her license to practice medicine here. She then joined the Air Force where she met and married my father, Rambo.  My parents worked really hard for their lives here. When it came time for them to get out of the Air Force they both continued to work and at the same time my mother got heavily involved with her church and community. She is an advocate for the Filipino-American youth church community establishing various cultural, sporting and religious events to keep the youth involved.


My Lola (meaning grandmother in Filipino) was a school teacher, beauty queen in her province and a mother to 7 children. She survived and protected her first two children (including the Colonel) during the attack of the Japanese on the Philippines. During the later part of her life, left her husband, my Lolo, for years on end to come to the United States to help my parents raise me while they worked.

I am constantly amazed and empowered at how much hard work, sacrifice, commitment and strength these women in my herstory have shown in their lives. Coming from a place of poverty to the "American Dream", a piece of history that I always wonder, if I were in their shoes would I be able to do the same? Will my own girls look back at my life in admiration and for inspiration? What legacy will I be passing on for them?

Nonetheless, I am grateful for the women that shaped my life. For if it wasn't for them, I would not be who I am today.

Who's in your herstory?