Filipino population may be few, but thriving

By April Garon When Adrienne Madden takes her American friends to Filipino Christmas parties, she waits to see their reaction to the food that is served. Filipino celebrations aren't complete without traditional lechons, whole roasted pigs, that sometimes even have an apple lodged in their mouths. It's normal to have eight or more of these behemoths at the large Christmas parties the group gathers for every year. "Their reactions range from awed to appalled at the sight of the pig," Madden said. Madden, a freshman at William Carey University, is part of the small community of Filipino-Americans in the greater Hattiesburg area. Her mother is Filipino and her father is a white Mississippian. The Christmas gatherings held in Jackson and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast attract hundreds of Filipino transplants and their families. The large parties last most of the day and feature traditional Filipino games and dances, but a penchant for American dance music and karaoke keeps the parties boisterous for hours. These gatherings may garner large crowds, but the population of Filipinos in the Hattiesburg area and the state of Mississippi is tiny. According to data from the 2010 Census, 3,562 people identified as Filipino in the state, 0.1 percent of the total population which is almost 3 million. Members of this micro minority band together to form a tight-knit community that exists under the radar of the average Mississippi resident. Checking the Box The Filipino population cannot be directly tracked before the 2010 Census, because that was the first year residents could specify their ethnicity. On the 2000 Census and before, Asian was the only option available. Even with the new option available on the Census, Madden said she would still put Asian as her race during the next Census year because of the local lack of knowledge about the Philippines. Thats how I introduce myself to people, Madden said. I would put Asian, primarily because people dont know where the Philippines are on a map. Kevin Buckley is a graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi whose mother is Filipino and father is white. He said that before the Filipino

option was available, he selected mixed/multi-racial on the Census. Growing up there wasn't always the variety of choices. Buckley said. So mixed or multi-racial was the least confusing. But when I did see Filipino, I flipped out and selected it. In 2010, Asians made up 0.9 percent of the total population of Mississippi. The nationwide estimate for 2012 is 5.1 percent. There are only 34 Filipino individuals listed as living in Hattiesburg in the 2010 Census. Nearly 46,000 people lived in Hattiesburg at the time of the Census. Far from home For those that make the journey to settle in Mississippi, it can be difficult to adjust. Jade Morris and Ive Wastvedt, both employed at Turtle Creek Mall in Hattiesburg, married Americans and made their way to Mississippi not knowing what to expect. Wastvedts family had mixed emotions about her leaving she said they miss her but are also glad for her. She still calls home to the Philippines every night. It is a 360-degree change in culture. There were changes in culture, food, weather, and especially number one is the languageits hard to understand, Jade Morris said. Cynthia Cuevas is a nursing student at Pearl River Community College and widowed mother of two children. When I first came here in 2002, I cried for days, monthsIt was bad, Cuevas said. There was definitely culture shock. Me and my husband had differences and had to adjust to each other big-time. I missed my family so badI missed my mothers cooking. Cuevas and her husband returned to the Philippines and lived there for nine years, until they decided to move back to Mississippi primarily for their childr ens education. Her husband died shortly after they moved back, and Cuevas said she has felt strain being a single mother. She said she would prefer to be back in the Philippines to be close to her family, but opportunities keep her here. You can get education without spending a single dollar, Cuevas said. In the Philippines I cannot go to nursing school, unless I am wealthy. I have financial aid here. Pursuing education is really hard without money there, the government does not provide any aid. Most Americans take this opportunity for granted.

Morris, a business administration graduate, left a stable career at a call center in the Philippines. She said there are more career opportunities here in the United States and that she can work anywhere here, in contrast to the limited mobility she found in her home country. Morris aunt and uncle live Bantayan Island, Cebu, and their home was destroyed and their son died in the recent Typhoon Haiyan. Thats the hardest thing about living so far away, Morris said. Its too far and too expensive to go back, and I dont know what is going on.

Discrimination Filipino immigrants in Hattiesburg seem appear to be overwhelmingly female, primarily because many women move after marrying American husbands. Morris said this trend causes unwanted stereotypes. I get negative comments about marrying a white American, Morris said. The reaction is automatic, Oh, you are a mail-order bride. But (Filipino/American) marriages last forever. Because of our culture, family and marriage is important. Adrienne Madden said that when her mother Marissa Madden uses a credit card, cashiers always ask to see her drivers license. Marissa Madden is not an Asian name, Adrienne Madden said. She says its not a big deal, but it hurts her feelings. This is her home now; she's not going to leave. She built her family here and she wants to be part of the community. One Big Family When stresses of life get too hard, Filipinos like Madden, Morris and Wastvedt turn to each other for support. They are thousands of miles away from their homeits good and healthy for them to get together in fellowship and talk, Adrienne Madden said. Talking in their native language is a comfort in itself. They cook native cuisines, compare their families, share stories from home and talk about where they grew up.

Cuevas and Morris said their Filipino friends are like family to them and they can relate to them easier than Americans. Having a strong community helps them feel at home here in Mississippi. The large parties held at Christmas and on other holidays, which are organized by friendship organizations, helps to bring the ethic group together.

Madden said the parties started small, but each year the crowd got larger. They started to bring their children and their husbands, Madden said. There is a need to understand, a want to fuse together. After all, this is America. Its a melting pot, we want to fuse together to pick up each others ways and customs, to make whatever this is. This urge to fuse together evokes one of Maddens favorite traditional dishes that her mother makes at home. When Madden's mother makes soup, she doesn't use a recipe. She takes whatever ingredients need to be used up in her kitchen and places them in a pot and sets it to boil. This creation is called Filipino soup. I've never had a serving of Filipino soup that wasn't delicious," Adrienne Madden said. Filipino and Mississippi culture are coming together here in Hattiesburg, much like the flavors swirling in this soup.