Throughout my elementary, middle, and high school experiences, I have struggled with understanding what it means to be Filipino-American. I remember looking at my brown skin, feeling out of place as I compared myself to my classmates, and being ashamed of the food my mom would prepare for school lunches, hiding the smell as I ate under a napkin. I remember numerous things that make me wish I could give my younger self the warmest hug and assure her that nothing is wrong with her. Watching Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray win Miss Universe were moments I was proud to be Filipino. But, I remained challenged with my identity and uncertain of what I could be proud of, distant from my background. Filling in ethnicity bubbles for surveys, I still question “Am I Asian?” “Pacific Islander? “Other?” With society’s unrelieved barrier of Filipino history, I strive to uncover the realities of the past to amplify present voices for necessary change. Currently, I am part of Pilipinx Academic Student Services (PASS) at UC Berkeley, allowing me to better understand this rich culture through multitudes of unique people and stories. In contrast to my elementary school self, I now feel very blessed and proud to be Filipino-American. I am blessed to live with my grandparents, have big, loud family gatherings with plenty of food and karaoke. I am blessed to have a community that actively seeks to uncover our history while appreciating present-day accomplishments. I aspire to continue learning about my roots, hoping to inspire others to embrace their individuality along with their history that conveys this sense of togetherness. By helping others discover their personal identities, I want to strengthen solidarity among the Filipino-American community and amplify those who have been neglected for decades. I want to push others to appreciate what it means to be Filipino-American as it translates to what Filipino-Americans carry on today and into future generations to come. By striving to cease ongoing stereotypes and the misconceived past about Filipino-Americans, additional BIPOC communities can come together to break down the systems created to hide our persisting injustices.