Rooted Leader: Kaylee
Welcome to the Happy Heritage Home!
How can we create more inclusion or representation for the Filipino community at my school?
Kaylee started with this question that ultimately led her to think about how she can create spaces for cultural exchange amongst the diverse student body at her school!
“I’m a Filipina living in the Philippines and there are a lot of things about our culture that
I wish people knew about [...] but I think that the thing I admire most about my fellow Filipinos is how resilient we can be.”
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Constituents: 13-18 years old students at Kaylee’s school Kaylee originally aimed to reach Filipino students in particular but she ended up deciding to include people from all cultures so that she could help facilitate cultural exchange through a workshop called Happy Heritage Home! Kaylee made this decision after sharing a survey with her friends in which many of them expressed an interest in learning more about her culture as well as other people’s cultural backgrounds.
Allies: Language Teachers
Kaylee sees language teachers as allies because they understand the importance of representing and sharing cultures. The language teachers at Kaylee’s school had similar values to Kaylee when it came to creating more representation for different cultures, and so they gladly helped her share her survey with the student body.
Decision Maker: School Administration
Kaylee would like to propose some changes to campus, which include putting up the Filipino flag in the gymnasium and hosting events that promote cultural exchange amongst students. She is going to have to figure out which school administrators would have to provide her with approval to bring these changes to life at her high school.
Here’s a sneak peek of Happy Heritage Home!
Figure 1. This potluck symbolizes the kind of cultural exchange I want to facilitate through workshops like Happy Heritage Home! A potluck might just be a fun picnic at the park for a family function, but it is also so much more. At potlucks, everyone brings something to the table and no matter how big or small it is, it is always appreciated. My main goal is to create a safe space where everyone can be comfortable with sharing anything about their heritage that they would like to.
Figure 2. During one of the activities of Happy Heritage Home one member showed a shield that has their family crest shown on it!
Figure 3. A participant in Happy Heritage home explained that plants are a need whenever their family goes into a room. Their mom always makes sure there is a bamboo plant near the place that they sleep, because in their culture it is believed that plants suck out the bad energy out of the room.
Figure 4. Happy Heritage Home Tip! Food is the easiest way to learn about different cultures. The time and process that go into different types of food should be taken into consideration when eating your next meal. In some cultures, it is known to slurp your food to show that you are enjoying your food.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Kaylee has some exciting recommendations for how she wants to continue her vision for Happy Heritage Home!
Our voices and opinions matter and are always welcome. I want other teens to know that being vulnerable is okay, and it's okay to show how you really feel. This is how we make change!
I want to host more Happy Heritage Home workshops to facilitate cultural exchange at my school and in my community! As part of Happy Heritage Home, I’d like to propose a potluck style event when it is safe to do so in-person where people can bring and share food to talk about their different cultures. Maybe we can even do a virtual version of this somehow?
It would be amazing if the adults in my school could help me hang up the Filipino flag at our school alongside the other countries’ flags. This would provide better representation and inclusion for my culture, while also showing other cultures that the school has respect for the cultures that are represented on campus.
I have found that youth have a limited amount of resources compared to adults. For example, adults at my school have resources like larger networks and access to decision making power. Since adults have these powers, I’d like to call on them to help be spread the word about the Happy Heritage Home.
Adults can also learn about other people's culture as well. No matter how old you are learning about someone else's ethnic background can make you more connected and also educated about the world around you.
Lastly, it would also be great if adult voices could continue to support me and other students at my school through mentorship. During this project, I have found that everything became less overwhelming when I had my mentor Jasen and Matthew to help me. Their input has been really valuable for helping me bring my ideas to life!