reclaiming your heritage...

More and more Filipino-Americans and Filipinos from other countries are making the effort to reclaim their heritage by learning the Filipino language. Many Filipino-Americans often do not have the ability to speak Filipino nor do they know about their culture. Because English is predominantly used in educational system, only 55% of Filipinos speak the language with many of them speaking indigenous languages and dialects.

There are many things that are unique to Filipinos. One in particular is the tradition of "mano" gesture is perform as a sign of respect to elders (e.g., parents, grandparents, and older relatives or friends) and as a way of accepting a blessing from the elder. The word "mano" is Spanish for "hand" while the word "po" is often used in Filipino culture and language at the end of a sentence as a sign of respect when addressing someone older. Usually performed with the right hand, a person showing respect may ask "mano po" to the older person upon entering the home.