In the recent months I have written about the struggles of the Ilokano community—and thus, in extensu, Filipino community.
I have focused on the traumas of immigrants particularly the experiences of being an Overseas Filipino Worker and the Filipinos in the diaspora.
For this issue, I wish to write about the youth people, the young Ilokanos who constitute the majority of the young Filipinos in Hawaii, but whose voice is seldom heard, if not totally muffled by many forces both collective and personal.
One reason by this silence and absence of the voice of the young Ilokanos is the wanton collectivization and essentialization of the Filipino experience, this wanton lumping of the Filipino experience into a single experience. Let me say it straight: this is not what the facts of the ground are telling us. So many Filipinos out there are not just Filipinos: so many are Ilokano Filipinos; so many are Sebuano Filipinos; so many are Bikolano Filipinos.
The big trouble starts when we valorize just Filipinos without acknowledging the nuances and shades and shapes of Filipinoness. In the end, the popularized knowledge becomes a cover for ignorance, for multicultural incompetence, for insensitivity to the varieties of the Filipino experience.
This multicultural incompetence and insensitivity has sadly become the norm in Hawaii and which is one of the reasons why Nakem Youth is trying to correct.
Now, let me tell you about what we do at Nakem Youth.
In the past several months I have spent many hours, days, and weeks gathering the community to address the needs of our youth.
Last November, during the 4th Nakem International Conference held at UH-Manoa sponsored by the Ilokano Language and Literature Program at UH-Manoa, a panel of young Ilokano Filipino leaders spoke with a certain urgency demanding the elders and leaders of our community to lend their ears to the cause of multicultural competency and sensitivity in the pursuit of diversity.
In that panel, each young leader walked up to the microphone and each proclaimed: “We are no longer ashamed of being Ilokano! We want to learn our language, and the youth, whether Ilokano or not, have the right to learn the language of our parents, ancestors, and the homelands. We want to listen to the stories of our past, joys and struggles, without needing a translator; we want to learn the dances and songs of the homeland; we want to be free to express our thoughts, and we want to move and shape the Ilokano path towards justice and freedom!”
These young leaders had force in their words, had fire in their words, and had rage in their words as well. Even as they spoke, I knew--and I saw them: that they were guided by the courage and boldness and daring of their Ilokano ancestors. I hinted some pleadings in their words, and these pleadings were for real: “We ask you for your help, we need your help. Help us to make this dream and vision a reality for us all!”
That great moment of witnessing and testimony gave rise to what is now called Nakem Youth.
Nakem Youth is an organization that is dedicated to the pursuit of diversity, cultural pluralism, social equity, linguistic justice, education to democracy, and heritage rights.
Nakem Youth will be a space for our youth to express themselves through art, dance, language, faith, song and more creative ways of expression.
Nakem Youth will feature Nakem Youth People’s Theatre using their dramatic abilities to educate our community about issues that affect everyone.
Nakem Youth Press will publish the writings of our youth into books and literary materials.
Nakem Youth Solidarity Program will integrate the youth’s critical social consciousness to effect change in what matters most to our local and global community.
Nakem Youth Education Forum will build the infrastructure to engage both formal and informal education to prepare them in both the private and public sector of society.
Nakem Youth is not just a space for Ilokano- Filipino youth. It is a place for all who wish to learn the importance of their language; the urgency to hear the narratives of their ancestors--in the language of their ancestors in dialgoue with the language of our youth, and those who wish to realize the importance of their indigenous history, in every land that we identify with. Because we realize that language is not just a tool of communication, not just words in a sentence but a whole cosmology of being--being with the world--we want, we use, our languages, as a vehicle of liberative praxis.
We have now the right people in place, the blessings of our ancestors, the right virtues to guide us; we need now the support of the larger community. In this we ask for your help, the reader, for your time and other ways of contribution, in spreading the gospel of Nakem Youth.
In the meantime, let me put on record those who are initially working hard to make Nakem Youth happen: Rachel Aurellano and Jeffrey Acido, program directors; Calvin Rilviera, director for social communications; Julius Soria, director for finance; and Aurelio Agcaoili, executive director.
If you are interested in learning more about Nakem Youth or in making contributions for its various projects, please email nakemyouth@gmail.com or call (808) 295-6787 or (808) 956-8405.
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