June 12 is Philippine Independence Day, and for Filipino Americans in the Shoreline area, that means it’s time for a big celebration.
“It represents our independence from Spain in 1898,” said Connie Samson, president of the Filipino American Association of Shoreline.
Added J. Allan Ocampo, Pastor of Ronald United Methodist Church, “When we were growing up, Philippine Independence Day was celebrated July 4th, as independence from the US in 1946. But a Philippine nationalist movement began in the 1960s and Congress enacted Philippine Independence Day as June 12 — the day we became independent from Spain in 1898. Spain ruled the Philippines for 375 years or more, so that became the actual independence day.”
According to the 2000 census, Filipino-American is the second largest Asian population in Shoreline and the largest Asian population in the state of Washington.
“Filipinos arrived here early because the relationship between the U.S. and Philippines was deeply rooted,” Ocampo said.
The presence of U.S. military in the Philippines remained until Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, he said.
“This long-time relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines consequently opened the door to Filipino immigration.”
Ocampo emigrated from Pampanga. Connie Samson emigrated from Negros Occidental and her husband, Sammy, from Bataan. They met in the U.S. and moved to the Shoreline area 18 years ago, she said, “because we fell in love with the area— it was so green and the people, so nice.”
When Shoreline incorporated, Connie Samson ran for City Council, but was defeated in the primary. She is now serving as president of the Filipino American Association of Shoreline, vice chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Association and is a council member of the Filipino Community of Seattle.
She is helping plan an Independence Celebration festival on Saturday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ronald Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Ave. N. The festival will include Filipino exhibits, food and entertainment. It will feature parol making — star lanterns — and lumpia making — special Filipino egg rolls.
The Independence Celebration is important because, “it’s a matter of cultural pride,” said Ocampo. “It’s a way of handing down to children who have been born here, their rich cultural heritage, and of keeping our culture alive.”
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