By Chris Rivera

Today is June 12. It’s a very simple, direct statement. It holds more relevance amongst Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, and even more so within my family. 117 years ago, the Philippines, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, declared independence from Spain after the United States, led by Commodore George Dewey, defeated their Spanish occupiers in the Battle of Manila Bay, and sent them packing for home. It is also the birthday of a member of my immediate family, who shall remained unnamed. I don’t know if my parents planned for such an apropos due date, and such topics are awkward in the household, so I never breached the subject. It is because of this date that thousands of local immigrant Filipinos, their second generation Filipino-American children, other various family members who may live nearby, and friends of family who, by way of accepting invitation after invitation to the many parties over the years, have become like honorary Filipinos, take a brief respite and dig out the Barong Tagalogs (formal Filipino attire, traditionally woven of pineapple leaf fibers), make good use of their kitchen, so they make a good impression on the others who have followed suit and gathered for some sort of celebration. Locally, we have a big picnic and cultural show. Elsewhere, parades of floats and such take place. Regardless of who, what or where, today is significant for many.

Initially, after the Spanish ceded the Philippines to the U.S. as a result of the Treaty of Paris, June 12 had been known as Flag Day. Despite attempts to remain completely independent, including the Philippine-American War, the Philippines remained a territory of the U.S. Following the thwarting of the Japanese Axis army in WWII, the Philippines was given its independence of the U.S. and July 4th was adopted as the date of independence, by way of the Treaty of Manila, in 1946. It wasn’t until 1964, when Flag Day was moved to May 28, that June 12 became known as Philippine Independence Day, reflecting its initial independence from Spanish rule. July 4th was renamed “Philippine Republic Day.”

Now that the history lesson is over, you can understand how significant today is. For me and my family, we celebrate a birthday. For my local community, we celebrate the sacrifices of our ancestors. For my community, and many communities across the country, and around the world, we celebrate significant changes in the political landscape of Southeast Asia. After having exchanged hands several times within a century’s time, the Philippines continues to develop, and Filipinos continue to share their art, music, dance, literature, and much more. Names such as Dave Bautista, Manny Pacquiao, and Hailee Steinfeld litter the American cultural landscape. Cristeta Comerford, Lea Salonga, and Antonio Taguba have seen their time on newspaper front pages. Could the Miami Heat of recent times won their NBA championships without Erik Spoelstra? Maybe. Where would the Black Eyed Peas be without one of its founders, apl.de.ap? Who knows. What we do know is that you can see Filipinos and Filipino-Americans throughout our daily lives, thanks to June 12.