Kaibigan: Filipino American Student Association at Portland State University (PSU) will host the 3rd Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN): If You Want To Know What We Are… The proceeds of this year’s PCN will benefit the Kaibigan Scholarship Fund. Kaibigan hopes to award two Filipino American students at PSU a $1000 scholarship starting in the 2008-2009 school year.

This year’s PCN theme, “If You Want To Know What We Are…” is inspired by a poem written by Filipino American writer, Carlos Bulosan. He wrote the poem as a response to questions that are frequently asked of people of color: “What are you?” and “Where are you from?” The poem paints a very intricate picture of the various experiences of Filipino Americans. The answer to the question, If You Want To Know What We Are, will never be a simple answer because if one was to explain what makes a Filipino, it would not be enough to merely explain the Filipino identity as history, culture, tradition, and experiences both in the past and present are equally substantial aspects of the Filipino Diaspora.

PCN attendees will be treated to an evening of food, tradition, historical spoken word, and music. This event will include traditional cultural dances like tinikling, bendayan, and pandaggo sa ilaw. The event will also include Aimee Suzara, a Filipino-American longtime social and environmental justice poet, writer, and activist from Oakland, California who will be headlining the evening with performances and a keynote speech that build community, foster healing, and provoke important questions that address Filipino identity, her role on the continuum of Filipino, women of color, queer, activist and literary histories, and in confronting racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression. More information about Aimee Suzara can be found at: www.aimeesuzara.net

When: Friday, May 30th, 2008
Where: Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom (1825 SW Broadway)
Time: Doors open at 5:00 pm, dinner service at 6:00 pm, and program starts at 7:00 pm.
Cost: Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the PSU Box Office (1825 SW Broadway) or at 503-725-3307 without the service charges. Tickets can also be purchased at any TicketMaster outlet and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $8 for students, $12 for general admission, and $15 at the door. VIP tables can also be purchased for $100; contact Christian at 971-563-5758 or kaibigan@pdx.edu to reserve your VIP table.

For more information about PCN, visit the Kaibigan website at www.kaibigan.groups.pdx.edu, email us at kaibigan@pdx.edu or call the Kaibigan office at 503-725-2964.

Background
Kaibigan was founded by Filipino American students at PSU during the school year of 2002-2003. The mission of Kaibigan is to unite and empower Filipino American students at PSU through educational, cultural, political, and social activities, while celebrating the Filipino American experience. Kaibigan in Pilipino (Tagalog) means ‘friend.’ Kaibigan is open to any PSU students interested in learning more about the culture and heritage of Filipino Americans and the important issues facing Filipino Americans today. For two years, Kaibigan has been honored to receive the “PSU Student Group of the Year” award from the PSU Student Activities and Leadership Programs.