Julie Cruz - FilAm Fam
Julie Cruz founded FilAm Fam as a way to create community among Fil Am families and cultivate pride and connection to our shared heritage. Inspired by a trip to Manila in 2018, FilAm Fam launched during Filipino American History Month 2019, with their first event a screening of Pixar’s Float. Other events Julie has produced include Kamayan Friendsgiving, parol making workshop, and New Year Pancit Party. These family friendly events are a way to share our Fil Am culture and pass it to the next generation. Julie has collaborated with fellow FilAm entrepreneurs Marco of Salamat and Jackie of Sarap Tees, creating wholesome events for all. With a mission “to honor and preserve our heritage with intention for the next generation and beyond,” FilAm Fam produces cultural events and experiences that foster awareness of Filipino culture.
Website coming soon, however here is a link to our feature on TFC in the meantime! https://youtu.be/XIYb9oyTcow
What is the inspiration behind FilAm Fam? And what urged you to start it?
I am a stay-at-home mother of three young children - ages, 6, 3 and an almost 1-year-old. I am creative and entrepreneurial at my core so I'm always thinking about creative projects I can take on alongside my role as a stay-at-home mom. In looking at my options, I pinpointed my love for community and that I especially feel a sense of instant camaraderie whenever I meet other FilAm families. I also knew I wanted to do something related to family life. And in our family, we cultivate a sense of pride for and connection to our heritage. It was from identifying these which came natural to me, coupled with the joy I find in event planning as a creative outlet, that inspired the idea for FilAm Fam. I also had the epiphany that our Fil-Am generation, many of us raised in America most or all or our lives, has to be intentional about passing on our heritage to the next generation, otherwise it is bound to get lost. We can already see it with language as many Filipino Americans are unable to speak Tagalog (or their respective Filipino dialect) fluently.
When did you begin producing your events?
The idea for FilAm Fam was birthed over a year ago, actually when we were vacationing in Manila in November 2018. However it wasn't launched until October 2019, debuting on Instagram under @filamfamgram. I was able to finally dedicate the time to launch it once my 2nd child was old enough to go to pre-school towards the end of last year and my infant baby was a bit older. Coincidentally it was Filipino American History Month and a sweet serendipity that we launched during such a significant month for our community. After building a humble presence on Instagram, we produced our first two events in November: 1) a screening of Disney Pixar's Float, a free "Pamilya Meetup" event intended for the FilAm community and 2) a Kamayan Friendsgiving Feast, a paid ticketed event open to anyone interested in experiencing Filipino culture.
How do you choose themes for your events?
I take the season, holiday and/or special occasion during the time of the prospective event and then brainstorm on a cultural topic that would integrate well with it. For example, in the month of February we have Valentine's Day. So we are taking the concept of the balikbayan box as a care package for a loved one and creating a Valentine crafting workshop. Attendees will be decorating and filling small boxes - a mini version of the traditional balikbayan box - as they learn about this cultural custom that bonds Filipinos in the diaspora to their families in the Philippines.
What have been popular events?
We had a surprising turnout at our very first event - the Pixar Float screening. Over 10 families showed up, many of them I was not expecting and had heard about it on Instagram. We threw this event the week that Disney Plus and Float launched so there was a lot of buzz around the short film. Another popular event was our New Year's Pancit Party at Barkada Hollywood. We collaborated with Sarap Tees, creator of the Pancit shirt, who facilitated a pancit-themed story and music time for the kids, and Barkada's executive chef did a pancit cooking demo. It was all things pancit that day, and we landed on that theme with the intention to teach about the Filipino New Year's tradition of eating pancit for long life, among other classic traditions that were also taught.
How has the Fil Am community responded to what you've created/produced so far?
The community has been very responsive and excited to see what we're doing, and this is because there is a desire and need for a place and platform for FilAm families to come together, connect, and cultivate learning of our heritage. It is a platform where FilAm families can be intentional about teaching and passing down our culture to the next generation. Furthermore, parents with young children are always looking for family-friendly events to enjoy with their children so when they see a family-friendly event that integrates cultural awareness, it's a win-win.
What are some of your favorite collaborations so far?
For our Kamayan Friendsgiving Feast, we collaborated with Salamat Yoga who led a guided gratitude meditation before the feast to honor the Thanksgiving holiday. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out or be received, but after Marco of Salamat Yoga did his part, I knew I had chosen the right guy! First of all, his brand is Salamat, which was perfectly aligned with the gratitude theme of the night. He opened by speaking on the meaning of salamat and set the audience at ease with laughs and good vibes.
Another collaboration I truly enjoyed was with Sarap Tees. They print tees inspired by FIlipino food. We linked up to produce the New Year's Pancit Party, and I reached out to Jackie because she had the Pancit shirt that would go perfectly with the theme I had envisioned. Turns out she is great with kids and makes music. So we had her do the story and music time for the event, which couldn't have been more perfect! We are currently in talks for future collaborations.
https://usa.inquirer.net/50335/hollywood-pancit-party-teaches-filipino-new-year-traditions
How do you get in a creative mindset and maintain a creative flow?
I don't find that I have to get into a creative mindset as my mind is naturally and consistently in a creative flow. I am constantly tuned in to seeing opportunity all around me and it's just a matter of filtering through all the ideas that are inspired by these opportunities. And as much as I am creative, I am also organized. Otherwise I might go crazy! Haha.
What is your biggest driving force?
My biggest driving force is to create a lifestyle in which our family is free from the boundaries of a traditional 9-5 job. As my husband works in corporate Monday through Friday, I dream of the days when we can come and go as we please, traveling the world with our three children while building multiple businesses remotely. What we are currently doing with FilAm Fam is just the surface of a multitude of ideas we have envisioned for our community. One of which is to reach the Filipino diaspora with what we do and offer.
What do you have coming up next?
This weekend is our Halo Halo Mixer, pun, and fun intended! It’s on Saturday, January 25 12:30 - 2 pm at Cafe 86 in Old Town Pasadena. It will be an opportunity for the community to mix and mingle and practice some Taglish as we'll be equipping attendees with basic meet and greet Tagalog phrases as an ice breaker to make new friends. There will also be a pop-up shop featuring FilAm vendors offering unique products targeted towards our niche community. This event is sponsored by FilAm Learners who customized the Tagalog resources for our event. Ultimately, the plan is to host Halo Halo Mixers every couple months in different cities, partnering with the local halo halo provider, lol.
In February, we have the Balkibayan Valentine Workshop as described above. Sunday, February 9 at the Point Point Joint in Los Angeles, 2-4 pm.
In March, we are planning a collaboration with Bebot in Long Beach. Stay tuned for that!
And other events in the works include a Filipino coffee tasting experience as well as a cultural mashup involving tea. Also working on partnering with a local library to bring a monthly Filipino Storytime to the community. The best way to stay in the know is to follow us on Instagram @filamfamgram ♥️