Personal

Cultural
Project

Vanessa Bagolor
EDU 280
June 24, 2022
14 year-old Vanessa at Ala Moana Beach Portfolio Artifact #1
Cultural
Belonging

Taken by a friend. At Pillbox hike by Kaneohe, HI. 2017

Background

100% Filipino.
While I am the youngest of five children, I
was the only one to be born in the United
States.
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
My mother emigrated to Hawaii in the 90's
with her eldest daughter, the others soon
followed. But my father came over in
2004 when he finally was approved by the
government.
Hawaii was my home, until I moved to Las
Vegas in 2018.
Family photo (missing father). 2004.
Family

Majority of family members are born in the

Philippines.
Older family members, like my mother
and father, prefer to speak in Visaya (a
Filipino dialect).
My grandparents lived between Hawaii and
the Philippines, but neither spoke English
well.
Most of my immediate family on my
mother's side live in Hawaii.
My mom is one of 6 sisters, and 5 of them
live in Hawaii.
My cousins and aunts were always around. 2008 Family portrait. Mother's side of the family
Growing
Up

9 year-old Vanessa at Koko Head Crater by Hawaii Kai, HI. 2009

 My parents both worked. Mom is a seamstress and dad is
a janitor.
Parents Most of my siblings were out of the house.
& Three out of the five school days, my third older sister
picked me up from school. My dad took me the other
Home days.
My parents prefers to speak Visaya. My mom is addicted
Life to Filipino soaps, so I also know some Tagalog (another
Filipino dialect).
My parents shared chores. My dad did the laundry, and
my mom would later fold it. He did the cleaning, and she
did the cooking.
Hawai'i is a small island with a great transportation
system. We always took the bus or walked.
I lived in an affordable housing unit with four bedrooms
and for the most part, lived with only one of my sisters.
Every week, my parents and I would go to the Catholic
church nearby.
 Hawaiian
Vibes
Growing up in Hawai'i, it is like a small town with a
large community.
Its demographic is also mixed with the Asian
community dominating at 38%. Throughout my
education and growing up, there was always a lot of
diversity.
Long holidays & summer vacation usually means a
day at the beach or hiking to a waterfall. It is a great
way to spend time with family or friends, and it is free.
At a Pali Lookout waterfall with family. 2009.
Top Left: Taken by Vanessa (me) of friends
and family at the beach. 2015
Top Right: With cousins at the beach in the
Philippines. 2008.
Bottom Right: At Diamond Head Lookout
Point with aunt and cousin. 2017.
Family
Relations

My family often goes back to the Philippines. And

I have gone there every couple of years.
In 2008, it was my grandparent's 50th wedding
anniversary.
In 2013, there was a large family reunion.
In 2016, it was a family gathering for a vacation.
In 2023, it will be my great-grandmother's 100th
birthday.
It is always a time to spend with family, both
distant and close. 2013 Family Reunion. A picture with distant cousins of a similar age.
Connecting with
my Filipino Culture
January is a month full of Filipino fiestas, where we
pray, watch performances, dance, and eat Filipino
food.
During May, there is a yearly celebration of Filipino
culture. Usually, I would participate in the parade
portion of the festival.
Bob's Key Dancers was a dance group that mostly
performed Filipino Folk dances. I joined the
organization at the young age of 8 with my mother.
For years, I learned beside other Filipino kids my age.
I not only learned traditional Filipino dances but the
history of it. I also did some hula which connected
the culture of my environment with the culture of Bob's Key Dancers (a Filipino Dance Group) after a
my family. performance. 2010.
 Born in 2000, I grew up during the
A Sign of golden era of technology and the start
of social media.
the I got my first phone in the fourth grade
Times when apps were just email, messages,
and the snake game.
Middle school was when everybody was
getting an Instagram account. Snapchat
and Kik was at its peak when I was in
high school.
I lived life through multiple pop culture
moments with One Direction, Miley
Cyrus's VMA performance, and the
Twilight phenomenon.
I loved the 2010 era of teen dystopian
franchises of one person changing
everything in their world.
My
Worldview
Religion

I grew up Catholic and was baptized at four months old.

I went to Sunday school weekly right before church.
When I turned 12, I became an altar servicer, which means I
would help the priest during service.
I stopped going to church weekly when I moved. However,
my mother is a devout Catholic and I do wonder if I would
reach her level of dedication and faith.
Christmas Eve always meant there would be midnight mass
to attend.
 Almost every holiday includes
Family many family members. And any
Relationships big celebration means work and
labor from everybody. Usually,
food is homemade, so someone
or multiple someone need to take
the day to prepare food. And a
great time tends to include
karaoke time.
Through holidays and my parents'
daily life, I was taught the value of
collaboration. Even though all
major family celebrations were
hard work, when the party begins,
it all feels worth it.

Family time. All the sisters spending time together at the beach. 2011.
 Top Left: Picture with mother, sisters, and their long-
term boyfriends. 2015
Bottom Right: Vanessa at the 2013 family reunion.

Left: 2015
Christmas at
midnight with
family.

Group picture of friends at Senior Luau night. 2018
Aloha
Spirit
Aloha spirit can be described as mutual regard and
affection with warmth in caring and no obligation in
return.
It embodies Hawaiian cultural beliefs about community
and their hopes of a harmonious future.
Typically, ma'am or sir is not used to address someone
but rather 'aunty' or 'uncle' which creates a sense of
familiarity, even with strangers.
It is not something that is taught in schools, but rather
felt through words and actions of everybody. There are
more than a million people in Hawaii yet there is a strong
sense of community along with respect.
Concluding...

I am a lot of things.
I am a daughter.
I am an annoying younger sister.
I am Filipino.
I am a Las Vegas resident.
But I will always be a Hawaiian local.
I am a woman.
I am a friend.
I am a dancer.
I am a karaoke singer.
I am a homebody.
And I will be a teacher.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.