Alaska Filipino leaders gather in Fairbanks to strengthen community connections The first Alaska Filipino Leadership Convening brought together representatives from nine organizations across the state, focusing on building a statewide network for the Filipino American community. The event preceded the third annual Filipino Cultural Celebration in Fairbanks. FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - Filipino American leaders from across Alaska gathered in Fairbanks this weekend for the state's first Alaska Filipino Leadership Convening, an event organizers say was created to strengthen connections between Filipino organizations statewide. The two-day initiative, called "Lifting Filipino Voices: Strengthening Community Connections," was hosted by the Filipino American Society of Fairbanks at the Alaskaland Civic Center October 2-3. Nine organizations from across Alaska took part. Leadership convening draws statewide participation Mary Jo Skaggs, president of the Filipino American Society of Fairbanks, said the convening grew out of individual conversations she had with other Filipino community leaders after she took on her role three years ago.Building Connections Across Alaska"We have community members that are not feeling a sense of connection to their home, that we have youth here who have forgotten the language, that we have newcomers coming to Alaska that are trying to find a place to belong," Skaggs said. "And really, that's the basis of community building." Skaggs said organizing leaders to meet in person was difficult given the size of the state, so she sought support from the Alaska Community Foundation's Social Justice Fund to create dedicated space for the gathering. "That's what we walked away with today - really a commitment to continue this initiative, meet, continue to meet and share those resources, and hopefully inspire other communities to create their own Fil-Am organizations," Skaggs said.The leadership convening is made possible through support from the Alaska Community Foundation's Social Justice Fund, according to the Filipino American Society of Fairbanks. State lawmaker highlights lack of statewide framework Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, who represents Alaska House District 19, traveled from Anchorage to take part in the convening.A Statewide Filipino Leadership Framework"Despite the fact that there's so many active and vibrant Filipino groups in our respective communities, there isn't really any coalition or statewide framework to connect Filipino Americans living across Alaska together," Mina said. "We're actually getting leaders from across the state into one room... for the purpose to figure out what we can do as Filipino leaders across the state to work together to help better our own Filipino Americans." Mina said holding the convening in Fairbanks, rather than in a coastal hub like Anchorage, Southeast Alaska or Dutch Harbor, gave leaders from different regions a chance to learn from one another. "If you are from a particular area, you're pretty much set in where you are and you don't really know about the Filipinos who live in Juneau or if you live in Ketchikan, the Filipinos who live over in Kodiak," Mina said."Having it in Fairbanks, I think it's a nice little neutral place setting for us to learn from each other. " Mina said Filipino seamen first recorded setting foot in Alaska in the late 1780s aboard a Spanish ship, and that Filipinos have had a presence in the state dating back to the 20th century through Alaskero workers who came north seasonally to work in canneries and fish processing.Filipino Cultural Celebration GrowsMina also said she was elected to the Alaska Legislature almost 50 years after Thelma Buchholdt became the first Filipino woman elected to any state legislature in the early 1970s. Celebration has grown over three years The leadership convening led into the Filipino American Society of Fairbanks' third annual Filipino Cultural Celebration, which was open to the public with food, dance performances and local vendors.Skaggs said the celebration began three years ago when a sister organization from Anchorage planned to share cultural dances with the Fairbanks group, and the idea expanded into a public showcase. The first year's ticketed event sold 300 tickets and ran out of food, she said."We ran out of food - that never happens at a Filipino party, but the community showed up," Skaggs said. "This can't be just a one-time thing. We have to be able to continue this." Skaggs said the event has since become free and open to the public, supported by members, donors, sponsors and, this year, the Fairbanks North Star Borough. She said hosting the celebration at the Alaskaland Civic Center allows attendees to bring their own food to share. Skaggs also said last year's celebration opened space for Filipino-owned food businesses, including 888 Food Hub, to sell food for the first time.Filipino History and Stronger IdentityShe said that vendor has since grown enough to participate in the Tanana Valley State Fair. Professor says history strengthens identity Dr. Gabe Garcia, of the University of Alaska Anchorage, said he first learned about Filipino American history in college in the early 1990s and has carried that understanding into his teaching career."I think it's an important history to have, and when you know that history, it strengthens who you are as a person," Garcia said.