Making Sense of the Senseless
When the world tries to break us down, we hold each other up.
I have no words for what happened in Vancouver.
Here’s what we know: at least 11 of our kababayan were killed at Vancouver’s annual Lapu Lapu Day block party the day when we celebrate a Philippine national hero who stood up to Spanish colonization. They showed up to share food, crafts, and music. They showed up to be together.
Any one of us could have been in that crowd.
To be Filipino is to show up for each other. For generations, we have built our community out of nothing but love and memory. We are all connected through kapwa: your life and mine are tied together. What touches one of us touches all of us.
And right now, we’re all feeling it.
We can’t make sense of the senseless, but we can be here for each other.
Our hearts are with Vancouver. Our prayers, whether whispered silently or screamed in anguish, are with the families, the friends, and every single person who is grieving.
The senselessness of the violence won’t break us down. We will continue to show up tomorrow, the next day, and the day after.
To Filipino is to rise, even when our hearts are broken.
To Filipino is to be each other’s first responders.
To Filipino is to hold the line when everything else falls apart.
Together.
Many thanks to
(@lexalunastudio) for kindly allowing me to use Isang Bagsak. According to the artist:Isang Bagsak is a Tagalog phrase that means “one down” — a reminder that when one of us falls, we all fall, and when one of us rises, we all rise.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is one of my favorite parts of our collectivist culture, our shared humanity and interconnectedness.