LEAD Filipino is community organization of students, adults, and families based in San Jose, California. Since 2015, we’ve designed coalitions and provided services that educate Filipinas/xs/os on our ethnic identity, civic engagement, public policy development, and public service in the United States. From our signature Annual Fly Pinays, to our eight-week summer Awareness in Action Program (AAP), and leadership in statewide coalitions and campaigns, we seek to increase the conscious awareness and activities of Filipinas/xs/os in public leadership across communities.
Mission Statement:
Through the powers of education and knowledge generation, LEAD Filipino seeks to advance the involvement and increase the representation of Fil Ams in civics, public policy development, and public service.
Our work is actualized across three program engagement areas:
Empowerment: We recognize that at a population of ~1.5 million, the Filipino/a community’s collective impact to enact positivity and influence is great. We work to curate, cultivate, and create empowerment opportunities for all of our members. These services include our Annual Fly Pinays Leadership Summit and Spring Training.
Cultural Education/Filipino Studies: We believe that everyone should have a basis of understanding of their community’s shared identity, history, and contributions to the American tapestry. Evidence supports that a sense of one’s ethnic and racial history deepens their self-confidence, self-empowerment, and furthermore connection to leadership in our celebration of diversity and multiculturalism. Due to these guiding values, Cultural Education/Filipino Studies is one of LEAD Filipino’s major program areas.
Civic Leadership: We take seriously the idiomatic expression of, “Having a voice at the table.” Given this, we develop programs and form partnerships that introduce and involve our members in local civics, regional educational campaigns, and statewide issues around education reform and social justice.