At Glendale Community College, the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) is more than a campus club. It’s a vibrant cultural hub that connects students, strengthens local alliances and fosters a sense of belonging throughout Glendale and its surrounding communities.

“I just want to make sure that the community has continuity, enough that it’ll preserve itself,” said Mike Dulay, the club’s advisor and a Psychology and Ethnic Studies professor at GCC. “I think that’s what a healthy community does.”

FASA’s current chapter started when a student confided in a counselor that they didn’t feel like they belonged on campus. The counselor referred the student to Dulay, who said, “Let’s fix that” and invited him to his office for a chat and a snack. 

A week later, two more students visited Dulay’s office. Eventually, he emailed 500 students at GCC who identified as Filipino. More than 30 students showed up to the first meeting.

Since those initial conversations, FASA has grown into a dynamic force on campus, hosting 15 to 20 events each semester. Activities range from academic lectures and film screenings to karaoke nights and cultural dance performances. Rather than follow a traditional hierarchy, FASA is led by an executive council that reflects the Filipino value of bayanihan –  a communal spirit of shared work and mutual support.

“Everyone helps cook, everyone helps clean, everyone takes care of each other,” Dulay said. “It’s not hierarchical. That’s very Filipino.”

This spring the club’s biggest event is the Night Market, which will be held Friday, May 16, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“There’s going to be a good range of performers and food vendors representing not just Filipino traditions, but many cultures,” Dulay said. “There will be community services and a lot of energy.”

The event will feature traditional Filipino dances performed by students who spent six Sundays training with Kayamanan ng Lahi, one of the country’s most respected Filipino dance troupes based in Los Angeles.

“We’re performing two cultural dances, Pandanggo sa Ilaw, which involves balancing real candles on our hands and heads, and Tinikling, a high-energy dance with bamboo poles,” said Kylie Balasco, a second-year student and FASA’s dance captain. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but I never felt more Filipino than I did while learning that routine.”

“In order to pull that off, they had to learn the dances first,” Dulay added. “Then they turned around and trained the rest of the group. It’s a beautiful example of peer leadership.”

FASA’s influence extends beyond dance and beyond campus. The club has cultivated a partnership with UCLA and recently organized a campus tour for 50 students. Its Friday film nights have drawn visiting filmmakers and documentarians, creating professional opportunities for students interested in the arts and media and attracting entertainment industry professionals from across Los Angeles.

“It’s amazing how the power of community is such a powerful magnet,” Dulay said. “It’s pulling in people and opportunities from all over the city.”

When asked about his long-term goal for FASA, Dulay said he hopes to establish Glendale as a destination for Filipino American students.

“We’re the only community college in Southern California offering a Filipino language course for credit,” he said. “I want students from across L.A. to know they belong here.”

And for FASA, community means that everyone is welcome.

“We don’t exclude anybody,” Dulay said. “Leo, our 6-foot-3 football player from Ukraine, is in the club. Jenny, who’s Salvadoran, is learning Tagalog and singing with us.”

According to Dulay and FASA members, it all boils down to connection.

“I think a lot of Filipino Americans, especially if you grew up in a mostly white community like I did, can feel disconnected from our roots,” Kylie said. “Joining FASA helped me learn about my ancestors and reconnect with a part of myself I didn’t even know I was missing.”

For Professor Dulay, that’s exactly the point. If a student ever says they don’t belong, he makes sure they do. 

Jenny Beres can be reached at [email protected].