ST CLAIR, Pa. — The month of May is dedicated to celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and recognizing their contributions to American culture.
To celebrate, Fronie San Miguel Simpson opened her home in St. Clair to what she calls her Filipino family—a group of women who've bonded over some hardships since leaving their families behind in the Philippines and moving to the United States.
Making a meal together is one of the only times Rochelle Hinds from Shamokin and her fellow Filipinos from different parts of Schuylkill County can speak in their native language of Tagalog. They also use this time to enjoy food from home.
“Because we don't normally eat our food, what we usually eat in the Philippines, so we gather together, we make different kinds of food from back home,” Hinds said.
Each of these women left the Philippines and everything behind to immigrate to the United States for the same reason: Love.
But instead of a happily ever after, they were met with culture shock.
Jo Marie Bolich became a citizen last week and said her life here in Pottsville was nothing like she initially imagined it to be.
“In the Philippines, we define America with tall buildings, and whatsoever that everyone thinks it's the best place in the world like it's perfect there. But when I got here, I was like, 'Oh, OK, I see a lot of trees,'” said Bolich.
She tells Newswatch 16 that the hardest part was getting used to the cold weather and American cuisine.
Bernardita Leibenguth from Tamaqua immigrated to a new country and instantly became a first-time mother to four children when she moved to Tamaqua in 1990.
To become more comfortable in the States, she tried to find things that reminded her of the Philippines in Tamaqua.
“When you're in the province side like Pennsylvania, I think there's more like mountains, so it's not really that different,” said Leibenguth.
Finding a Filipino friend helped with that goal. Bernadita's friend Estrella Brish traded living on the beach for a place in Port Carbon, where she took care of her two children alone while her husband was serving overseas.
“In the beginning, of course, you miss your hometown; you feel so alone, but then when you meet these Filipinas, you feel like you finally blend in,” said Brish.
That's why finding these friends was so important.
“They always make me feel better. You know, when I'm with them, it feels like I'm home,” said Bolich.
All four Filipinas persevered and created new lives for themselves and for their families, never forgetting about their relatives on the other side of the globe.
Rochelle sends a portion of her paycheck every month to her mother, who's still in the Philippines.
“Because I know how hard it is to live in the Philippines. It's so hard in the Philippines, so I like to help them, even if I have my own family here,” Hinds added.
Many of their relatives dream of joining them in the United States to escape poverty.
While none of their journeys were easy, they are sharing their stories with the next generation of Filipino Americans, like Fronie San Miguel Simpson's daughter.
“I like to see their culture, their climate, and their views, and the way that they live,” said Sofi Simpson from St. Clair.
They agree that their biggest blessing is that they can finally call northeastern Pennsylvania their home.
“I miss my home," Brish added."But now I really feel like I'm an American."
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