Seattle Filipino Community Center Ribbon-Cutting
May 30, 2008
*As Written*
Good morning, and thank you Nolette (Sera) for that kind introduction.
I very happy to be here today.
Today is not just about a new community building.
It�s also about community building!
A lot of people put in a lot of hard work and a whole lot of years to make this day a reality. I�m very pleased that we in state government were able to pay a role � the $546,000 we appropriated to help make it happen.
It is money well spent.
You have come a long way since your elders in the Filipino community got tired of trying to hold events in people�s homes, or in affordable rented facilities all over the place.
And you have come a long way since your elders way back in 1965 scraped together enough money to buy the old Empire Bowling Alley and make it a community center.
It was humble, but it was an important home for the community many, many years.
But it wasn�t enough to serve this growing vibrant community. Far from it.
So I�m very pleased to know that the new and greatly improved center, among other things, contains more space for tutoring programs for Filipino-American kids, as well more space for meetings by many organizations, including non-Filipinos.
For instance, I know that the Vietnamese-American community will use this center as well.
I also know that Filipino-American military veterans � a very important presence in the community -- are looking forward to using the center.
And I know that along with others in the community � the veterans will reach out and do more to help children in the community grow up to be strong, successful Washingtonians.
This center � and others like it � are at the heart of our ethnic communities. They provide a physical, social, and cultural venue for learning, recreation, networking, and social change.
Another important purpose of this center will be as a meeting place for Filipino military veterans, one of the most vibrant
I know you�re all excited that with this new center, you are able to host the National Federation of Filipino-Americans Association in September.
This will be the place where Filipino-American organizations from across the United States will come to discuss issues that are important to Filipino Americans -- from immigration to trafficking of humans.
Finally, lest I forget, this center also comes with a dance floor! I am well aware of the Filipino love of dancing � so this may be one of the centers most important features.
Maybe Mike and I will come sometime to dance here!
Again, congratulations to everybody on the realization of a dream � a new cultural center.
Thank You