Bayanihan (Community) | Binitay Documentary

July 31, 2013July 31, 2013

Foiled Plans & Flight Plan

With less than a day to leave on my trip it has not sunk in…

Several times since I was 18 I always wanted to go back to the Philippines and search for both my foster family and my birth family. It would constantly fall through. I’d be invited by people to be accompanied by them when they go on vacation but I don’t blame them that they didn’t tell they were going. It’s their vacation. My trip is more personal. I’m beyond fortunate to be given this opportunity to not only reconnect with my foster family but also do this biological family search. Thankfully, I’ll be able to document this experience as well.

It is the most difficult time right now for me to fathom that I’ll be going back. It has not totally sunk and set in that I’ll be seeing my ‘birth place’. It hasn’t really hit me that I’ll be seeing these foster family relatives and experiencing the Philippines. Lastly, it has not ht me that I’ll be making this search for self real.

I feel as if that all of this has been postponed for a reason. Things had to happen within a series of events first before I could make this happen. This would not have happened without your understanding and support.

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I invite you to join me on the rest of this journey to reach back as I move forward.

–> Visit my Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/filipinoadoptee

–> Join our Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/binitaydocumentary

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July 6, 2013

Awakened.

[4 days left for my Kickstarter Campaign] My eyes were opened wide after my first FANHS Seattle conference in 2010.

FANHS Rizal Park, Photo credits to Aldrich Sabac (I believe he took this, correct me if I'm wrong) — FANHS Rizal Park, Photo credits to Aldrich Sabac (I believe he took this, correct me if I’m wrong)

This was the most time I’ve spent with any large group of Filipinos which may have reached at least one thousand or more attendees. Those grouped in this photo is not even a quarter of who came. Being only three years since I’ve kindled a relationship with my kinship and communities, FANHS has helped grow Filipino communities local and abroad, foster dialogue, and learning.

When I first started telling my story to others at this conference, I soon found out that there was a Filipina, Lorial Crowder, who was hosting a workshop. She had founded the Filipino Adoptees Network. Of course, I was hunting her down the entire conference. We met finally during her workshop panel where I had met a few other Filipino adoptees and watched a documentary film called “Left On Lockett Lane” filmed and produced by Jon Reinert. From there was another transformation and realization.

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I invite you to join me on the rest of this journey to reach back as I move forward.

–> Visit my Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/filipinoadoptee

–> Join our Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/binitaydocumentary

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July 1, 2013July 1, 2013

Binitay: The innate smells and sounds of nostalgia

[9 days to go for my Kickstarter Campaign] This place is most unique, eye-opening, and life changing things that had happened. If it were not for meeting Georgiana Rose Tutay, I might not have come across this place or certain events may not have followed because of it. My first few trips coming here brought back nostalgic memories of both the language of familiarity and tastes of the Philippines. I could recall the tastes and say I’ve eaten the foods before. The salty vinegar taste of chicken adobo was so foreign yet so familiar.

The voices were familiar. I could hear people speak Tagalog and could recognize it. But, when I just so happened to hear someone speak Cebuano, my island dialect, my body would freeze and it was as if the language with me all along. I knew it was something familiar but I couldn’t express it. I could make out a Cebuano dialect among a sea of Tagalog tongues as if they were calling to me. It just was that innate. I call it a “ping”, like a tuning fork when it resonates with another that is the same tune.

I felt home. Yet, I felt alien.

_________

I invite you to join me on the rest of this journey to reach back as I move forward.

–> Visit my Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/filipinoadoptee

–> Join our Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/binitaydocumentary

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July 1, 2013July 1, 2013

Binitay: A home away from “home”.

**Philippine American Community Center of Michigan**

9 days to go for my Kickstarter campaign. It was not until 2007 that I had first met Filipinos since the time of my adoption. This is one of many homes of “Little Manila” in Michigan. It was my first culture shock, or taste of it, If put in any simplest words. It was the first time seeing other people who looked just like me. It was the first time looking similarly to someone else, ethnicity-wise. This is the Philippine American Community Center of Michigan. Although coming here, I feel at home, at the same time I have an internal struggle of belonging. Something is missing…

From here is when the ball was set in motion for a chain reaction of events and a series of things fell into place.

_________

I invite you to join me on the rest of this journey to reach back as I move forward.

–> Visit my Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/filipinoadoptee

–> Join our Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/binitaydocumentary

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June 27, 2013June 28, 2013

Sino ako? “Who am I?”

"James Beni Ronde" etched in crayon by foster family member named "Yami". — “James Beni Ronde” etched in crayon by foster family member named “Yami”.

Who am I? Well before, I was born without a name or identity. I was given the name James Beni Ronde by the DSW RSCC of Cebu, Philippines.

James Beni Wilson, June 2013

Who am I now? I’m an ordinary college kid just like many of you. I wake up to a nice cup of hot coffee every morning which is the best part of waking up.Coffee is my drug, keeps me sane and also unites me with friends, family and colleagues. As you can see the background in my picture, my profile picture was taken at Starbucks. I also like to support local coffee shops as well.

Leche Flan

I enjoy cooking but only as a hobby. I’ve learned how to cook various Filipino foods in my past 6 years of being en-cultured among Filipinos. My best dish which I’ve altered a bit to my own taste and made my own was my friend’s grandmother’s recipe, Lola Berenguer.

During off campus hours, on Sundays, I facilitate a class known as Filipino Youth Initiative. It’s a class that was founded under Filipino American National Historical Society Michigan Chapter. It uses a two sided trans-formative learning style where both the facilitator and the mentees engage in dialogue about aspects of the history of Filipinos in America via visual and audio media, self reflection, and oral history where they interview their family members to tell their life stories.

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I invite you to join me on the rest of this journey to reach back as I move forward.

–> Visit my Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/filipinoadoptee

–> Join our Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/binitaydocumentary

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