On June 12th, the contingent assembled early in the morning to prepare for the parade. I was one of the first to arrive, but while I was waiting with other members of my contingent, I couldn’t help but people-watch. Filipino vendors were setting up their banners and flags, making conversation with other contingents as if they’d known them their entire lives. People were line dancing in the streets. When other members of my contingent arrived, despite how early it was, they were buzzing with energy. It was this kind of deep, unspoken connection of shared histories that added up to conviction regarding the same causes that Kabataan advocates for. Our contingent marched in collaboration with another group also fighting against the deportation of Filipino migrants. It consisted of older folks, including some elderly Filipinos. Seeing them so excited, cheering on Filipino youth, and standing to protect us from instigators, gave me a sense of hope and pride I hadn’t felt in a long time. Parents were teaching their children Tagalog, sounding out words on stands and explaining their meanings in English. Elderly kababayan were dancing amongst speakers as musicians performed onstage, from cover artists to BINI. To see Filipino culture on display with such a vastness is something that I had honestly never seen before. Of course, I’ve had plenty of moments of concentrated cultural celebration as a member of a few Filipino collegiate and youth organizations before this, but never have I actually been to the parade and seen it on such a grand scale, city-wise. As soon as our segment of the parade wrapped up, I immediately called my mom to tell her about all that I had seen. She had been familiar with the parade before, but never actually went. Though she didn’t say it, I could tell that she felt pride in knowing that her culture and family history as immigrants was being carried on by her child. It’s a feeling that I could only hope other parents felt when taking their children there or watching them perform in such a beautiful gesture of love to the motherland.