How it all started...
Barrio Fiesta is the United Filipino Club’s annual student-led cultural showcase. Since 1995, Barrio Fiesta has been an event for Filipino-American students at Seattle University to connect with their roots through dance, skit, food, and more. This event is now one of the biggest cultural events on campus.
In Tagalog, Barrio Fiesta literally translates into “neighborhood celebration,” a name perfectly suited to describe what Barrio encompasses. The showcase brings together not only the United Filipino Club Members, but also the Seattle University community and the greater Seattle Community, bringing in guests from even all over the world. This student-led event brings people together to enjoy a night of Filipino cuisine and entertainment, featuring the talents of our members through acting, singing, and dancing. Our dedicated and hard-working committees and volunteers contribute their skills in the decor, the technical management, and stage design, to say the least. It is truly a night to celebrate the Filipino culture and all of the hard-work that has been invested in the event.
With that being said, the annual Barrio Fiesta is not just a dinner performance. It is an opportunity to share the stories of our ancestors, our families, and our own personal narratives. Barrio encourages our members to explore their identities as Filipino-Americans and provides an opportunity for leadership, professional development, and a platform for self-expression and education. It serves as an opportunity to highlight the variety of social economic, and political issues regarding native Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. In turn, a philanthropy is chosen every year for Barrio to give back to those causes. Barrio aims to not only be a night to enjoy the Filipino culture but also to be a night that people can take away from, an experience that serves as an inspiration to implement the themes of Barrio within their lives and to be catalysts for change.
In Tagalog, Barrio Fiesta literally translates into “neighborhood celebration,” a name perfectly suited to describe what Barrio encompasses. The showcase brings together not only the United Filipino Club Members, but also the Seattle University community and the greater Seattle Community, bringing in guests from even all over the world. This student-led event brings people together to enjoy a night of Filipino cuisine and entertainment, featuring the talents of our members through acting, singing, and dancing. Our dedicated and hard-working committees and volunteers contribute their skills in the decor, the technical management, and stage design, to say the least. It is truly a night to celebrate the Filipino culture and all of the hard-work that has been invested in the event.
With that being said, the annual Barrio Fiesta is not just a dinner performance. It is an opportunity to share the stories of our ancestors, our families, and our own personal narratives. Barrio encourages our members to explore their identities as Filipino-Americans and provides an opportunity for leadership, professional development, and a platform for self-expression and education. It serves as an opportunity to highlight the variety of social economic, and political issues regarding native Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. In turn, a philanthropy is chosen every year for Barrio to give back to those causes. Barrio aims to not only be a night to enjoy the Filipino culture but also to be a night that people can take away from, an experience that serves as an inspiration to implement the themes of Barrio within their lives and to be catalysts for change.