Cisco Connected Asian Affinity Network Thanks to my employer, Cisco, I was thrust into volunteering with the Cisco Connected Asian Affinity Network (CAAN). CAAN is an employee resource organization (ERO) where Asians are at their best for Cisco and the world. After 15 years at Cisco, I had never joined an ERO. I had little time to devote to an organization I thought wouldn’t support my professional development. In the back of my Filipino/Chinese/American brain I wondered: Are extracurriculars at work "fluffy" and not “serious” projects? This idea was woven into my Asian DNA. Well, to be more exact and brutally honest, I was concerned that if I carved out time to help w/an ERO, my manager/team might think I didn’t have enough work with my day job. I was concerned about the "optics." "Are extracurriculars at work 'fluffy' and not 'serious' projects? This idea was woven into my Asian DNA."
New-Found Awareness I was dead wrong. Thanks to CAAN, I connected with folks who understood the pain, anger, and frustration that Asians endured before and during the pandemic. CAAN camaraderie helped me deal with the anti-Asian hate and violence that arose because of COVID-19. I learned more about the history of Asian Americans and authentically connected with myself. Because of this new-found awareness, I was inspired to apply for a grant to create a documentary film about The Filipino-American Dream Fulfilled from my mother's perspective.
Cry, Laugh, and then Cry Again
My parents, Norlito and Gloria Salazar, travelled from the Philippines to America in the 1960’s. Their journey is showcased in this short documentary film. The U.S. Navy enabled them to come to America and pursue the American Dream. This moving tribute to the Salazar family follows them from U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, in Zambales, Philippines, to Norfolk Naval Station (the world’s largest naval base in Virginia), to Naval Station Pearl Harbor Hawaii. Gloria addresses the importance of working hard and the value of education, being "gutsy" and standing up for your rights, and finally, fighting racism in America. The inspiring journey makes you cry, laugh, and then cry again as Gloria explains that her dreams for herself and her family were bigger than her body.
Gloria explains that her dreams for herself and her family were bigger than her body.
This documentary film was made possible by North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT), Migrant Roots Media and Amplified Voices. #TheAmericanDream #WeAreCisco #FilipinoAmerican #ChineseAmerican #NCAAT #migrantrootsmedia #amplifiedvoices #LoveWhereYouWork #PAANC #GWU #ECU
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