Growing Up Filipino

Growing Up Filipinos: Stories for Young Adults is the acclaimed collection of stories about the experience of growing up Filipino. Emerging and established award-winning writers are the authors of this fine collection of 29 short stories about what it means to be young and Filipino in the Philippines and the United States. Filipinos in America are the second largest in the umbrella group of Asian Americans, yet there is a scarcity of books by and for Filipinos. This impressive array captures the complexities of both the culture and history and the realities of the lives of young adults no matter what their ethnic affiliation. Each story is assigned to one of five universal themes: family, angst, friendship, love, and home. Each story is introduced by a thumbnail sketch of the author and a paragraph or two about some element of Filipino culture or history that is relevant to the story. Authors include those born and continuing to live in the Philippines, emigres, and American-born Filipinos. The book was in the National Geographic Summer Reading List for 2020; it was a finalist for the 2005 National Book Award, Philippines.