The Filipino American Woman Project

Reflect on past relationships that have grown distant, and ask yourself: Did I play a role in this? In this letter, Nance writes to Wanda, the loud-and-proud president of a Filipino student organization who felt like the big sister she never had. Even though she was too nice to say no, Nance found purpose and belonging with Wanda and the organization's members. But when the activism began to feel...

Who was the last Filipino person you were excited to meet — and did you ever stop to wonder if they wanted to connect that way? Claire’s new friend invites her to a dinner party, a refreshing change from the Filipino parties she’s used to. That is, until she meets Marco. The moment he finds out she’s Filipino too, the evening takes a sharp turn toward assumptions, unsolicited opinions, and questio...

How has rejection redirected you to reclaiming and expressing who you really are? In this letter, Robin writes to Lolo G, their late grandfather, who loved them deeply. But his love was expressed with gender expectations about how a girl should move, dress, speak, and carry herself. It was in Robin’s young adult years that they discovered the language and pronouns to voice who they really are, who...

Welcome to TFAW Letters — the Summer Edition — by the Filipino American Woman Project! ☀️ I’m your host, Jen Amos , here to read aloud letters inspired by real conversations with you ! It all begins with one line: If I could say one thing... Because sometimes one thing is all we need to take up a little more space. 💛 First letter releases next Friday! Stay tuned! 🎧 This is a public episode. If y...

What was once the greatest setback in your life that has now become your greatest inspiration? This letter is for the working mom who was a proud career woman — until she became a mother. In this letter, Mia writes to her twin sons as an empty nester. She’s now honest about who she was when they were young, and the real struggle she faced as a career-driven woman to surrender to motherhood. She do...

Who’s that one person where you think: if only I were them, I could finally be who I’m meant to be? In this letter, Mari grows up in the Philippines as “the white girl,” the only fair-skinned mestiza in her Filipino family. When her dad moves them to America, she’s excited to finally belong. But she finds herself sitting in an ESL class, staring into a mirror she doesn’t recognize herself in, and...

Who is the one person you will always save, no matter what? This letter is for the Filipino American woman who has spent her whole life showing up for everyone around her, and only recently started to wonder what that has cost her. In this letter, Ren grows up as her mother’s emotional confidant, her younger brother’s stand-in parent, and the steadiest friend and partner anyone around her has ever...

How do you find belonging when you’ve never felt fully Filipino or American? This letter is for the Filipino American woman who has spent years being asked that second question: “But where are you really from?” She learned to answer it smoothly and playfully, without letting anyone notice that being asked the question felt like a wound that kept reopening. In this letter, Hana grows up caught betw...

Welcome to TFAW Letters — the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Heritage Month edition — by the Filipino American Woman Project! I’m your host, Jen Amos , here to read aloud letters inspired by real conversations with you ! It all begins with one line: If I could say one thing... Because sometimes one thing is all we need to take up a little more space. 💛 First letter rele...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: How do you process loss and grief? This letter is for anyone who’s lost their greatest ally and has been grieving ever since. The writer speaks to Monica Macansantos, author of Returning to My Father’s Kitchen: Essays . She expresses how her former teacher’s book gave her permission to feel what her family wouldn’t talk about: the pain of losing a love...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: Which memories define you, or don’t define you anymore? This letter is for anyone who simply wants to feel safe, secure, and stable in her friendships. Through a flashback sparked by a new friend around a bonfire, the writer recalls a time when she was bullied, labeled “lesser than,” and ambushed by a group of girls who she thought were her people. If...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: How do you communicate with your family versus in the workplace? This letter is for anyone who grew up in a home where tsismis (a.k.a. gossip) was connection, love, and entertainment, only to discover how it lands differently in the workplace. The writer examines the differences between indirect communication at home and direct communication at work, a...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: Are you going home for the holidays—or are you already home? This letter is for anyone tired of being asked if they’re going home to their blood family and relatives for the holidays. Through faith, conviction, and clarity, the writer shares why she’s choosing not to return to her family this year. She reflects on how familial and cultural expectations...

Welcome to TFAW Letters — The Holiday Edition by the Filipino American Woman Project 🎁 I’m your host, Jen Amos. Just like the FAHM edition , I will read fictionalized letters — my creative interpretation of real conversations with you! These letters have been woven with heart, reflection, and truth to honor your stories while protecting your privacy. It all begins with one line, “If I could say o...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: What is one small, beautiful thing you can notice and be grateful for in this very moment? In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this message is for anyone facing loss, uncertainty, or chronic illness—and for those who have supported a loved one through it. Through tender recognition and reflective gratitude, the writer explores what it mean...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: Who’s driving your story today? This letter is for the quiet, faithful listeners who never thought to share their story—until one letter changes everything. On her usual commute to work, a flashback surfaced—one that reminds the writer why she rarely speaks freely. The memory takes place in the backseat of a family van, when a cousin told her to shut u...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: How are you contributing to Filipino American History today? This letter is for anyone who has ever felt lost in the search for cultural belonging—especially during Filipino American History Month. Jen begins with a candid reading of her letter, as if she’s speaking directly to our First Readers . She contemplates the difference between longing for los...

Welcome to TFAW Letters — the Filipino American History Month edition by the Filipino American Woman Project 💙❤️💛 I’m your host, Jen Amos. Just like our summer series, I will read fictionalized letters — my creative interpretation of real conversations with you! These letters have been woven with heart, reflection, and truth to honor your stories while protecting your privacy. It all begins with...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: What do the clothes you wear and conversations you have today say about the community you've built — or hope to build? This letter is for anyone who’s ever tried to blend in—only to realize how it only makes you feel lonelier. To wrap up the Summer Series, Jen reflects on her evolving identity as a Filipino American woman—tracing her journey from child...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: Whose voice shaped your definition of success—and does it still hold true? This letter is for anyone who has ever felt like their career choices were never enough. Through much clarity, the writer explores what it means to break free from a parent’s version of stability—and instead build a life aligned with purpose, not predictability. Whether confront...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: What are you still allowing that you now have the power to change? This letter is for anyone who’s ever witnessed someone they love live small in order to survive. The writer speaks to her cousins, trying to help them see the impact of a domineering father. Though now adults with careers, they still live under his roof: polite, submissive, and living l...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: If someone from your past reached out today, what would you say to them? This letter is for anyone who got busy with life and unknowingly let a friendship fade—and wondered if it’s too late to say something now. The writer reflects on a once-assumed bond that slipped away with time, distance, and neglect. Whether you've been the one who never reached o...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: What have you held onto not because it’s easy, but because it still matters to you in a way that you can’t explain? This letter is for anyone who’s ever wondered if they’re holding on too long—or holding on for a reason. Through quiet questioning and inherited resilience, the writer explores what it means to stay devoted to projects that no longer look...

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this: What part of your body or sexuality were you taught to ignore—and what would it mean to reclaim it? This letter is for anyone raised to believe that sex is shameful, silence is safety, and pleasure is something to fear. Through unapologetic truth-telling and cultural honesty, the writer challenges the long-standing taboos around sex in Filipino househo...

If you can reflect on one thing, it’s this: What unspoken rules shaped your voice growing up—and what do you want your children to hear instead? This letter is for anyone raised to stay quiet “out of respect” to one’s elders, even if that silence costs them their emotional well-being. Through tender storytelling and raw vulnerability, the writer reflects on what it means to parent with intention a...