LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Music, games and dancing abound at Filipino-American gatherings, and this Saturday afternoon in October at Paradise Park was no exception. People laugh during the game of “Pavichin”, toys and prizes are hung above the children who have to play. Jump to grab the treat.
“It’s really great to have community and camaraderie and have fun,” said Elizabeth de Leon Gamboa of the Philippine Nurses Association of Nevada. Organizers of the “Pinoy Picnic Sa Park” or Filipino Picnic in the Park commemorating Filipino American History Month can also enjoy some fitness. That includes food. “Healthy cooking, healthy shopping. How can we make minimal changes to our cardiovascular health? That’s what we’re pushing for,” de Leon-Gamboa said. says.
So is their heart, she says, especially after the Filipino-American community, which is a large part of the health care and hospitality industry, was hit hard by the coronavirus.
“Sometimes it’s hard to open up because of ‘hiya’ or shame (in Tagalog). I don’t want people to know that I have depression, so that’s why I ask people for help. “We discourage that,” De Leon-Gamboa explains. He was previously affiliated with the local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Jack De Hoya, along with the Filipino American Association of Nevada, provides further support and says, “We are here. Our presence is here.” “This is a reminder that you are not alone in one of the fastest growing regions,” he added.
