“Ay, sayang yan!” ("Oh, that’s a waste!”): the Culture of Sustainability in Filipino Immigrants

I remember when I was growing up, I would frequently be disappointed whenever I opened a can of cookies and saw sewing material instead. I had always thought that my lola was weird for this. With the rise of social media years later, I found out through memes that everyone has experienced the same disappointment in their childhood. Not only was it relieving to find out that my lola was not doing anything totally nuts but also I felt less lonely with other experiences I had growing up that was not socially acceptable then but now is blowing up as a trend online.

It was tough growing up as an immigrant; even more so when at the time, it was not “trendy” to be different. Not only did my looks stand out but my mannerism and habits I learned from my parents and lola. I would bring in food from home to school in an “up-cycled” food container and be made fun of by my seat mate because my food “smelled weird”. After that, I refused to bring any Filipino food to school for fear of being made fun of- even bringing lunch in random food containers!

There were so many moments growing up that I did not understand that there was no reason to feel ashamed of these things. I didn't understand how much courage it took my parents to move to a different country and learn a new set of rules and lifestyle. Looking back, however, I know these were the moments where I learned the most about loving my own culture and growing thick skin.

Nowadays, the re-used tupperware is “in style” in the name of sustainability. I love that something that my family (and most immigrant families) participated in as a part of our lifestyle is now a trend. I remember growing up that the mentality surrounding our belongings was to try and reuse whatever was available and get as much use of everything as possible. I believe most immigrants share in the experience of humble beginnings that force for food containers of all kinds being used as it saves from spending for unnecessary things. 

After moving out and having my own place, I regret ever telling my parents to throw out old tupperware containers because I am learning just how useful they truly are! You can never have enough. I am now a proud owner of several mason jars and take out containers that really do help keep everything nice and organized! It’s also quite pleasing that so many companies like us support being sustainable and create products to help support that lifestyle!

These days, being sustainable is trendy. (Winky face) I fully support it and recommend for everyone to do so not only for elevating one’s lifestyle but because it’s detrimental for the Earth’s future! It’s funny to look back and reflect on the memories I had around such small things that embarrassed me but later on become important to me and to so many others!

Are you mindful of the sustainability of your homewares? One way of adding it to your home is with wooden homewares. They’re not only sustainable in nature (pardon the pun) but also something like a living relic. Why? Well, if you think about it– they’re made by crafters with skills that’s been passed down for generations. There’s embedded culture and history on each homeware they can last for decades in your home. Food for thought :)