Our History.
Mission
The purpose of the Cornell Filipino Association shall be to promote the beauty of Filipino culture within the Cornell and greater Ithaca community.
We, the students of Cornell University and members of the Cornell Filipino Association, present this Constitution consisting of eleven articles, which will be the foundation of the organization.
All members of CFA must submit the Value Statement form to attend events.
The Cornell Filipino Association (CFA) was founded in 1924, making it one of the oldest Filipino student organizations in the United States. Its establishment traces back to the early 20th century, when Filipino students first arrived at Cornell through the pensionado program, a U.S.-sponsored initiative that brought select Filipino scholars to study in America during the colonial period.
Founding of CFA
Cornell’s historical connection to the Philippines also ties to the Sherman Commission, a committee that helped shape U.S. colonial education policy in the Philippines. Notably, Cornell’s third president, Jacob Gould Schurman, wrote to President William McKinley in support of the American colonial project, framing it as an effort to “educate and uplift” the Filipino people.
Amid these complex colonial beginnings, CFA emerged as a community where Filipino students could connect, support one another, and celebrate their heritage.
HISTORY OF EVENTS
HISTORY OF EVENTS
Our two biggest events of the semester.
Kamayan.
Kamayan, meaning “to eat with one’s hands,” was once CFA’s signature cultural celebration—an evening where members cooked every dish themselves and paired a communal feast with traditional dance, modern performances, and singing. As the event grew, what was once one cultural showcase naturally expanded into two traditions: Kamayan, which preserves the warmth of shared food and togetherness, and Philippine Culture Night (PCN), which now carries the performance and narrative elements. Today, Kamayan and PCN together honor CFA’s long history of storytelling, community, and cultural pride.
Philippine
Culture
Night.
Philippine Culture Night (PCN) is CFA’s largest spring event and the continuation of a long tradition of cultural storytelling at Cornell. Decades ago, PCN existed as a full week-long festival—then called Philippine Night—featuring art memorials in Willard Straight Hall, film screenings and conversations, stand-up comedy nights, and a culminating cultural showcase. Attendees could choose from multiple events and “collect” different cultural experiences throughout the week. Now presented as a single, immersive production, PCN preserves that legacy by bringing together theater, dance, music, and narrative to explore the stories, histories, and evolving identities of the Filipino and Filipino-American community.
Archive
[WIP]