For my grandpa, Tatay's 90th birthday, our family threw him a big party.
We 1 the backyard with colorful flags so it would look like the neighborhood parties with which Tatay 2 in his home country of the Philippines. We 3 a big lechon, a roasted pig. And the guests were 4 to wear traditional Filipino clothes.
5 I was excited to wear an orange patadyong — a Philippine skirt and wrap — my white husband Darren, from Nashville, Tenn., felt 6 in his barong, a shirt woven from pineapple leaf fibers. My aunt had told all the guests to dress in 7 clothes.
"I feel like this is cultural appropriation," he said，pulling the collar and looking around 8. "I honestly feel uncomfortable."
I could understand Darren's 9. But wearing a barong to Tatay's birthday party this, I felt, was not appropriation but 10. It filled me with great 11 to see my white husband in the clothing of my family's tradition. I knew my family was 12, too. My uncle lent his clean shirt to Darren. My cousins wanted to 13 photos with him.
I 14 him by saying he was expressing 15 and a sense of unity with my Filipino family. And we were wearing these clothes as an act of 16 to Tatay. He is losing his 17 —but barong and patadyong and lechon, these are some of the things that 18 in his mind.
In that barong, Darren's standing next to Tatay 19 that he was making an 20 to understand and connect with my family. And that, to me, was a beautiful thing.
After all, appreciating different cultures helps understand the world.
