A shared table can hold more than a meal. At University of the Pacific, an upcoming Kamayan Feast will use food and storytelling to explore how cultural traditions connect generations, and how those connections can make room for different experiences of identity and belonging.
The gathering takes place Thursday, October 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pacific’s Center for Identity and Inclusion. It marks both Filipino American History Month and LGBTQ+ History Month, bringing the two observances into a conversation about community and collective care.
Admission is free. Pacific’s calendar lists its audience as alumni, faculty, graduate students, staff, students and the university community. It does not explicitly list the general public. People outside the university community should confirm attendance eligibility with the center before making plans.
Food as a starting point for connection
Kamayan is a Filipino dining tradition centered on eating with the hands and gathering around a communal spread. In Pacific’s program, that shared meal becomes a way to consider the relationships people bring to the table as well as the food itself.
The university connects the feast to kapwa, a Filipino psychological concept it describes as a shared inner self. The evening will examine that connection through dialogue about gender, queerness and cultural memory, alongside shared food and stories.
That approach gives the gathering a focus beyond a cultural tasting event. Organizers are inviting people to reflect on how traditions are lived, remembered and carried forward by individuals whose experiences may differ across generations.
Two history months, one conversation
The calendar’s program description places queer and trans identities within its discussion of Filipino community life. It calls for reflection on belonging, gender binaries and how shared identity can affirm LGBTQ+ experiences.
Rather than treating cultural heritage and LGBTQ+ identity as separate subjects, the feast brings them together. Its intergenerational format creates room to consider how memories and expectations are passed along, and how younger and older community members might listen to one another.
The university lists three central activities: dialogue across generations, reflection connecting Filipino psychology with LGBTQ+ identity, and community building through food and personal stories. A specific menu and a detailed sequence of activities are not provided in the public listing.
A campus gathering with a local cultural focus
For Stockton readers, the event offers a look at how Pacific’s cultural and identity programs use everyday practices to open larger conversations. A meal can offer a familiar point of entry into subjects that may be difficult to address in more formal settings.
The university lists Asian and Pacific Islander and Desi Student Success, the Center for Identity and Inclusion, the Pride Resource Center and Student Life among the event’s associated departments and organizations. Readers seeking attendance clarification can begin with the center’s website linked from the official event page.
Event Details
- Event: Kamayan Feast: Celebrating Filipino American History Month
- Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
- Time: 6 to 8 p.m. Pacific Time
- Location: Center for Identity and Inclusion, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211
- Admission: Free. Pacific lists a university-community audience. General-public attendance and any registration requirements should be confirmed with the organizer.
- More Information: Pacific’s official event page and organizer website
The evening’s most lasting contribution may come from the stories exchanged across that table. Preserving a tradition involves remembering where it comes from while listening to the people who will carry it into the future.