Plans of a Filipino cultural museum coming to Filipino Town
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — For years, Rozita Lee pushed for Filipino Town and envisioned what will open in that cultural corridor. Now, she said she wants to open a Filipino cultural museum.
Originally from Hawaii, Lee moved to Las Vegas in 1979 and watched the population grow.
'The population total was only 325,000 and it's now 2 million and of that we have 200,000 Filipinos,' Lee explained. ' We are the largest of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders here and so I thought to myself this is the time to do it!'
She said the museum will not only display artifacts, but also modern-day pieces of young Filipino artists.
'Museums will attract people to come and I want them to know about culture to know about what it means to be a Filipino and what it is we have to show the world,' Lee explained. ' We have to show as Filipinos being the largest in population are here to stay, we contribute, we have doctors, nurses, we have lawyers, we have teachers.'
That is why Edna Narrido-Luer wanted to get involved.
She has been an avid collector of artifacts since she was a teen and has developed a deep appreciation for arts and humanities and wants to share her collection in the exhibit.
'I have collected from different countries, but since I have discovered that the Phillippines has some really beautiful pieces, substantial pieces from the olden days, we call it 'unang panahon' I've collected like rice gods, this is from Ifugao,' Narrido-Luer observed.
Narrido-Luer said showing these items will not only unfold history, but will leave behind a unique story for generations to come.
'I was just fascinated in how the old days, how we all began, how we were colonized and basically influenced in our culture,' Narrido-Luer added.'I wanted to share the culture of the Filipino because not everybody has been to the Phillippines like the children who were brought up here.'
The Filipino culture has a mix of melting pot influences like Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and more.
You can expect to see items ranging from baby baskets, rice god sculptures, warning drums signaling it's time for battle. There are Santo Niño religious relics, Filipino cowrie shells, and pottery items among other pieces dating more than thousands of years old.
Lee hopes to put the museum at the Boulevard Mall, which will be located in the Heart of Filipino town, stretching from Flamingo to Desert Inn along Maryland Parkway near Seafood City grocery store and other Filipino Restaurants.
'At first we didn't have a place anywhere and when we went to meet with Timo, who is the vice president and manager of the Boulevard mall, we sat down with him and talked about everything and I said it would really be nice to have a museum here. Then he said would you like me to donate space? I said oh yes, would you?' Lee happily asked. 'Of course, we jumped on that opportunity that somebody who knows about our culture and what it would entail. I am so happy that we have this place and we pray that as it develops that the right people come together and the right things come together so we will have this museum and it will be the first Filipino museum here in Nevada.'
Lee noted it will be a lasting legacy to share the vibrant traditions, family values and Filipino heritage with our community.
'Our human nature is to love and be loved and that's what I want to portray in what we do and the work that we do, whether it's in the museum or in the office or wherever we are,' Lee said. 'I'm so proud to be Filipino and I want to let everybody know be proud of who you are.'
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