AANHPI Heritage Month Spotlight: Gillian Santos
This Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we are pleased to highlight Gillian Santos, counsel in Washington. Gillian, who moved to New York City from the Philippines with her mom when she was 8 years old, shares how the concept of “resilience” is defined in Filipino culture.
"'Resilience'" in the Filipino culture is grit — the ability to overcome seemingly daunting challenges, recover and then resume the struggle, often in the face of very limited resources. It is also engaging in 'pakikisama' (getting along with others and building community) and remembering to express your 'utang na loob' (sense of debt and gratitude) to those who helped you along the way.
"These principles and values have guided me through every personal and professional struggle. Because of that, I don’t consider hardships to be a threat to my success. I view them as opportunities for me to grow and learn from — particularly from people who are willing to stand beside me through them.
"Maintaining this outlook has allowed me to establish and foster very meaningful relationships with others, especially those who have opened doors to rooms I would not have otherwise been able to enter myself. This outlook also has taught me that people are much more willing to give you a chance when you exercise humility and are teachable, and when you give credit where it’s due."
