Born in Quezon City, which borders the capital city of Manila, se- nior Drake Schiller speaks Tagalog, one of the official languages of the Philippines.

Since Tagalog is not a very common language in the United States, Schiller has found it difficult to maintain his proficiency. “It is hard to keep in touch with the language, especially since I only speak it with my mom at home,” he said. “I’ve forgotten a lot of the words.” Sometimes, Schiller also feels disconnected to his culture because he is unable to speak the language every day.

However, he still tries to stay in touch with his roots by continuing to speak Tagalog at home and watching Filipino shows. “I try to preserve what I have by looking up words whenever I forget them and watching Filipino stuff on the internet,” Schiller said.

For Schiller, Tagalog is a great way to bond with others who also speak the language. “What I like most about speaking another language is just knowing that I know an almost secret language that most people around me don’t,” he said. “Whenever I meet someone that also speaks Tagalog, I instantly have a neat connection with them,” he said.