Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance

The Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance, known as HSPAA, is a Cambridge nonprofit that celebrates Filipino and wider Asian American culture through public events in Harvard Square. Its flagship is the annual Filipino American Festival, a daylong celebration of heritage with live music, cultural shows and dance, a karaoke singing contest and Filipino food. The group aims to bring the community together, serving the Filipino diaspora in New England while introducing Philippine traditions to a broad local audience.

Beyond its own festival, HSPAA produces or partners on several Cambridge events, including an Asian Street Food and Music Festival, an Asian night market, cultural programming at MayFair and Oktoberfest, and AAPI Heritage Month celebrations. It works closely with the Harvard Square Business Association and has connected with the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard. The organization gives Filipino artists, designers, culinary entrepreneurs and cultural bearers a high-visibility stage, and it regularly invites vendors, performers and volunteers to take part.

What to Know

• The organization says its festivals have drawn between 88,000 and 150,000 attendees.
• HSPAA received a grant from the Mass Cultural Council’s Festivals and Projects Program to support the Filipino American Festival.
• Its third festival included the first Philippine Fashion Show held in Harvard Square, featuring modern work by Filipino designers.
• HSPAA has been covered by ABS-CBN/TFC News, GMA Pinoy TV, the Boston Globe, WCVB, Sampan and the Harvard Crimson.