Even with AAPI Heritage Month now complete, and Mother's Day more than three weeks ago, I can't help but think about the most important member of my AAPI community – my mother.

I was almost born on her birthday, Jan. 9. My birthday is Jan. 6. We Caparaz Capricorns share some personality traits, including our temperament. We're both quiet and unassuming, and we like to analyze situations and people before commenting on them. But she's more phlegmatic, much more selfless and kinder than I am. She's also a Warriors fan, while I like the Lakers. At least I'm taller.

My siblings and I have her and my late father to thank for providing a good life for our family. My mom and dad were born and raised in the Philippines, yet they met in the United States. My dad was one of thousands of Filipinos to enlist in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, and my mom was a nurse, which, of course, is the stereotype for parents of Filipino Americans my age. They met at a party in Philadelphia, got married in Montreal and eventually wound up back in the Philippines. 

My family relocated to the U.S. – leaving behind many relatives who would soon follow – and I was born in Southern California. We soon moved to Nebraska, where my dad was tasked with recruiting folks into the Navy. 

When we were young, my mom stayed home with us while my dad was busy recruiting. She wanted to continue her nursing career, but she did what needed to be done, and, as she told me, she needed to be a mother first. Coincidentally, I was Mr. Mom for my oldest daughter for the first year or so of her life when I was between jobs. That was one of the most rewarding periods of my life – and it was also one of the most difficult times, but that's another story.

My mom went back to nursing when we moved to the Bay Area, and we soon fell into a routine. My brother, sister and I strived to get good grades, while our parents kept the home fires burning. Fast forward a little, and I was fortunate enough to get into UC Berkeley. Go Bears! 

Through the years, my parents did a lot for our immediate and extended family, which includes five grandchildren. After my father's passing in 2014, things got a bit harder for my mom, and more recently my grandmother – my mom's mom – passed away. My brother, sister and I do what we can to be there for her. In fact, I spent the last day of AAPI Heritage Month with her, taking her on errands and soaking in all the warm, familiar feelings of my childhood home, my mom's cooking and her generosity.

I can never duplicate all the good my mom has done, but I could do better.

Maraming Salamat, Mom.


Dean Caparaz is an Assistant Athletics Communications Director at Cal Athletics.