Key Points
- Amid the pandemic in 2021, former youth leader Alpha Capaque gave birth to their twins, AJ and CJ.
- According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s report 'Australia’s Mothers and Babies', over 315,700 babies were born in Australia in 2021, marking a 6.7% increase from the previous year.
- First-time mum Alpha hopes to raise her twins with both Filipino and Sri Lankan cultures, focusing on family values and language too.
Despite the challenges of raising twins, the former youth leader believes that strengthening her children’s connection to their cultural roots is essential for their growth and identity.
"I suppose culturally, we are fortunate that Sri Lankan and Filipino cultures share many similarities in terms of family values; we're both tight-knit, and our religions are closely related."
Now that she is a mother, the former Multicultural Youth Northern Territory leader has gained a deeper appreciation for how her parents, particularly her mother, raised them with strong Filipino values. Credit: Supplied by Alpha Capaque
“We'll see, and depending on how challenging the teaching process is.”
I am hoping that they'll be multilingual or at least understand a few phrases here and there."
But the auditor mum says there are other ways to teach their culture to the children.
"It's not just the language that we can keep connected with our cultures.
We are also exposing them to other things, like the food. They eat all kinds of food. They eat Sri Lankan, Filipino and Aussie food."
📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
🔊 On Air – Tune in to SBS Filipino on radio stations across Australia and website live stream, and TV Channel 302 from 10 AM to 11 AM AEST daily.
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