We had the good fortune of connecting with Mel Cabalu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mel, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born here in SoCal and raised in Orange County. Both my parents are from the Philippines. As the child of immigrants, I grew up immersed in Filipino culture as well as American culture.

Being Filipino American is an interesting experience – one that I’d liken to a balancing act. Because each culture has their own set of norms and values, I grew up as the product of two different cultures that sometimes aligned and sometimes clashed with each other. Trying to live up to the expectations of both cultures led to a lot of shame and confusion for me. There have been countless instances where I was told that I’m not a “True Filipino” or that I’m not “Filipino enough”. And when you’re a minority here in the US, it’s painfully obvious that you don’t fully fit into the dominant culture. These experiences caused me to feel disconnected from my roots and like I didn’t belong anywhere.

Over time, I’ve come to the realization that it’s impossible for me to fully appease both cultures. Ironically, this realization has been the most freeing. It’s helped me to examine what each culture has taught me and which values are the ones I want to carry in my life. Learning that my Filipino American identity is complex and multifaceted has helped me come to terms with who I am and what I stand for.

This led me to start Adeling, a shop with the mission of providing representation to Filipino Americans. My goal is to provide meaningful products that make others feel happy and proud of how they celebrate their heritage.

What should our readers know about your business?
Adeling is a shop inspired by the fun and beauty of Filipino culture. We believe in fostering connection – all our products highlight shared Filipino experiences. We also want to showcase the creativity and talent found within our community, which is why all of our products are exclusively made or designed by Filipino artists and artisans.

Filipino culture exudes warmth, resilience, and celebration. There’s also an elegance found in our native materials and handicrafts. These are aspects of our culture that I aim to capture in our products. Before I started Adeling, I found it difficult to find items with the modern yet distinct Filipino aesthetic I was looking for. This is why I decided to launch my own shop in December of 2022.

Starting your own business can be extremely intimidating. I know this firsthand – I wrestled with the idea of having my own shop for more than a year. It’s scary when the path is not clear-cut and when you risk yourself to constant criticism and rejection. However, when your conviction is stronger than your doubt, I truly believe that all these things are worth it. Remembering why I created my shop helps me through the challenges that come with entrepreneurship.

The main reason I started Adeling is to provide representation to others in my community. As a Filipino American, I’ve found that not a lot of people know much about our culture. I was floored when I learned that Filipino Americans are in the top three of the largest Asian American groups. How could there be so many of us yet so little awareness of our culture? For me, the lack of representation growing up led to feeling unseen, misunderstood, and even ridiculed by other people’s ignorance. Because of this, I struggled with my cultural identity until I realized the importance of representation. Through my shop, I hope to give others a place where they can see their experiences and upbringing. I want to normalize things they’ve seen from their heritage and childhood. I want to offer keepsakes that make people happy and feel proud of who they are.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

One of my favorite things about SoCal is how much diversity and creativity we have. I really love our pop-up market scene because we have so many small businesses doing different things. There’s something for everyone, so I’d definitely take them to a pop-up market based on whatever they’re interested in. There’s a lively energy about these events because the community really shows up to support each other. It’s always fun to see the different vendors and cuisines and I can guarantee that you’ll discover some hidden gems at these markets.

If you enjoy these kinds of events, keep an eye on our social media @shopadeling to see where we’ll be popping up next!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I definitely want to recognize my entire family because Adeling would not exist without them. I want to recognize my mom for encouraging the idea of Adeling from the get-go, my dad for supporting my shop, my Uncle Jo for being the best production partner, my Auntie Zay for painting some of my art prints, and my Auntie Lei for brainstorming different products with me.

Last but certainly not least, I want to recognize my grandparents Adelaida and Ding. They have taught me everything I know about Filipino culture and I’m so lucky to have been raised by such loving people.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that both my grandparents have gone through so much. They’ve lived through hardship and war. They’ve shouldered responsibilities from a young age to support their family. With little help, they found a way to make it through the world. Then they left everything and everyone they knew behind to find opportunity in a new and unfamiliar country and rebuilt their lives here in the States.

I wanted to pay homage to my grandparents and everything they’ve done for me, so I decided to name my shop after them. There’s a Filipino naming custom in which you combine two people’s names to create a new name. I took both their names to create the name ‘Adeling,’ pronounced ad-eh-ling.

Website: shopadeling.com

Instagram: shopadeling

Other: TikTok: shopadeling

Image Credits
Faith Briones Michelle Ma

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