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Decades ago a group of Filipino American immigrants came to the states by way of the US Navy and began referring to their group of friends as the kabuti (mushroom in Tagalog) as more and more members of their family kept popping up around them… like mushrooms. They remained close over the years, and their children grew even closer. No fewer than four groups of siblings have grown up in this extended family closer than most blood relatives: The Kabuti Kids. Everyone is just about reaching the age where it is becoming harder and harder to spend time with each other and some of them felt like it was necessary to keep a permanent reminder of this very significant familial connection.

Kim’s tattoo is written in an ancient script called Alibata (or baybayin) which is long dead in the Philippines. The tattoo literally translates to Ka Bo Te which is about as close as you can get to the way the modern Tagalog word is actually pronounced. Kim got the idea awhile back and a few of the kids seemed to be really into it. I think awareness of alibata amongst non-academics is fairly recent. Kim had to tell her dad about it after she showed him the tattoo. He’d never heard of it before. We have found a number of alibata tattoos on the web and I get the feeling that the embracing of the script is a part of an effort being made by some Filipino-Americans to get in touch with their roots.

I have become so close to these kids in the last three years that I wanted to (and have been encouraged to) get this tattoo myself. I decided to wait for two years when Kim’s younger cousin CJ will be old enough to get hers. I think she wants it more than any of them.

I wanted to get kabuti ampon (ampon means adopted) but the alibata translation for ampon comes to be closer to apo which is the word for grandchild and makes no sense. Maybe I will just spell out ampon, in English letters, beneath the script.

Incidentally, this was my first time in a tattoo parlor. We went to Fuzion Ink in Norfolk, which has become a “best of the best” gallery for the tattoo artists in Hampton Roads. The artists there seem to be top-notch from what I saw of their work, and everyone was super professional, warm, and inviting. I have always been interested in tattoos but I never had any idea what to get. Now, I think I want a tattoo more than ever.

In Kim’s own words:

I can honestly say that all my tattoos have special meaning for me. However, this is the most meaningful one by far. I can’t think of a better group of people to have shared the last 21 years of my life with or a better way to pay tribute to them. Now they will really be with me everywhere I go.

I grew up with more love and support than anyone could ever ask for. My extended family consists of 5 extra sets of parents and countless brothers and sisters. My Uncle Meng dubbed the family the Kabute (Kabuti) because we seemed to be growing exponentially with every passing year. The name stuck and has become a part of our every day vocabulary. On the weekends it’s enough for Justin to ask “Hey, what’s the Kabute doing?”…I automatically know who he’s asking about. We have Kabute Kid’s Day when everyone who has a job calls off from work and cancels all plans. That day is meant for hanging out with the family from Filipino breakfast* until the inevitable poker game ends at about 3AM the next day.
As we get older we find it harder to see one another as much as we would like to. Jobs, school, and children just don’t allow us to do all the things we want to do sometimes. When the idea of the Kabute tattoo presented itself almost everyone responded positively without hesitation. Now the baby who I used to babysit when he was 3 months old was going to go to a tattoo parlor and get ink with me. It still amazes me when I look at the kids (now adults but they will always be the kids to me) and realize just how much we’ve shared together. They are the most amazing group of people I’ve ever known. They’ve shaped me into who I am today…and I’m sure the impact of the Kabute is no less for their lives.

Alibata or Baybayin may not be the most beautiful script in the world, but it holds a special meaning to me and my Kab Kids. Some accounts say that the Spaniards tried to use Alibata to convert the Filipinos to Catholicism by using it to translate Catholic doctrine. Let’s be honest…when you force your government, your religion, your language, and even your names on a group of people you see as “Godless and barbaric” you can’t expect them not to pick up your alphabet as well. Eventually, the Pinoys were converted; Spanish was taught in schools and found a place in the Tagalog language; Bondocoy and Guanlao became Sanchez and Villanueva…and the use of Alibata died. Alibata was an obvious choice for this tattoo. It signifies a return to my roots before all the corruption set in. Before outsiders came in and forced their ways upon the Philippines. It signifies my roots with the Kabute…the family that knew me before I grew up and the corruption of the outside world was set in me. It’s a reminder to never forget where I came from and never forget the people who love me most. A return to my roots and an unbreakable connection to my real family.

*_{Filipino breakfast is the best breakfast ever…if you’re ready to consume your weight in meat. It consists of at least 4 kinds of cured and fried meats, fried fish, fried eggs…all sitting on a bed of freshly cooked with rice. The egg yolk can then be sopped up with a pandesal (Filipino rolls) and everything washed down with a cup of coffee.}