Filipina American’s vegan ice cream brand turns family stories into pint-sized memories
I am very thankful for Christina Oriel for writing this article about our Pilipinx Vegan Ice Cream Brand, Cheeri Cheeri’s. Asian Journal’s platform allows for the great connection to the many Pilipinx in our diaspora (and all other communities) to see themselves in our very intimate journey.
Here is an excerpt <3 Please click below to the article in its entirety!
- CHRISTY
With Cheeri Cheeri’s foundation in family stories, Christy Cunanan hopes the experience of trying the flavors will start that memory sharing within other families that can be preserved for generations to come.
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“I’ve [Christy] thought about how this [Cheeri Cheeri] shapes identity. I had my grandparents who made me proud to be Filipina and that’s fantastic that the next generation will have so many different influences to be even more proud,” Cunanan said. “This is my way of packaging something that’s truthful.”
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What makes Cheeri Cheeri stand out is the uncompromising fervor to champion Filipino flavors in addition to the ones we’re familiar with by now on a mainstream level, such as ube. And Cunanan doesn’t see a need to translate or give them English names, noting that her brand could be the first point of contact to Filipino flavors for some people.
“I’m more focused on making a more level playing field so that customers are intrigued to try everything instead of just picking the most colorful one,” she said, putting her background in sociology to use. “It’s about understanding how people might get excited about things and what means a lot to them… Since ube is such a strong purple color, it’s very easy to identify it, which is fantastic… But what happens to all the other flavors that are just as memorable or beloved but people might not take a moment to get to know?”
...Cheeri Cheeri has found itself at the forefront of this next progression of how Filipino ice cream is served and enjoyed.
“Once we start getting this going, we want this to be as accessible as possible so you don’t have to wait for a pop-up to try something,” Cunanan said. “Now, it’s about trying to find the right partners who have the same vision as that because it’s coming from the heart. It’s not just about getting it out there. It’s about getting it done responsibly.”