“And they were standing there in their [terno] on and it [was] just the representation of them. As Filipinas, this is what we are, you know, this is who we are.” - Joanne de los Reyes-Hilario interview

Wearing a terno-style dress to a community gathering was an almost unspoken rule among the Filipinas, Latinas, and White women of Watsonville who attended. Whether it was a Filipino Women’s Club of Watsonville inauguration or an event to introduce local politicians to the community, the iconic clipped butterfly sleeves and beautiful patterns were in attendance, too. Both the Filipino Women’s Club and the Filipino Christian Association were founded by Rosario "Nena" Nieva Alminiana. These spaces were places for Filipinos and their families to gather together and interact with the wider community. The events hosted by both organizations were meant to be educational, cultural, and social. The events organized often included talks about available resources, performances of traditional Philippine dances, and of course, food.

These events were not only for gathering the Filipino community but were also an avenue to introduce facets of Philippine culture to the larger Watsonville population through educational talks and entertainment. Members of the Filipino Women’s Club participated in the annual Fourth of July parade and crafted floats, as seen in the photo Martha Galimba during the Filipino Women's Club 4th of July Parade from the Sulay Family Collection. Filipina women would ride on the floats wearing traditional clothing for the wider Watsonville community to see.

We can see the prevalence of the terno dresses at these events in photographs such as Filipino Women's Club Event also in the Sulay Family Collection. Each woman pictured dons a terno in varying colors and patterns. Although each dress had distinct patterns and colors, the silhouettes unite them. For those observing from the outside, images like these present a community united through dress. This unity–a further expression of community strength and presence– reflects the Filipino Women’s Club’s aims to uplift the community.

This sense of an active community wouldn’t have been possible without these manang as well as the local connections they made. The aptitude that the Filipinas of Watsonville showed when it came to the local politics of the town and the importance of representing their community can be seen in the ways they purposefully dressed in ternos.

The dresses that migrate to the states also appear to then carry the impressions from the Philippines, while being given new meaning and strength when applied to the women of Watsonville.