Ako ay Pilipino ( I am Filipino)

When I’m walking down the street anywhere in America I’m fully aware that most people will see me as Asian. It’s not until I open my mouth to speak and they hear my “perfect” English that they say, oh she’s American. Born and raised in California from Filipino immigrant parents, I lived in two cultural worlds. Managing the expectation of immigrant parents against the more free spirited American life confused me. I grappled with not being accepted because I was Filipino or not Filipino enough. As I found ways to better understand my culture and where I’m from, it was photography that allowed me to see another perspective. Pointing my lens toward Filipino’s here and in my homeland helped me to see myself and understand who I am as a Filipino-American.