My interest in journalism started with a newspaper clipping preserved in laminate from Charlottesville’s The Daily Progress. “A street called home,” reads the headline and above it, a picture of a few of my many aunts and uncles. In 2002, my family’s migration story from the Philippines to Charlottesville, Virginia, hit the front page of the local paper. When my grandma showed me the clipping, I discovered the empowerment of being seen and heard.

Since then, I’ve been pursuing a career in journalism, deeply invested in stories about the Filipino diaspora, Asian-American communities and other marginalized communities of color.

Today, I’m a rising senior at George Mason University studying Media Production and Criticism with a minor in Social Justice. For over a year I’ve been writing for Lithium Magazine, where I’ve written articles on topics ranging from the #StopAsianHate hashtag to being a WOC in the workplace. I’m also active in the Filipino community on my campus and beyond. Last October, I launched an online zine for Filipino art and writing of the diaspora called here-after. In my free time, I love to watch cooking videos on Youtube and read manga at my local library. 

Current stereotypes about Asian-Americans rooted in the Model Minority Myth characterize us as passive and apolitical. However, Asian-Americans share a rich history of community organizing and making our voices heard in print. Today, this legacy lives on in various grassroots organizations, political movements and the tireless work of AAPI journalists across the country.

As an intern for PW Perpsective, I look forward to reporting on local issues related to the AAPI community of Prince William County while also uplifting our art, our joy, and our livelihoods.