DIVERSITY STATEMENT
As a Filipino growing up in the Philippines, I never really identified with the term person of color (POC) until I came here to the United States. For a while, I felt uneasy being labeled as such because I thought it perpetuated racial hierarchy and a sense of othering. However, I realize that being a POC could mean a chance at solidarity especially when the stakes for social justice are high in today’s America. For people of color, the time to come together is now and advocate for a life that is full, fair, and just.
My experience in the US has made me aware of the complexity and gravity of the issues that concern diversity in society, academia, and the workplace. I recognize a unifying narrative in the challenges that diverse people face–the yearning to be seen, heard and accorded the same opportunities as anyone else.
I learned early on that POCs deal with problems of discrimination and lack of representation. As an actor of color, I had to deal with missed opportunities in casting because there was simply no place for a brown person in a play that’s almost always written for white people. There was lack of diversity in play selections, which obviously meant little or no chances for diversity in casting.
My work in theatre has made me fully grasp the need for more opportunities that allow diversity in all facets of theatre-making and in life. I applaud theatre companies that deliberately cast and include people from diverse backgrounds in their productions. Diversity shouldn’t just be aspirational. It should be intentional if we were to move forward and see change. Diversity encourages pluralist perspectives and more nuanced and meaningful conversations. A diverse theatre environment would mean featuring more stories about diverse people. Diversity leads to more social awareness, engagement, critical discourses, and equitable action.
As a graduate support assistant for the College of Graduate Studies (COGS) at the University of Idaho, I have had the incredible opportunity to work and highlight different voices. I am currently working on a documentary about the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery. In 2020, I produced a short feature about the Indigenous Knowledge Field Camp. This four-day immersion is aimed at promoting, understanding and increasing awareness of the cross-cultural intersections of the Nimi’ipuu traditional knowledge and Western science on Native American land. Both projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation’s Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate-Transformation. In addition, I have also produced Grad Stories, an ongoing video series about graduate students as they talk about their research and diverse experiences while in school.
My work as an artist, performer, and creator is an extension of and complement to my interests in that it focuses on understanding marginalized voices and bodies. I continue to be an advocate for fair and just treatment of artists of color and diversity, including proper representation of underrepresented groups in all aspects of theater, the arts, and pedagogy.