My Artist Statement

I am not an artist, but more of an expressionist. I hope that this blog will help inform others of the present struggles that the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community face that are hidden from the world since their image is distorted through stereotypes. As an avid Asian American studies student, I am very much interested in the history and future of AAPI’s living in the United States because to understand our present situation and role in American society, it is important to study the past to not make the same mistakes again. I am hoping that this blog will be educational and informative on serious matters that concern AAPI’s but also be a beacon of hope for them as well. As a Filipino American I know firsthand the discrimination that many AAPI’s face having faced them myself. Ostracizing AAPIs with negative labels as chink, nerd, math lover, etc. can cause conflict in their identity because although they are born or became American while living here, some people still perpetuate the concept of AAPIs as “forever foreigners”, incapable of assimilation. I hope to delve into the ideas of AAPI identity and how intergenerational conflict, school, personal experience, trauma, and other factors impact one’s identity in order to prove that hegemonic structures force us to have an identity within this American society to keep us distinct and labeled so we do not unify as one people but rather keep to our differences and remain oppressed as minorities.

My influences for the type of media I want to present include Wayne Wang, the director of “Chan is Missing”, and also Deepa Mehta, the director of “Earth”. For me, these movies displayed the true realities or histories of AAPIs and Asians (Non-Americans) and that was an enriching experience instead of the American media that portrays Asians and AAPIs in a false light like “Flower Drum Song” or even hardcore action films like “Rush Hour” or “Kill Bill”. Mostly I want to keep tabs on the new series on ABC station called, “Fresh off the Boat”, to see their perspective and representation of whom Asian Americans are and how they are defined.