MY IMMIGRANT LEGACY --- I come from an immigrant family who came from Canada via the Philippines to the United States in the early 1980s. My mother was a nurse and my father worked in various blue collared jobs. I understand the struggle of survival and resilience. Growing up, I watched my mother work the graveyard shift, come home to make breakfast for her two kids, and take us to school. My father came home in the evening and I would greet him with a deep embrace as I grasped his callous, burnt, and cracked hands from his job as a welder. Their long commutes, sleepless nights, and the hope to see both their sons succeed is what kept them going.
Through my family's experiences, I understood what resiliency meant and how I can apply it to my own life. Heavily influenced by Ethnic Studies, I realized how history shapes identity and how understanding the stories of the oppressed has informed my motivation to serve the community.