Could you tell us a little bit about your background and how you ended up in the U.S.? How did you handle the culture shock?

Ruby: My family and I moved to the U.S. in the ’90s. My father petitioned my mom, my sister and me, and it was certainly a big culture shock when we arrived because up until that point, I had only seen and lived in the Philippines. After only several weeks of living here, I immediately started kindergarten and I remembered seeing people from different backgrounds for the first time. I was a very shy kid because it was a very fast transition period. I was trying to absorb everything all at once — from adjusting to my new surroundings, to missing my family and friends back in Tacloban City, Philippines.

Klassy: I was born in San Pedro Laguna, Philippines and migrated to the U.S. when I was three years old. I was raised in Echo Park, Los Angeles and the neighborhood was predominantly Latino/Hispanic and Filipino (before the gentrification started). A big part of me was exposed to the Western culture, but at home, my mom cooked Filipino food for every meal of the day and our TV was on only three channels: TFC, GMA and some Filipino podcasts. I spoke fluent Tagalog up until I started going to school.

Today, I can understand Tagalog very well. I just can’t speak it as great as when I was little. I love learning about my ancestors and hearing about all the stories of resilience and power that led to my very existence. I connect to my Filipino roots through practicing the knowledge of self, and showing my pride in who I am and where I come from through my music, conversations and all things that I create.

Rocky: I was born at the Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City, Philippines. My dad was in the Navy and we immigrated to the U.S. when I was four years old. I always talk about being the youngest of three girls because immigration affected us generationally. My older sisters struggled with assimilation more and I watched how the culture shock affected us differently. Hip hop was the only thing that gave us a sense of American culture, joy and belonging.

Faith, being born and raised in the U.S., how were you able to connect to your Filipino roots?

Faith: My dad was a Philippine World War II veteran and was active in the anti-martial law movement. He never hesitated to share with me the injustice that’s been imposed on the Filipino people, and he always emphasized the fights our people have waged for dignity and self-determination. My mom grew up very poor. She was the only one that went to college, so she was the breadwinner of her family when she moved to America. While I grew up here, the Philippines was something that was never forgotten. The political and economic climate of our country was always discussed in my household growing up.