Ellie Tiglao & Lani Asunciòn on Transmuting Imperialism's Impact: A Culinary & Visual Exchange

Show Description:

Trish Fontanilla, BOSFilipinos co-founder and host of the podcast, welcomes cultural practitioner Ellie Tiglao and artist Lani Asunciòn to discuss their new project. Their upcoming event, "Transmuting Imperialism: A Visual and Culinary Exchange," features Filipino communal dining, projection mapping, and multi-disciplinary performance exploring cultural identity and resistance. 

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Episode Transcript:

Trish Fontanilla

[Intro music plays] Hello and welcome to The BOSFilipinos Podcast. My name is Trish Fontanilla, and I'm one of the BOSFilipinos co-founders, and your new podcast host. As some folks know, the show has been on hiatus. Our previous host, Katie [Milliken], did everything from interviewing to editing to distributing the podcast. So it took us a minute or two to get together the resources to get back in the game. I'm excited to bring the podcast back to your ears again, and I'm even more excited to have cultural practitioner Ellie Tiglao and artist Lani Asunciòn as our first guests back. They'll be talking about their new project, and fair warning, we will be talking about food. A lot. So maybe grab a snack before you start. Enjoy.

Trish Fontanilla

So Ellie and Lani, welcome to the podcast. And so I did a brief intro of the two of you at the beginning, but I would love to hear more about yourselves, and we'll start with Ellie.

Ellie Tiglao

Thanks, Trish, glad to be here having this conversation. I'm Ellie. I consider myself a cultural practitioner. For a lot of folks, that means that I do food, but for a long time I've been really interested in food and art, especially as not just as storytellers, but story keepers. Outside of that, I spend a lot of time doing more cooperative consulting with a worker co op called CoEverything, which is my new gig. Post Tanám we can talk a little bit more about that later.

Trish Fontanilla

Awesome. And I wanted to comment, we were talking about this before we started recording how people thought me and Ellie were the same person, because back in the day, BOSFilipinos started with food pop ups, and they just met two Filipino women and thought, oh, this is the same, and I'm like Ellie, and I look a little bit, our eye prescriptions is different, our height is different. We're just different human beings. It's like a right now, it feels like the Spiderman pointing at each other meme, because there are some people that thought we were the same person, and potentially some people that still think we're the same person. So I just wanted to prove two different people, and Ellie's working on some incredible things. But now we're going to Lani tell us a little bit more about yourself.

Lani Asunciòn

Hi, I'm Lani Asunciòn I go by they/she. I'm an artist, an educator. I'm currently the curator at Pao Arts Center, doing public art and temporary performance works, part of the Un-Monument project with the city and supported by the Mellon Foundation. And I teach at Mass Art, teaching public art, and I am a founding member of Digital Soup, the local queer multimedia collective.

Trish Fontanilla

Amazing. So I was trying to figure out when the first time I saw your artwork was one my memory is not always the most amazing, but I think the most delightful interaction I had, was I was walking on the [Rose Kennedy] Greenway and just taking pictures. And I always try to look up the artist afterwards, and I looked you up, and I was like, she's Filipino. Why wasn't it on the fog horn? Why didn't I get a phone call from my mom, from the telephone chain that we've got a Filipino on the Greenway? So that's, is that going to, if folks haven't seen it, you have some artwork on the Greenway, and that's going to the Fall, I believe.

Lani Asunciòn

It'll be there until November.

Trish Fontanilla

Amazing. So if you haven't already, please go to the Greenway and know that the Filipinos out there got some representation in the city, which is awesome. So the reason why we brought you on is you both are collaborating on a new project, and so I would love to hear a little bit more about the project and then how the two of you found each other and started collaborating.

Ellie Tiglao

We were actually just reminiscing a little bit, and I had thought I've been here for over 15 years, and I've known Lani for a majority of that time, actually more time than not, I will say. And we came to know of each other when EMW [East Meets West] bookstore was still around for folks who don't know. It was an arts, tech and community space centered on serving AAPI community, but was really welcoming of all sorts of BIPOC cultures and voices, and it's no longer running. But I was a Programs Director there, and it was a super important and storied space for people making art in the Boston area. And I just came to know of Lani's work then, but I would love to hear, I don't know, make a little space for Lani to talk about what...

Lani Asunciòn

Yeah, I mean, that place is endeared to my heart, and I volunteered at the art gallery there with Stephanie and Kai. So, and they're mutual friends, and Kai also was in the opening performance at Greenway. So there's all these connections.

Trish Fontanilla

Yeah, I used to go there [EMW], and I did not interact with either of you, which is banana pants to me, so look at us. Yeah.

Lani Asunciòn

Then we transitioned, right? Well, your pop ups...

Ellie Tiglao

Right, well, I feel like we really had our chance to collaborate together when the restaurant became possible. Because Tanám was always meant to be a small space, obviously, but one that could handle multiple mediums. So it was built with collaborations like what Lani and I had been talking about in mind, and so Lani, I'll say, has like a big presence here, especially around projection art. And all of that led to a conversation to a narrative about pineapples. What else would you say about that time, Lani?

Lani Asunciòn

Well, we're talking about pineapples. And I was like a series called Pineapple Girl series that I was doing after I finished graduate school. I like to continue that work. And then I started learning a bit about the Dole family history, the historical Dole House in Jamaica Plain. So then Ellie was talking about wanting to bring in artists to activate the space through an immersive interactive you know, the meal speaks through story, like food through storytelling and storytelling through performative embodiment. I was like, I'm down. That sounds great. And there was also a zine that accompanied it. And throughout the meal, both of us spoke to the folks that were joining us, and it was this really immersive, interactive experience in space.

Trish Fontanilla

So can we go back to the pineapple? To go on our first tangent, how did you connect about pineapples?

Ellie Tiglao

Well, generally speaking, whenever conversations about how the space might be activated come into play, there's never a set agenda. What is coming to mind right now? And Lani had just been working on Pineapple Girl. And I think the themes that were being explored were also really interesting to me. And it was actually the only menu at Tanám that was very ingredient focused. So every course had pineapple involved, and Lani brought all sorts of ways of engaging with people, and from creating a zine to bringing physical objects into the space for people to touch and interact with. Obviously conversation was happening dialog, but also projection art. So there was a lot of richness in that space for people to explore the sort of things that were happening in Pineapple Girl.

Lani Asunciòn

That series started in New England, so it was a project that went between Hawaii, so part of the videos were shot in Hawaii and also in New England. It's three seasons, so one of the seasons is missing, so it has this discussion about being in the diaspora and dealing with time, space and everything in between. And technically the zine, if you, anybody wants to read it, it's at the SFMA [School for the Museum of Fine Arts] library. They do have it in their collection.

Ellie Tiglao

I just want to say that I've also got a couple copies. So if you want one, Trish, and happy to share one.

Trish Fontanilla

Look at me. Getting stuff. To go back to go back to the origin story. So the two of you started collaborating inside of the Tanám space, and then what was the impetus for you to launch it on its own?

Lani Asunciòn

The way I remember it, I was checking in with Ellie. I was like, How are things going, you know, after Tanám and what are you doing? What are your hopes? Where are you looking towards now and then we're talking about project grants and funding.

Ellie Tiglao

Yeah, you know,I haven't said anything to the outside world. This is the really the first time. So hey, hey world, thanks Trish, and thank you, Lani, for for making that conversation possible. But it really mattered to me what was happening at Tanám, the sort of storytelling that we were doing, and the space that we were making, and I also knew that, you know, never say never, but where I was sitting, I just felt like I couldn't do it as a business again. But did I love it enough to try and get some art money for it like I knew that we were, we would be working on something amazing. It's just not making a business. So we just started talking about, kind of what it might mean to work together. And also, you know how, I think from the beginning, just thinking about how we bring in others into our work has been a big part of our collaboration, but the for those out there listening, the name of the project is Transmuting Imperialism's Impact: a visual and culinary exchange. So it's a big, long title. That's what we got grant money for. But for this coming event that we'll tell you more about, we wanted to focus that storytelling on solidarity. So pagkakaisa and solidaridad were two words that we wanted to bring together to just show also who's in the room.

Lani Asunciòn

It was nice to check in, and then it was really fun and awesome to dream the project together, grant writing is one thing, but dreaming the project and the work to propose and to actualize into the world. So that's something that I was really excited to do, and I'm excited not to literally do it with you, and then others will enjoy it and be present. So I just think it's been really wonderful to think about what is solidarity within the Filipino diaspora, and within Puerto Rican diaspora, and we have so many folks joining us, it feels very generative to think about the community that we're not just a part of, but we're building together. So that's exciting.

Trish Fontanilla

That's awesome. I mean, not everyone's telling their stories around food or connecting the way that Filipinos do, or even immigrants, and it just the way that we keep ourselves alive and keep our joy and hope alive. And it's so cool to see projects like this, especially right now, where we might think to not speak up or not tell our stories. Right now, it's especially important to share our humanity and share our stories, and so I'm really excited to hear more about this project. Diving into the next event that's coming up this month. There's a lot happening at this event. So it's food for all the senses, from mind to stomach to eyes. Let's talk about this event and where it's going to be. Ellie, if you want to talk about the food piece, speaking about solidarity of including other cultures in the food that will be served that evening.

Trish Fontanilla

Okay, we are introduced to the folks there [the venue, Cloud & Spirits] through anAsian professional network in town. Actually, one of the people who's going to be cooking with us is Aldrin Agas from Kuya's Cooking, and he is the one who really made the connection around saying, like, yes, this is a perfect space for what you're doing. So it all came through our relationships, and we're excited for that space, also as an event. Space is uniquely set up with a commercial kitchen that's going to make it really possible for us to make an elaborate meal. We have expectations of welcoming people into the space. There'll be multiple places that they can see art, including a memorial. There'll also be opportunities for people to both participate in the art, experience it, receive it, and also have food together at a communal table. So the food is going to be served in some traditional style called kamayan, that just means to eat with your hands. And so folks should expect that they will fully be engaged with their senses while they're eating, including touch. That tells you a lot when you're able to use your hands to eat. And maybe also, kind of difference here that was very present at Tanám was communal aspect of it, so you're not usually eating with strangers and negotiating who's going to take that last bit of duck. So that's definitely something to expect. And while we are definitely heavily focused on Filipino flavors and art making, we have lots of collaborators who are coming from elsewhere, and the idea to bring their culinary traditions in really comes from this wanting to honor who the people are, who are with us, who are gathering to tell the stories. None of us are part of monolithic culture. So really, how that's all come out is just been in relationship the storytelling that happens when you gather people together, and especially with this group of having time to spend together and think out loud about what matters to me, how does this fit into how I think about food in my culture. That's all been really important learnings that is going to show up in the food.

Trish Fontanilla

Awesome.

Ellie Tiglao

So this menu is definitely going to be pretty eclectic. As far as even Filipino food goes, I'm really interested in making sure the flavors are there and also making sure that there are Mainstays that people can recognize and anchor to. Of course, there's going to be pork belly at that table. Of course there will be vinegar with onions and garlic to dip it into. But we'll also be making adobo duck confit. As far as going into other people's cultures, you know, Lani was talking a little bit about suman, one thing that we are thinking of bringing into that space is a black rice suman that's made in the same way that arroz con leche is made in Puerto Rico, that's got coconut and warming spices and ginger in it, for example. And we love the fried things, right? Lumpiang shanghai is going to be there. But there's also a Lebanese type of fried spring roll that's made with phyllo. We're going to do a variation on it's called rakakat, which is, it's basically a cheese lumpia with parsley and other seasonings in it. So look to expect mostly Filipino food with inflections from Puerto Rican cultures, Lebanese cultures and Black American.

Trish Fontanilla

Amazing. Oh, boy, you just said cheese. And this is too much. Too much for me. Yeah.

Ellie Tiglao

Get ready. Hope you come hungry. Well, actually get ready to interact and then eat.

Lani Asunciòn

So the art and multimedia protection and immersive space will be performances by local artists and some folks even coming in remotely from the West Coast. So folks will be eating and enjoying the wonderful food that will be all tied to the different stories and performances. And there will be Kali, which is Filipino martial arts. We'll also have biko performance, so somebody will become that and embody that in the space. There's also DJs and VJs. So there'll be visual folks live mixing also while the DJ is mixing music. There's also a memorial to someone within our kapwa who we want to remember, and we want to have spaces of remembrance so that will be activated with digital media and other offerings. There will be also a takeaway zine that will talk about the project, and folks can learn more about each of the performances and the work

Trish Fontanilla

Amazing. And is this a one time thing? Is there going to be something similar? Or do people really just need to get at this one because it's going to be the only version of this curated food and art piece.

Ellie Tiglao

I don't necessarily think that this is going to be the last time, but we're definitely investing a lot in July 19th, and we'd love it if folks are thinking, Oh, should I do this? We want to see you there, because there's going to be a lot here. And by also by folks coming out, they will be, in some way, part of the co creation of it, because it'll really let us know what folks are here for. And we would love to have your support and any kind of support, being present, be it financial, whatever that looks like for you, will help this work continue and thrive.

Trish Fontanilla

Yeah, I always tell people, if you don't have capital, capital, social capital, is always great. So sharing with five people you know whether they're Filipino or not, I love bringing non-Filipinos to Filipino events because they're like, I don't even know what this culture is or because there isn't a lot of stuff within the city. I feel like, if you lived in California, they're like, Oh, I've had adobo before. So everybody, please, we would love to see you there, but feel free to share with your networks, email, social, etc. Do you have another event planned out as of yet, or do you have a timeline as for when the next thing's happening. What you what can people expect for the future of the organization?

Ellie Tiglao

We are looking at trying to have something in the next couple months. A lot of it is still being shaped, but we already have a title for the next one, I'll say.

Trish Fontanilla

Oh, okay. And how can people get involved? Are you looking for specific volunteers or partners or sponsors?

Ellie Tiglao

I think Lani had spoken a little bit to it. Presence can look like all sorts of ways, from attending to engaging with us. Part of it is also that this is the arts, and it's something that survives through people's not just attention, but spending a little money to make sure that the sort of thing can continue beyond that, obviously we are so interested in still continuing to imagine this work as not just Filipino, but potentially more diasporic. So we've been happily continuing to meet with people and think about how their work might weave into what we're doing. And so if folks like to cook, I will say, definitely reach out. There's all sorts of ways for people who know their way around the kitchen to get involved and be part of something that is a little bit more beyond a prep list and a little bit more hands on with how things are going to look and feel and taste.

Lani Asunciòn

And I'd also like to add, if folks are interested in offering support, if they have a space that they wanted to offer, that they'd love to activate a project like this in let us know. We would love to be supported in that way, and to like, learn more about what that looks like. And also, if you're interested in performing or doing any kind of performance work, especially if you're Filipino and just want to try something experimental and something different, it's been such a pleasure to curate the folks coming in now. But if folks wanted to approach and share ideas with us, I think that would be great,

Trish Fontanilla

Amazing. All right, so I've got a couple kind of lightning round questions. My favorite question to ask is, what are your top three favorite Filipino dishes? There's some nodding, there's some thoughts going through people's brains.

Ellie Tiglao

It's really funny because as as I've gotten further into my work doing food, even though I'm not doing the restaurant anymore, it's still very ingrained in me to actually orient towards. It's memory and meaning, personal meaning. And so yes, kare kare is delicious. Most people claim that as the best, and I'll take it. Yes, kare kare is good, but for me, laing, which is to taro leaves and coconut milk, often kind of spicy, usually with pork. It's so simple. It's what I ate every night when I was doing food research in the Philippines. And so I love to make it and it's just not often present for people here to eat. People don't think about eating leaves that are generally poisonous for you, it eventually becomes food. I'll also briefly say tinola, because that's such a good entryway, so comforting. And I don't think I've had any friend ever come over and eat it and say I did not enjoy that.

Trish Fontanilla

It's got grandma vibes. It's got some Lola vibes.

Trish Fontanilla

I think that's what I want. I want to be auntie. I want to be grandma. I will bring the dishes to church meeting, and then the last one is sinigang. So when I think about what is native sinigang, feels like, Oh, that was definitely our dish, you know. And every region has their different way of souring. So I love it. I will take it with tamarind. I will also take it with fish heads and fish collars. Yeah, all of that just simple stuff.

Trish Fontanilla

Simple but delicious and also complicated. If you're not familiar with Filipino dishes, I always liken them to Italian dishes in that you cannot make spaghetti for one generally, unless you're really measuring out those noodles, it is very hard to make Filipino food for one person or one serving and not have leftovers for the rest of the family. So I feel like Filipinos always make food, not just for dinner, but for a baon [generally leftover food for work/school snacks], for food the next day for you to take it to whatever tita which is auntie, lola / grandma, whoever could make that event. You then have a couple other servings to take. All right, Lani...

Lani Asunciòn

Yeah, it's really simple. My very favorite, I was gonna say, is lumpia, just because everybody makes a little. As a child, I would be that kid, small enough so I could just reach my hand over the tray when nobody's looking, I could just eat them. People are like, where is all the lumpia? And I'm playing already. As a kid that was my favorite, and I just ate so much of it.

Trish Fontanilla

So those are, if people aren't familiar, they're basically like, egg rolls. And you can have different fillings. I have, like, PTSD from lumpia, just because I always had to be cutting in the corner. And I can feel it in my arm, the cutting of the carrots.

Lani Asunciòn

They're so fine.

Trish Fontanilla

Even as a kid, you have to help. You have to do something. And I was in the corner, deveining shrimp. Another reason why I'm like cooking, yeah, so it could be veggie, could be meat, could be seafood, could be, um, there's another version where you can put bananas and brown sugar. Turon is my, one of my faves. And you can freeze it and eat it later. So I always...

Lani Asunciòn

If have some air fryer...

Trish Fontanilla

Yeah, if you want to be if you want to be healthy, but Filipinos aren't always the healthiest...what are a couple other your faves?

Lani Asunciòn

I really love dinuguan. It's my favorite because I like liver. So it's just like I like that richness. At first, when I was younger, I didn't like it because we call it blood meat, and chocolate meat was also another name for it.

Trish Fontanilla

I was gonna say blood meat. It was never... it was always chocolate.

Lani Asunciòn

Yeah, that's all you meant to say. But they told me it was chocolate. And I was like, it smells funny. Another one was like it's blood. And I was like...

Trish Fontanilla

It's so much, y'all, if you are listening, it is so much better. I remember eating as a kid and hated it, and now as an adult, I always look for it. Yes, it is another one of those things, simple but complicated. It's a pain in the butt to make. A friend of mine, she became friends with the butcher because she was like, here's what I need for my Filipino food that I can't find at the supermarket. But yeah, that's one of my faves, too.

Lani Asunciòn

Yeah, I always like to get it at Pinoy Kabayan [sadly, dear reader they just closed, but a new Filipino spot will be opening in its place],they have it here in downtown. They usually have it frozen, even if it's not fresh. And the owner, he makes the best. It's just like the right balance with the vinegar. And then the last one is suman. I just love sticky sweet. And you can put caramel or no caramel, and you can put coconut milk on it and put little, don't know, flowers would can really get fancy, they just eat it. And that smell of the banana leaf to me that I don't know, it's just kind of home, because in Hawaii, we also use taro, but it's like lau, lau. So it has that banana leaf smell.

Trish Fontanilla

I love making things in banana leaves. And it's hard to find them fresh in a lot of places. But my pro tip for people is there's always frozen. If you look in some freezers in Chinatown or other places. I make cassava cake with banana leaves, which is also...maybe this was a bad idea to end with.

Lani Asunciòn

Now we're hungry.

Trish Fontanilla

Sorry to everybody listening. And so I my last question is, if you could give a shout out to fellow Filipino creators, chefs, community member,s someone doing something awesome in Greater Boston or Massachusetts, one person. Who would it be? I say one person, because I think once we start saying people, then we start getting into this Oscar speech, and I'm gonna have to play music for us. But is there someone recently or someone that's always been helpful? Who would you give a shout out to?

Ellie Tiglao

I'm gonna give a shout out because she's she's doing the thing making sure Filipino food has its place in Massachusetts. Kristine Marie Bautista, she recently opened a place called Bits and Bites Bakery in Saugus, and met her when she started running a Filipino festival in Malden, a few years ago. So she continues to make sure that y'all get your fix.

Trish Fontanilla

She's really great. If anyone's ever been to a Boston Asian American Film Festival, she's usually there and she's serving different Filipino desserts and dishes. Total supportive community member, and the Malden Filipino Festival, which was really big, pre-pandemic, and she asked me to be a siopao [steamed meat buns]. So it sounds more delightful than it actually is, because after you've had six or seven, oh, wait, this was my dream, and then maybe we shouldn't have all of our dreams.

Lani Asunciòn

At once.

Trish Fontanilla

Yeah, at once. Lani, how about you?

Lani Asunciòn

I've been hearing a lot about Ashley Lujares and Mango Tao, so shout out.

Trish Fontanilla

She just did a pop up that I went to at Nine Winters, which shout out to them. It's a new Korean American bakery in West Cambridge. So got to give a shout out to all the women owned businesses as out there. But yeah, she's doing the pop up thing too. It's really great. All these, I was gonna say young folks, as if I'm your elder, all the millennials, soon to be titas out there. But it's really cool to see, especially post pandemic, seeing people out and about and doing these pop ups again, and seeing how popular they are. People wanting to try something new and be included in this community, which is really awesome. So to close out, how can people connect with you individually? So Lani, I know you have a website, but what are, what are the best ways for people to reach out if they want to chat with you?

Lani Asunciòn

Yeah, you can reach out on my website. I have a contact page, and usually it goes my email, Instagram, messaging, LinkedIn. I have that, too.

Ellie Tiglao

Yeah. Personally, I'm not on social so much these days, but if you send me a message that way, that's still going to reach me. Definitely recommend an email. I can definitely share that after this. But if anyone has questions about the project at all, we have a shared email address, which I'll make sure Trish has and can share out with folks listening.

Trish Fontanilla

Well, thank you both so much for taking time to talk about Filipino food. I am sorry to everybody, we don't have access easily to all these foods that we're talking about. But hey, reach out to your Filipinos titas out there in the universe, and I'm sure some of them will invite you to their kitchen to have some food. But I really appreciate from the two of you and hearing about your event. And everybody go follow them on social or reach out to them and go to this next event and all the other things coming up this year. So thank you.

Ellie Tiglao

Thanks, Trish.

Lani Asunciòn

Thank you, Trish, so much.

Trish Fontanilla

[Outro music] This has been The BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Trish. Fontanilla, special thanks to Lani and Ellie for taking time to chat with us today to learn more about them, we'll include their email and socials in the show notes. If you're looking for a written transcript of the podcast that'll be available on bosfilipinos.com. And if you like our show, you can subscribe to The BOSFilipinos podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram. We're @BosFilipinos. And if you have any ideas of what we should cover, are looking to sponsor an episode, or nominate a fellow Filipino in Greater Boston, you can let us know at info@bosfilipinos.com, or DM us on Instagram. Thanks for listening and see you soon.

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Reporter Elysia Rodriguez

By Trish Fontanilla

This month’s Filipinos in Boston highlight is Elysia Rodriguez! We first connected on Instagram a few months ago, and I was so excited to hear that we had some representation on local TV. Although glancing at the Fil-lennials of New England feed, it looks like we have a handful of Filipina reporters in our midst!

Hope you enjoy our profile of Elysia, and if you or someone you know wants to be highlighted on our blog or social media this year, you can fill out our nomination form.

Photo provided by Elysia Rodriguez.

Photo provided by Elysia Rodriguez.

Where are you and your family from?
Elysia:
I was born in Florida but moved to the Philippines just before high school and lived in Metro Manila. I went to Dominican High School in San Juan before coming back to the US for college. 

My father’s side of the family is originally from Sorsogon but my immediate family now lives in Antipolo

Where do you work and what do you do? 
Elysia: 
I am a reporter for Boston 25 News.  

How did you get into broadcast journalism?
Elysia: 
I honestly have wanted to be a reporter for as long as I can remember. My father is a musician and taught me to be confident and how to perform. However, instead of entertainment, I chose journalism. I love getting to the bottom of an issue, I love telling stories that impact people, and I love getting to know members of the community in ways that my job gives me access to do. 

On Boston…

How long have you been in Boston?
Elysia:
About 6 years.

What are your favorite Boston spots? 
Elysia:
I love the MFA and the New England Aquarium (I used to volunteer there as a penguin aquarist).

My two dogs and I love Copley Square - they love that they’re allowed to walk into the Fairmont Copley and say hi, and then also say hello to each and every person who lets them on Boylston and Newbury.

Photo provided by Elysia Rodriguez.

Photo provided by Elysia Rodriguez.

On Filipino Food...

What's your all time favorite Filipino dish?
Elysia:
I like the simple classics (basically the ones I know how to make) adobo, chicken not pork. And pancit bihon, because I can’t eat gluten. I can also inhale a platter of suman

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
Elysia:
Pancit - it’s really beautiful at the end, or halo halo because there are just so many colors. 

Photo provided by Elysia Rodriguez.

Photo provided by Elysia Rodriguez.

On staying in touch… 

How can people stay in touch?
Elysia:
They can find me on instagram elysiarodrigueztv or my website elysiarodriguez.com - those are the best.


We’re always looking for BOSFilipinos blog writers, so if you’d like to contribute, send us a note at info@bosfilipinos.com.

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Artist-in-Residence Hortense Gerardo

By Trish Fontanilla

February’s Filipinos in Boston profile is Hortense Gerardo! Hortense and I actually met at BF’s Filipino food pop-up at Parsnip last month, and after hearing about her show next week, I thought that it’d be the perfect time to highlight her.

Thank you, Hortense, for letting us profile you this month, and I hope you all enjoy our latest FiB post!

Birthday smile! // Photo submitted by Hortense Gerardo

Birthday smile! // Photo submitted by Hortense Gerardo

Where are you from?
I was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but my father is from Ilocos Norte and my mother is from Ilocos Sur. Most of my relatives are in Quezon City

Where do you work and what do you do?
I am the Artist-in-Residence in the Arts and Culture Department at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), and my job involves devising creative strategies to promote community cohesion and resilience through art. 

What inspired you to pursue that career path?
My work as an Associate Professor in Anthropology and Performing Arts at Lasell College has been an ongoing training ground that honed the multidisciplinary skill set that I bring to MAPC as an ethnographer, playwright, filmmaker, choreographer, and educator. However, the current projects on which I am working, which address issues such as mental health care, climate change, and the opioid crisis, are informing the ways I write and my approach to teaching and collaborating with others. Underpinning all of this is a love of travel and storytelling, and the most compelling way for me to pursue these passions was to become an anthropologist and a playwright. 

Until recently, I never understood where my love of playwriting came from. I was told I had a relative who was in theatre, but my searches came up empty, in part because I had been searching under the last names of more distantly-related relatives. More recently I discovered the playwright, Severino Montano, was my grandmother’s half-brother, and there was a commemorative postage stamp issued in his name (picture below!).

Severino Montano (my paternal grandmother's half brother) // Submitted by Hortense Gerardo

Severino Montano (my paternal grandmother's half brother) // Submitted by Hortense Gerardo

On Boston...

How long have you been in Boston?
I was at Boston University the year Mike Eruzione scored his goal against the former Soviet Union and won the gold medal for the US Olympic Hockey Team. You can do the math. 

What are your favorite Boston spots (could be restaurants / parks / anything!):
I think Boston has some amazing art museums. I never tire of going to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Harvard Art Museums, all of which not only house amazing permanent collections and exhibitions, but are increasingly the go-to places to attend performing arts events. 

What's your community superpower?
I don’t know that I’d call it a superpower, but I’ve been told I listen well and can translate what I hear into the works that I write for the stage or screen. I’ve been fortunate to meet some very generous people with inspiring stories to tell. Most recently, I worked with people from the town of Medfield who shared their stories of the former Medfield State Hospital, which I wrote into a full-length play called, The Medfield Anthologies.

I also worked on a project in which a farmer and a fisherman told me about the impacts of climate change on their respective occupations, and the innovative solutions they’ve found to the challenges they faced. Here are the links to short, documentary “video-lets” I co-directed with filmmaker Monica Cohen: https://youtu.be/oJ2f8XZLGug https://youtu.be/nidApZGs88E

On Filipino Food...


What's your all-time favorite Filipino dish?
Camaron Rebosado is the dish I always ask my mom to make when I visit my parents. I associate it with the big dinner parties they’d host at our house for their friends and relatives. As a kid, I knew there was a special occasion to celebrate when she’d make Camaron Rebosado. 

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
My mom’s recipe for Leche Flan is easily my favorite dish to make. It’s that great combination of being delicious and plates really well, yet ridiculously easy to prepare. 

On Staying in Touch...

Created and submitted by Hortense Gerardo

Created and submitted by Hortense Gerardo

Do you have any upcoming events / programs that you want to highlight? 

How can people stay in touch?
www.hortensegerardo.com

Twitter: @hfgerardo 

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Project Coordinator & Artist Anna Dugan

By Trish Fontanilla

I first met Anna Dugan last year at the Filipino Festival in Malden. She was selling some super cute stickers that I picked up, “You Had Me At Halo Halo” and “Kalamansi is My Main Squeeze,” to name two. She was at the beginning stages of launching her online store, so we held off for a little bit, but now that she’s rockin’ and rollin’, we figured it was time to highlight her!

Hope you enjoy our profile of Anna, and if you or someone you know wants to be highlighted on our blog or social media this year, you can fill out our nomination form.

Happy reading!

Anna Ironbound Mural-2.jpg

Where are you from?
Anna:
I was born in Methuen, MA. My mom and her family are from Balayan, Batangas originally. A lot of family members have since moved closer to the Metro Manila area. And when I visit the Philippines, I usually stay with my Tita in Quezon City

Where do you work and what do you do? 
Anna:
I work full time in Salem, MA as a project coordinator for a travel company. That job pays the bills as I pursue my career as a mural artist and illustrator. I am working hard to create more Filipinx representation around the East Coast and beyond.

What inspired you to pursue art?
Anna:  
I have always been a creative person. Ever since I can remember, I have loved everything art related. No matter what job I’ve worked in my adult life, I always found myself making time for the arts. Eventually, I realized that I needed to create things. It was part of me, and it was time to listen to myself and my desires to pursue it. 

On Boston...

How long have you been in Boston? 
Anna:
I have lived in the area my whole life.

What are your favorite Boston spots:
Anna:
Kaze Shabu Shabu in Chinatown is my absolute favorite restaurant to hit up in the city! Usually followed up with a fresh cream puff from Beard Papa. YUM.

Loud Proud Pinoy.jpg

On Filipino Food...

What's your all-time favorite Filipino dish?
Anna:
Sinigang na baboy (sour and savory soup that has pork in a tamarind broth). It is the ultimate flavorful, comfort food. My mom also makes the best Filipino spaghetti.

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
Anna:
I love making all kinds of soups - Sinigang, Nilaga (boiled meat and vegetable soup), and Tinola (Filipino chicken soup). 

The Balikbayan Box.jpg

On Staying in Touch… 

Do you have any upcoming events / programs that you want to highlight? 
Anna:
I am currently fundraising to send my painted balikbayan boxes to help aid people in the Philippines affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. People can donate to my GoFundMe to help pay for the contents of the boxes and the shipping costs OR they can donate physical goods. They can reach out to me on Instagram (@annadidathing) if they would like to drop off goods.

My family is originally from the Balayan area of Batangas. We are proud to be Batanguenos. And exemplifying the essence of kapwa, when our fellow man is in need we step up to help one another however we can. https://www.gofundme.com/f/north-shore-taal-volcano-relief

How can people stay in touch? (website / social / email if you want!)
Anna: 
Instagram: @annadidathing - Website: www.annadidathing.com

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Experience Design Strategist Noelle San Jose

By Trish Fontanilla

Of course there’s a million reasons why I love BOSFilipinos, but at the very top of my list is the ability to get into deep dive conversations with our community members on platforms like this. Noelle is one of those people that’s been in my network for years now, but we’ve never had a one-on-one. She’s also been amazing at nominating other people in the community to be highlighted across our feeds, so I figured it was time for her very own spotlight! Thanks to Noelle for chatting with me this month, and I hope you all enjoy her profile!

Photo provided by Noelle San Jose.

Photo provided by Noelle San Jose.

Where are you and your family from?
I was born and raised in So-Cal, in the coastal 805 area code. My parents immigrated to the States from Caloocan City’s Grace Park neighborhood in Metro Manila. My mom immigrated to the U.S. as a registered nurse, and was part of the Filipino “outmigration” of nurses and other workers in the 70s and 80s. My dad is not in the Navy or military, but spent most of his life working for the County of Ventura as a Sheriff’s Deputy and DA investigator. 

Photo provided by Noelle San Jose.

Photo provided by Noelle San Jose.

Where do you work and what do you do? 
I’m an Experience Design Strategist at George P. Johnson, a global experience and brand marketing agency located in Copley Square. I use my research, writing, and marketing skills to design user-centered experiences for our clients, like IBM’s flagship conference: Think.

I’m also the founder of GPJ’s first employee resource group (ERG) for multicultural employees, EPIC, which stands for Empowered People, Inclusive Cultures. Our mission is to use our experiential expertise to activate inclusion and equity in the community. We just launched officially, so stay tuned for more!

Tell us a little more about your career path and why you decided to get into experience design. 
My career path is a great example of a zig-zag! I didn’t plan on going into marketing. My parents wanted me to become a lawyer or a doctor. The lawyer route is how I got my parents to accept my BA in Comparative Lit from UC Irvine. I tried law school for a year, but that didn’t pan out. After doing everything from teaching English to admin to accounting, I decided to take a leap of faith and move to Boston. After failing to find a stable job, I was accepted into Simmons College’s MBA program with a focus on Women’s Leadership and Diversity, Inclusion & Equity. I’ve always been passionate about Filipino culture and social justice, so it was a great program for me! 

From there I worked for HubSpot as a recruitment manager, and was set on applying my D&I passion to the job-- you know, shake things up in tech! I learned a ton about startups and marketing, and co-founded their ERG for people of color. But in the end, it really wasn’t for me. I left that job (and all the free snacks, coffee and beer), to be unemployed for about 6 months. That was a really tough time! I didn’t think I was “allowed” quit a job just because it made me unhappy. I was taught to be thankful for employment, yada yada, but I had to do it for me! While I wouldn’t call it funemployment, I used that time as an opportunity to try other things. I was Board Chair of ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating In Reaching Excellence) here in Boston, so I threw myself into that work-- helping with marketing, outreach, events, and fundraising. I also got involved with Diversity@Workplace, a D&I consulting and training group, and delivered an inclusion workshop with them. 

And now, here I am doing experience marketing! I found GPJ through my good friend, Mandy who I met at Simmons College. I love doing the research and writing the briefs! I know that sounds hella boring, but I love diving into the latest research and turning that into fuel and insights for our creative teams. It’s all about telling an interesting and authentic story. I hate dealing with the details of execution, but bless our producers for making it all real!

So back to the original question: I decided to get into this field because aside from my aforementioned skills because I AM that Filipina American woman that’s trying to make her way through corporate America. I’m trying to infiltrate from the inside and pay attention to my experience. In the same way my parents had to navigate American culture, I’m taking a deeper dive into American corporate culture-- someplace that no one in my family has really experienced yet. To make change, you have to be excellent and I’m still putting in that work. 

Photo provided by Noelle San Jose

Photo provided by Noelle San Jose

On Boston…

How long have you been in Boston?
I’ve been in Boston since July 2013! It was a really rough transition from the West Coast, but I’ve come a long way. 


What are your favorite Boston spots?
I live in East Boston, and love the vibe. If you’re looking for authentic Latino flavors, they’ve got it all! I also love Chinatown because of the food. I will drive down to JnJ Turo Turo for pinakbet since I can’t make it right! Bodega and Concepts are also great spots for streetwear. I’m a sneaker head who can’t help but buy more Nike stuff!

57852395_10106779975112381_3275778093599424512_n.jpg

On Filipino Food...

What's your all time favorite Filipino dish?
My favorite is Pinakbet or Pakbet-- I’ve tried to make it, but I haven’t been able to layer the flavors right. And I always pick out the bittermelon. Sorry!

 
What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
My regular meal prep rotation usually includes spamsilog, bistek, sinigang, and adobo of course, made loosely based on those recipes linked!

IMG_1728.JPG

On staying in touch… 

Do you have any upcoming events / programs / even work things that you’d like to mention? 
ASPIRE’s Leadership Conference happening on November 16! Please attend, donate and support creating an intergenerational network of Asian American women! [Note: Trish is emceeing this year’s conference!]


How can people stay in touch?

ASPIRE:
www.girlsaspire.org
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/noellesanjose
Personal Instagram: noe_san_joe
Hobby Instagram: kutsara_kusinera 

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Doctor Manny De La Rosa

By Trish Fontanilla

Well it’s been almost 2 years of Filipinos in Boston profiles (I started this a few months after we started the organization), and we’re finally interviewing a doctor! I met Manny at the BOSFilipinos meetup at Parsnip in July (amazing food and crew over there!). He’s super new to Boston, so I figured why not introduce him to the BF community more formally? After all, we’re all about storytelling and community!

Thank you to Manny for taking time to chat with me, and I hope you all enjoy getting to know him!

Where are you and your family from? Also, feel free to share more about your family’s background and ties to the Philippines.
Manny:
For Fil-Ams like ourselves, the story really began in the Motherland. My mom is originally from Bataan and grew up in Quezon City, and my dad in Candelaria in Quezon Province. My maternal grandparents were physicians; Lola (grandma) was a psychiatrist and med school professor and Lolo (grandpa), a pediatrician. On my dad’s side, my Lolo was the Vice Mayor of Candelaria, while my Lola stayed at home to support the kids. My parents are from huge families! My mom grew up with six sisters and two brothers, and my dad has two brothers and two sisters. Starting in the 70s, my parents, titas (aunts), and titos (uncles) on both sides of my family gradually came to the U.S. to pursue their professional careers and start their branches of our family. I have relatives on both coasts and in the Midwest. My dad settled in Iowa for his first job as an engineer for Case before moving to Indianapolis to work for General Motors. My mom finished high school in Ohio, studied nursing initially, but then moved to Indiana, where she switched her major to respiratory therapy and was later hired by one of the local hospitals in Indy.  My parents met through mutual friends in the small Fil-Am community in Indianapolis, where I was born, raised, and educated. I have a younger brother who lives in Orlando and runs his own social media marketing firm called Vadela (check it out at www.vadela.co). After graduating from medical school at Indiana University in 2016, I moved to the D.C. area for internal medicine residency at Inova Fairfax Hospital. I finished residency this past June, and here I am now!

So tell us a little more about where you work and what you do.

Photo provided by Manny De La Rosa / “Still looking alive after a night shift!”

Photo provided by Manny De La Rosa / “Still looking alive after a night shift!”

Manny: I’ve worked as an internal medicine doc at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a part-time instructor at Harvard Medical School since July. My job at the Brigham is to admit patients to the various medical and oncology floors at night, whether they come in as transfers from another hospital or through the emergency room. At the same time, I am available for any overnight needs for about thirty to forty patients who are assigned to me for the shift. At Harvard, I teach med students how to interview and examine patients at the hospital, and I am one of the proctors for the clinical skills exam they take at the end of the course. I am a tough grader… muahahaha. 


For most Filipino families, having someone working in the medical field feels like a pre-req, but when did you decide to get into medicine? 
Manny:
I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I was about 7 or 8 years old. My mom kept many of her college textbooks around the house, and I remember browsing through many of the pictures and diagrams. I thought that the human body was the coolest thing in the universe! Particularly inspiring for me as a kid was how my own pediatrician listened and observed carefully to address my concerns. Every time I saw him, I was curious about why he was asking so many questions, and what he hearing with his stethoscope that helped him come up with a diagnosis to restore my health when I was sick and keep me well when I was healthy.  Combined with the fact that I always naturally enjoyed my science classes, loved working in teams of all kinds, and engaged in philanthropy, I knew that medicine was the perfect career for me. Even though a handful of my relatives are physicians, nurses, and medical lab techs, I never experienced family pressure to pursue a career in healthcare. Now that I am a fully practicing physician after many years of school and on-the-job training in residency, I believe that the same things that drew me to the profession as a kid are why I still enjoy coming to work every day! 

Photo provided by Manny De La Rosa / “This is from my residency graduation banquet. My colleague and I shared the award for Resident Scholar and Teacher of the Year.”

Photo provided by Manny De La Rosa / “This is from my residency graduation banquet. My colleague and I shared the award for Resident Scholar and Teacher of the Year.”

On Boston…

How long have you been in Boston?
Manny: 
I moved here at the end of June, and I live in JP. 

What are your favorite Boston spots (food, parks, spaces, etc!)
Manny:
My favorites are Fenway, Newbury Street, Seaport, the Boston Common, and Quincy Market. In terms of food and drink, James Hook & Company has the best lobster rolls I have ever had, but if you know of a better place, let me know! The Liberty Hotel is my go-to for upscale drinks and dining. Last, but not least, JP Licks in Brigham Circle is where you will frequently find me for a cup of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream before work!

This town is great for fitness too! I often take my bike out to Cambridge and ride along the Charles for the great views and fresh air. Before I moved to Boston, I took up powerlifting. I hired a coach based at Rx Strength Training in Somerville, but I now do most of my workouts at GymIt near BU since it’s in a more convenient location for me, while my coach works with me remotely. 

What’s your community superpower?
Manny:
Large-scale philanthropy! I was the Vice President External for the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans (www.wearemafa.org) from 2011 to 2012. As part of my role as VPE, I organized a school supply donation competition between the MAFA member organizations (all university-based Filipino clubs) called the Balikbayan Box Project. We sent a wide variety of items to the Philippines-- everything from pencils and books to old computers.     


On Filipino Food...

 What's your all time favorite Filipino dish?
Manny:
I am thinking about this while my mouth waters… tinola

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
Manny:
Beef Kaldereta

Photo provided by Manny De La Rosa / “Last Fall, we went on a triple date with my girlfriend and friends from Indianapolis who were visiting D.C.”

Photo provided by Manny De La Rosa / “Last Fall, we went on a triple date with my girlfriend and friends from Indianapolis who were visiting D.C.”

On staying in touch… 

How can people stay in touch? (Social, email, website, whatever you’re comfortable with)

Manny: Instagram and Snapchat: mannydlr, and email: mcdelaro2@gmail.com

I will be starting a vlog and health/medical education channel on YouTube in the upcoming months, so stay tuned!


We’re always looking for BOSFilipinos blog writers! If you’d like to contribute, send us a note at info@bosfilipinos.com.

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Artist Lexi DeLeon

By Trish Fontanilla

A couple weeks ago I wrote a bit of a rally cry post to invite more of the community to share their stories with us. It’s. Been. Amazing. Please, please keep the stories comin’ by nominating a Filipino you know / nominating yourself.

This month’s Filipinos in Boston post came to me thanks to Alex Poon who nominated his girlfriend Lexi DeLeon. Lexi is a super talented artist and - well, I’ll just let you read the interview below!

Photo provided by Lexi DeLeon.

Photo provided by Lexi DeLeon.

Where are you and your family from?

Lexi: I was born in the U.S., but my parents are both Filipino and both have family in the Metro Manila area (specifically in Marikina). I visited the the Philippines for the third time in my life last year, the first two times being when I was quite young. I don’t speak Tagalog, unfortunately, but it was really amazing and humbling for me to visit there, especially at an older age. I was also shocked at the amount of cousins I had that I never knew about. It made me realize how much of my culture I’m unfamiliar with, which was kind of sad and alienating at times. One thing that I really loved about being there was just the strong sense of community and family. Even though there were many titas / titos (aunts / uncles) that I had never met, they never hesitated to show me anything but warmth and hospitality, and always sought to make me feel included. I felt like I was never alone there, which was a really comforting feeling.

Where do you work and what do you do?

Lexi: Honestly I’m kind of shy about it, and it’s kind of surreal to write out, but I’m an artist. I do a lot of commission work and I also work a part-time job.

Can you tell us a little more about the art you create and how you got started?

Lexi: As a kid I was always drawing and doodling. My mom told me that when I was young I would take markers and scribble the brightest colors in different patterns until it filled up the whole page. I didn't take it seriously until I moved from New York to a random suburb in Connecticut during my teens. I was really shy and quiet, and I moved at a very weird point in the school year, so that was definitely a very isolating time for me. My mom had signed me up for an after school program which had a focus on the arts and I think that's when I really got into it because the teachers there were extremely supportive and encouraging. They were always willing to lend me art materials that I didn't have at the time or take the students to different art galleries in the area. And I dove head first into art as a means of trying to deal with this difficult transition in my life. Also because I’m shy and internalize a lot of my thoughts, art provides a way for me to express my emotions or how I’m feeling in a way that I can't articulate through conversation.

As for the art I create, I don't think there's a real deep meaning or grand message that is the driving force for the imagery. I think my art is really more emotion based and is inspired by whatever media I'm interested at the time. I'm really drawn to vivid colors at the moment so I'm always trying to incorporate as many colors in one illustration as I can, and there's always a lot of florals and nature. I love honing in small details or intricate line work as well, because my mind just gets lost in it. I feel like the way I make art now is definitely very similar to the way I made art as a child - just picking random colors that catch my eye and filling up a page with different intricate patterns until I feel it’s finished.

On Boston…

Photo provided by Lexi DeLeon.

Photo provided by Lexi DeLeon.

How long have you been in Boston?

Lexi: I’ve been in Boston for about 5 years now I think? I came here for college and have pretty much stayed ever since.

What are your favorite Boston spots (food, parks, spaces, etc!)

Lexi: Ooh, I love visiting different places for food and coffee especially. I’d have to say my favorite place as of now is definitely Solid Ground Cafe on Huntington. I saw an ad for it on Instagram I think, or maybe it was on the BOSFilipinos Instagram page (the only time I was ever actually been enamored by an ad on Instagram), and it was for a coconut pandan latte. I haven’t had pandan since I visited the Philippines, so once I saw the post I made it a priority to try and visit before they closed that day. I was running really late (in typical Filipino fashion) and I think I made it at 2:55PM, and they close at 3PM. I felt so bad being *that* customer, but they were extremely kind and made me a latte anyway. It was single-handedly one of the best lattes I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve honestly had a lot - I worked at a coffee shop for like 3 ½ years. They also make this amazing ube tart and bibingka (Filipino bake rice cake), which makes me really happy because finding Filipino food in Boston can be really difficult. The owners themselves are just really sweet. When I can, I love just sitting there to have those nostalgic flavors and write / reflect / sketch. Oh, and I am a hardcore stan for Coreanos in Allston.

My long winded love letter to Solid Ground Cafe aside, I also really love sitting on the benches of the Charles River Esplanade during the Spring / Summer and walking along the river and people watching. The reservoir by Cleveland Circle is also a really lovely spot to go to on a nice day. I’m not a very talkative or outgoing person, so finding these spots / areas to just sit and reflect in the midst of everything means a lot me.

On Filipino Food...

What's your all time favorite Filipino dish? (Feel free to link up some recipes, otherwise I’ll find them around the web)

Lexi: This is so hard, wow. I think it has to be kare-kare (Filipino stew with peanut sauce) maybe? Growing up, I only had it during special occasions, so I would eat 3 servings of it as a kid and even now. I have to say lechon kawali (deep fried crispy pork belly) is a really close second though. After that has to be tapsilog (beef tapa, garlic fried rice, and egg). And anything ube flavored. Honestly, I love all Filipino food so much and it’s so rare that I have it so it’s very difficult for me to pick.

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?

Lexi: I’m sadly not very blessed with cooking skills but either sinigang (Filipino tamarind soup) or tinola (Filipino chicken soup). They’re just really comforting foods to make, especially in the wintertime. Oh and arroz caldo! I like to make it in a big batch so I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I had a dream that I made an ube cheesecake. I can’t really bake but I’m determined to learn now since I clearly prophesied this concoction.

Art by Lexi DeLeon

Art by Lexi DeLeon

On staying in touch…

Do you have any upcoming events / programs / even work things that you’d like to mention?

Lexi: I’m part of a group show at MECA gallery in Lowell , and the reception is this Wednesday on April 24th. I post a lot on Instagram but this is really one of the few times I’ve ever showcased my work in a gallery setting so it’s pretty exciting and anxiety inducing for me. There’s definitely a lot of fear with putting your work out there. At the same time I’m really excited to meet other artists and cultivate those relationships with creatives who may face similar struggles, and to help each other grow.

How can people stay in touch? (Social, email, website, whatever you’re comfortable with)

Lexi: I’m most active on my art Instagram, which is @lecksydee, and a lot of my work can be seen on my website at lexideleon.com.


We’re always looking for BOSFilipinos blog writers! If you’d like to contribute, send us a note at info@bosfilipinos.com.

Help Us Tell More Filipino Stories

By Trish Fontanilla

Trish as a hand model with the program from Dragon Mama.

Trish as a hand model with the program from Dragon Mama.

Last year when I saw Dragon Lady, the first piece in Sara Porkalob’s Dragon Cycle, I was completely blown away. And so this past Sunday when I had the opportunity to see Dragon Mama, the second installment in the trilogy, I was super excited. So excited that from the moment the lights went down, my mouth was embarrassingly wide open in awe. I may have whispered, “She’s so talented,” once or thrice to myself. By the end of the show I was crying (as much as I let myself in public) and in between my low key eye dabs, Sara came back out for some final words since it was the last night of the run. Honestly, I was so high up in the feels, I don’t quite remember everything she said, but there were two things that really stuck out. First, American Rep commissioned Sara to write Dragon Baby, a full cast musical and the final installment of the Dragon Cycle (cue a million screaming emojis and GIFs). And second, if we don’t tell our stories, who will?

Since we formally launched BOSFilipinos almost 2 years ago, I’ve been connecting with everyone’s “one Filipino friend” in Boston pretty much every week. And it’s been awesome, but I want more.

Next month is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. A month meant to celebrate everything API (Asian Pacific Islander) in the history of the United States. So I’m taking a cue from Sara, and pushing to share even more stories than we ever have before. I’d love to highlight, at least, 31 new stories of Filipinos around Boston, one for each day in May. That’s a lot of content, which means we’re going to need your help!

So, here’s my call to action:

  • If you have an awesome Filipino friend / partner / colleague / acquaintance in Boston or you’ve got a Filipino story to share that has something to do with the history of Boston, we would love to hear from you. You can either pass along our email address, info@bosfilipinos.com OR you can share their email address (with their permission) and I’ll reach out OR you can nominate them for a profile or interview by filling out this form. Don’t forget to tell them how awesome they are. I’ve found that folks don’t always believe that their story is worth being told. Hint: It is. Another hint: Don’t be afraid to nominate yourself!

  • If we’ve already highlighted you, let us know what’s new! Tag us on social with @BOSFilipinos / #BOSFilipinos on Twitter / Instagram / Facebook, or email us, and we’ll figure out a way to highlight you as well!

And while we’re here, it’s more than just getting Filipinos to tell their stories right? You can also…

  • Be more conscious about amplifying Filipino voices. That could be re-sharing a post from a Filipino artist in your news feed, or taking a look around during a club meeting and letting folks know that we’re missing from the conversation.

  • Support platforms and organizations like American Rep that are investing in storytellers like Sara, so that we can continue to get our voices and messages out to our community and beyond.

Thank you, as always, to our many supporters, sponsors, allies, and friends for continuing to support BOSFilipinos thus far. We wouldn’t be here without people like you. And if you'‘d like to get involved in any way (volunteer / sponsor / amplifier), please send us an email info@bosfilipinos.com.

We’ll see you out there!


We’re always looking for BOSFilipinos blog writers! If you’d like to contribute, send us a note at info@bosfilipinos.com.

Filipinos In Boston: An Interview With Account Executive Sunanda Nair

By Trish Fontanilla

I’m super excited to introduce you to, Sunanda Nair! Sunanda and I were trying to remember how we first met, but settled on some networking event many moons ago. The funny part is I’ve known her wife Melissa way longer since we were both among the early users of Yelp when it first launched in Boston almost 15 years ago! Sunanda and I recently reconnected on LinkedIn when I gave our previous Filipinos in Boston women a shout out on International Women’s Day because I wasn’t seeing many Asian / Filipino women being highlighted on speaker’s lists in Boston and beyond.

Thanks again to Sunanda for being a part of Filipinos in Boston, and I hope you all enjoy reading her interview!

Photo provided by Sunanda / Sunanda (far right) with her parents.

Photo provided by Sunanda / Sunanda (far right) with her parents.

Where are you and your family from?
Sunanda:
My mother is from the island of Bohol in the Philippines, and immigrated to the US after nursing school. My father is from Kerala, a state in Southern India. The majority of my mom’s family is still in Bohol and Cebu. When we go back, we always stay in Bohol but we stop in Cebu to see extended family on the way.

Both my mother and father are close with their families, so as a child I visited their homelands every other year on a rotation. I was born in India but truly feel close to both my Filipino and Indian sides. I grew up around a lot of Filipinos and Indians in the Detroit area, and most of our meals were either South Indian or Filipino cuisine. It was a treat when we got “American” foods in the house for dinner. Although I still prefer the food I grew up with. I could eat rice with literally every meal.

Where do you work and what do you do?
Sunanda:
Currently I work at Privy, a tech company in downtown Boston. I am a Senior Account Executive on the team.

You’ve got an interesting resume that’s taken you from non-profits to for-profits, startups and public companies. Can you tell us more about your career journey and what led you to Privy?
Sunanda
: So my career trajectory is a winding one. I went to school for cognitive science and landed my first job abroad in India doing  HIV / AIDS research at the largest government hospital in the country. After that I came back to the US and split my time between playing poker online and working for non-profits and NGOs. I landed in Boston accidentally because my close friend was moving here, and I came along for the ride on the moving truck. I hung out here for awhile before deciding to take a summer certificate program at Boston University in public health. After finishing the program, I found myself working for an organization called Massachusetts & Asian Pacific Islands for Health (MAP for Health) doing program management, and research with the Massachusetts Department of Health and the CDC. The focus was on HIV / AIDS awareness and prevention in the Asian community. After MAP I worked for MataHari, a local Boston organization that works with diverse communities with a mission to end gender based violence and exploitation. While I was there I started to really enjoy marketing and took on a part-time internship as a social media marketer, which then turned into a part-time job. Because of that I started taking on consulting projects doing marketing and lead generation for various small businesses. While that was great, I realized I wanted some benefits like healthcare so I decided to apply for full-time marketing roles. I was able to secure an interview at a small startup that had no VP of  Marketing, so the VP of Sales interviewed me. Two days after my interview he offered me a sales job and I thought he was legitimately crazy. However, he challenged me to take a risk and I took it. I’m lucky that he was a great coach and mentor. I quickly learned I loved sales, even though it was really hard. That first sales job was all cold calling and even door-to-door sales. From there I went to a few more startups, and landed at one that was acquired by IBM. I spent 2 years at IBM and then wanted to go back to small company life and back to sales. I worked with Wistia for 2 years, which was amazing, but an opportunity to join Privy presented itself and it felt like a challenge so I took it. I love where I am right now, but can’t wait to see what the next 5 years have in store for me!

Photo provided by Sunanda / Sunanda with her 2 y/o son Rishi.

Photo provided by Sunanda / Sunanda with her 2 y/o son Rishi.

On Boston…

How long have you been in Boston?
Sunanda:
I moved to Boston in 2009, spent half a year in NYC and then ended back up in Boston. So almost 10 years! Wow, that’s crazy for me to type out.

What are your favorite Boston spots (food, parks, spaces, etc!)
Sunanda:
I love the Boston Common and Public Garden in the summer. It seems a little cliche but it’s a great place to have a picnic, walk around when the weather is nice, and just enjoy the urban park. Now that I have a son the Frog Pond is the best thing to go to on hot days.

Also, I love love  Winsor Dim Sum Cafe in Chinatown. It’s been one of my favorites for years.

I hesitate to share this secret but in my opinion Charlestown is one of Boston’s best kept secrets. I lived there for almost 3 years, and it’s like a mini town right next to the city. It feels like a community.  I knew my neighbors, some who have lived there for 50+ years. There are tons of parks, a brewery, a growing restaurant selection, and you can walk to the North End in about 15-30 minutes depending on where you are in the neighborhood.

Photo provided by Sunanda

Photo provided by Sunanda

On Filipino Food...

What's your all time favorite Filipino dish?
Sunanda:
Oh, man. It’s hard to pick. I will say my mom’s pancit recipe (noodle dish I would have to write it out), and kare kare (coconut milk or peanut sauce version). I couldn’t pick between the two. I feel like lechon is a given. Does it even need to be said?

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
Sunanda:
Ok, so full confession I am not really the cook in my house but my goal is to perfect my mom’s version of pancit.

On staying in touch…

Do you have any upcoming events / programs / even work things that you’d like to mention?
Sunanda:
I love a good side hustle and started investing in real estate in 2016. I am always down to talk to people who are interested in it, currently doing it, or both. I consider myself a novice still so the more I talk to people about it the more I learn.

Also, I am working on a product with my first sales boss which you can view at suvliner.com. Yes, we definitely know the website needs work. I would love to connect with people who have a background in consumer goods since we both are learning as we go. The website just got launched, but we aren’t in full selling mode yet, but we do have inventory.  Right now we are testing a new prototype for a smaller version of the product so we can offer 2 sizes. We are still very early in our journey and we aren’t looking to be millionaires just trying to have fun and keep learning new things. Although, if we hit it big neither of us will complain. :)

How can people stay in touch?
Sunanda:
sunanda.nair@gmail.com / https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunandanair/ (if we haven’t met just leave a note introducing yourself and I am happy to connect) / and Twitter: @snaps4life

I am open to grabbing coffee with people all the time so don’t hesitate to reach out!


We’re always looking for BOSFilipinos blog writers! If you’d like to contribute, send us a note at info@bosfilipinos.com.

Filipinos in Boston: An Interview with Events Administrator Desiree Arevalo

By Trish Fontanilla

With the Filipinos in Boston series, not only do I try and find people from all different backgrounds and professions, I also try to find people that I don’t know. However this month, I decided to highlight my friend Desiree (Dez) Arevalo because she’s going to be the ring leader of the BOSFilipinos salsa meetup next week. I’ve known Dez for almost 10(?) years now, and she was even a consultant at one of my first startups (not the one mentioned below), something I totally forgot until I was looking through emails and wondering why I asked her for a copy of my license. Dez is a ball of energy and bright light around this community, and I can’t wait for you to learn more about her.

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

So where are you and your family from?
Dez:
My mom is Puerto Rican and my dad is Filipino, from Davao. He immigrated here when he was 14 with the rest of the gang, and he sadly has never been back to the Philippines (which will hopefully change this year!).

This is extra exciting to ask because I know you just started a new job, but where do you work and what do you do?
Dez:
I’m 8 days into my new job at WBUR and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s really a dream come true to be able to work with people who are as excited and passionate about community engagement, politics, and bringing unsung stories to light, as I am .

I’m specifically working for their newest arm of programming, CitySpace, which is a new venue for public conversation. It’s a space where we will bring content that you hear on the radio to life - think interviews, podcasts, performances, discussions, debates, etc. It’s also a rentable space, so along with companies and organizations, we’re encouraging community organizers and artists to utilize this space to elevate and showcase their work.

I know you studied Political Science, but most of your roles have been in operations or events. What inspired the switch?
Dez
: I actually became an event person by accident. I was working in sales at a diversity and inclusion media start-up, and I had helped with very small event tasks (aka wore many hats as one does in a startup) like registration, helping with speakers the day of, etc. It wasn’t until the event manager unexpectedly moved out of state that I was asked (or pushed) to take a bigger role in the event planning of their signature event, which snowballed into conceptualizing other events and managing those. For the record, I was terrible at sales and sold basically nothing and they probably forced me into the events job as a last hurrah.

Another reason I’m excited about this WBUR job is I get to marry my love of politics and what I’m good at (events) for a living!

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

On Boston…

How long have you been in Boston?
Dez:
Born and raised woop woop!

What are your favorite Boston spots?
Dez:
Too many. I think we are blessed with an amazing food scene and cultural scene. Wally’s is one of my favorite places to go on a Thursday night for their Latin Jazz. Best Puerto Rican food is at Vejigantes in the South End. If you want really amazing but cheap Latino food though, East Boston is the place to go. Endless restaurants of authentic dishes and for super cheap.

Coming from the events perspective, are there any events / spots around town that you love?
Dez:
I tend to be a small community event go-er and Dudley Cafe is my go-to and always has some poetry slam, author reading, community forum, or paint night going on. They’re also in my hood and (sadly) the only non-franchised coffee shop in Roxbury right now. AMAZING coffee and quick food, BTW.

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

On Filipino Food...

What's your all time favorite Filipino dish?
Dez:
SINIGANG 100%. I was vegetarian for over a year at one point in my life, and my lola’s (grandmother’s) sinigang was the dish that broke me!

What's your favorite Filipino recipe / dish to make?
Dez:
Ube anything. I usually make a large batch of regular ube, then make ube cakes or ube ice cream, straight ube on a spoon. Can’t go wrong with that purple root of pure love, man.

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

Photo provided by Desiree Arevalo

On staying in touch…

How can people stay in touch?
Dez:
I’ve recently returned to the Twitterverse! I’ll be mostly posting about cool events and happenings at WBUR and the greater Boston area there. I can be found at @iamDEZisme on both Twitter and Instagram. Holler bizzle peeps!