This conversation is near and dear to me because it is so personal to my identity, healing and self-discovery. Growing up, I had so much self-hate and shame around my Filipinx culture of origin. Until I met Caroline Mangosing, as a young adult, and the incredible humxns she was in community with - many of whom remain chosen family to me. They helped me reclaim my culture of origin, be proud of my identity and help me on my journey of healing empowerment. I think this conversation is important because it highlights the insidious impacts of colonization across generations and throughout a diaspora - which isn't unique to Filipinx. We talk about erasure, visibility, cultural appropriation, art+fashion as a vehicle of activism and the role that beauty+aesthetics can play in the revolution.

Check out Caroline's work and the blog post that inspired this conversation.

https://vintagallery.com/

https://vintagallery.com/blogs/news/a-letter-to-filipinxs-in-the-diaspora