Origin Story
I’ve always known that I wanted to do something creative. But, frankly, I didn’t realize that I could. My parents are the traditional Asian parents, which means that I graduated from college three times (Marycrest International University, Western Illinois University, and UCLA - GO BRUINS!) and unless I worked a practical job, I wasn’t quote unquote working.
I first graduated in Accounting and practiced as a public accountant, but the itch to write was always there. So, I decided to quit and pursue writing. That decision haunted me for years until I finally found success. My mom would pinpoint my quitting with every bad thing that happened to me. She’d be like, “You know why you got a speeding ticket? Because you quit your accounting firm in 1999.” She doesn’t do that now.
But, I totally understand. Writing didn’t bring in the same income, and to my parents, working non-traditional hours was foreign to them. What about health insurance? How do you make money? Stuff like that. It’s taken me nearly 25-years to get to the point where they’re content with my decision.
When I think about that, it made me realize something. There weren’t a lot of Filipino stories out there. I haven’t done a whole lot of analysis, but I’m wondering if there is a correlation between Asian children and storytelling. Because if there were more Filipino-American authors available when I was growing up, perhaps my parents would be more open and supportive to that idea earlier.
So, that’s where I come in. I spent about 15-years writing in genres that I thought would make me successful. That would bring me happiness. However, the underlying reason I wrote in other genres was due to my insecurity and cultural identity. But when I finally began accepting my culture, which happened later in life, I finally started seeing success.
After I became comfortable in my own skin, I wondered if part of the reason was the lack of Filipino stories. Was that why we weren’t seeing younger children following their hearts and pursuing occupations that they want to do, and not what their parents want them to do? So, I decided to solely focus on the Filipino experience in fiction, because these types of stories weren’t something that I had access to growing up.
We all have a responsibility to the next generation. For me, it’s allowing them to pursue their dreams with limited barriers: internal, external, or otherwise.
Thank you for visiting!
