Five Instagrammers You Should Follow (and who also happen to be Pilipino)

Instagram has revolutionized social media. It’s a vehicle to share stories, connect people, and exchange dialogue. Here are five Instagrammer you should be following (if you aren’t already).

1. @ejsamson - EJ Samson

Guys - here’s an account full of chests that your girlfriend will actually WANT you to look at. With his signature posting style, GQ Digital Director EJ Samson showcases perfectly crafted combinations of pocket squares, shirts, ties, and jackets. His looks have even gotten him featured on Huffington Post and Business Insider - no big deal. Not to be mistaken as just another Instagram account dedicated to men’s fashion, @ejsamson is actually the opposite. In fact, hashtags like #ootd, #style, and #suitandtie never even make an appearance in his captions. You will, however, find witty puns and wordplay. Here’s a guy who (just like all of us) enjoys posting everyday moments to share with followers... he just happens to be really well-dressed while doing so.

2. @geenarocero - Geena Rocero

Geena Rocero is a fashion model who, after delivering a TED Talk earlier this year, came out to the world as transgender. The T in LGBT is still a concept that most people struggle to understand. It is because of this that Geena founded Gender Proud, an organization that brings advocacy and awareness to transgender issues. Her Instagram account isn’t a portfolio of her latest editorial shots, instead it is a personal glimpse into the story of a woman who is lending her voice to represent the transgender community’s fight for acceptance and equality. It is a ticket to join a journey rooted in courage that has brought her to places like the White House, the United Nations, and even South America. It is a chance to walk alongside not just a fashion model, but more importantly, a role model.

3. @nealsantos - Neal Santos

Raised as a concrete city boy in the Tri-state Area, one would think that Neal Santos would be a pro at Instagramming sky scrapers and zooming taxi cabs. However, Neal’s mastery lies in capturing the rural hometown feel in a very urban Philadelphia -- the place he now calls home. His portraits of locals are honest and touching.  His food posts are way too classy to be called #foodporn (one might even call them ‘sacred’). @nealsantos makes you want to eat your veggies... and then ask for more. He has a way of snapping photos that make elements come to life in ways you didn’t know you could experience them -- as if you could actually hear the sunshine, smell the colors, and taste the silence.

4. @bjpascual - BJ Pascual

BJ Pascual is one of the youngest yet most accomplished fashion photographers in the industry right now. Although based in the Philippines, BJ is also making waves internationally. His Instagram mostly depicts samples from his body of work, with a few occasional sprinkles of the photographer himself appearing in front of the camera. BJ’s editorial photos coupled with his everyday snapshots depict an artist always at work. He has a way of translating his subjects’ style into sentences and expressions into edicts. Who needs to flip through pages of magazines when you can just follow @bjpascual and keep scrolling... and double-tapping?

5. @zagadago - Marie Zagada

@zagadago is an everyday girl with a paper boutique side hustle and a lover of all things positive and healthy. Moments in our lives happen and sometimes we’re not lucky enough to capture them. Thankfully, @zagadago does it for us. She turns everyday moments into art -- moments like reading books, eating breakfast, listening to music, and yes sometimes even working out. The compositions of Marie’s posts are similar to what one would see in the lifestyle section of magazines, yet she manages to post in a way that is familiar and relatable. Her posts take on different perspectives of sights and experiences that are universal. She never abstracts simplicity, nor does she simplify the abstract. She lives in these moments, and the best part is... we get to join her.

Oh, and umm...

We hear @hoygino posts some good things every now and then too... allegedly.

Photo credits: @ejsamson, @geenarocero, @nealsantos, @bjpascual, @zagadago

EPYC

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens could change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

This quote has always resonated with me since my first time seeing it at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This quote validated for me the work I was doing. This told me: “Marc, you and your team can and will change the world.”

Just one week ago, I was blessed to have attended the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) 11th National Empowerment Conference - “We Break the Dawn: Master Planning the Future.” Something unique to this year’s Empowerment Conference was the implementation of the Empowering Filipin@ Youth through Collaboration (EPYC) Pre-Conference on Thursday, August 7th. The purpose of this pre-conference institute was to facilitate collaboration between regional Filipino American student organizations and encourage networking and sharing of best practices for student organizing. And it did exactly that.

I don’t know if anyone realizes, but we made history that day. For the first time in history, the leaders of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Inc. (FIND), the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans (MAFA), the Southern California Pilipin@ American Student Alliance (SCPASA), Northwest Filipino American Student Alliance (NWFASA), and the Philippine Students - Texas (PST) were in the same room sharing their experiences, tribulations, accomplishments, and best practices of their respective organizations. I was honored to have the opportunity to share the stage with my fellow Filipino-American student leaders from across the country.

Up until that moment, I never realized how privileged FIND was as an organization to have such a big network and an established structure. For the past 20+ years, FIND has been growing larger, evolving and striving to be better with every passing year. I always knew that there were other Filipino-American student organizations in different regions. Last year during my first term as National Chairperson of FIND, I made an active effort to connect with the other regional student organizations. But I never truly got to know them - time, space, and lack of funds separated us from bonding and really knowing the true person behind our public image.

Although I had met two of my fellow panelists before, it was a short, brief encounter that didn’t give us a chance to really delve into the inner workings of each other’s organizations. I spent most of my time at EPYC and the rest of the Empowerment Conference bonding and getting to know these people, young leaders like myself. It was only then that I was truly empowered to make a difference. As I have shared with my fellow leaders before, I was suffering from a tremendous case of community burnout. I was dealing with long-term exhaustion in the Filipino-American student community and a diminishing interest in the work I used to be super passionate about. Even with my self-care time away from community organizing, I still found that the community wasn’t as fulfilling as it used to be. In connecting with these amazing young leaders, I’ve come to the reality that I’m not the only one who’s experienced burnout. These people have helped rekindle my passion and instill in me the Filipino value of kapwa - togetherness, community. It’s not about “me” any more, it’s about “us.”

I would like to take this time out to thank UniPro, the EPYC Coordinators, and NaFFAA for flying me out in the first place. It is truly an honor to have been part of an amazing conference such as this one, both as a presenter and a delegate. I would also like to thank every single person - youth or seasoned leaders - that I’ve met. It was so humbling to have shared this space with you and learn from you all. I hope that I have touched your life in some way just as much as you have touched mine. I am so thankful and grateful for my experiences in San Diego. Those memories are something that can never be taken away. Thank you all for renewing my faith, passion, and drive to make this community better and moving forward.

Cheers to the community! May we always keep moving forward, breaking the dawn, and master planning our futures as well as the future of Filipinos everywhere. Together, we stand as OneFilipino. Let’s change the world. #iamEPYC #weareEPYC

"It's not about intention, it's about IMPACT." - Leezel Ramos

"Let's stop being organizational leaders in the community, and start being community leaders in organizations." - Steven Raga

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Marc Densing is a rising senior at CUNY Baruch College in New York City studying Corporate Communications with a minor in Asian and Asian American Studies. Representing District Three, he is currently serving as the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND), Inc.’s National Chairperson for a second term. Outside of FIND, Marc also works with young leaders in the community who wish to further their growth through LEGACY | NY, an organization dedicated to the professional development and mentorship of rising and future Filipino-American youth leaders in NYC. In his spare time, Marc loves long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. #iamEPYC

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All photos courtesy of: Marc Densing

The Movement is Now: Fil-Am Creative Culture

When you hear the words Pilipino American, what do you picture?

Depending on who you are, you might imagine nurses and immigrants, or maybe even college students adding their hip hop flair to the tinikling. Some might imagine their enormously loud and character-filled families. Some might not be able to imagine anything at all.

Now picture this- a bustling community of sprightly creatives, scratching the inescapable itch to catalyze change. There are artists, entrepreneurs, technicians, writers, and everything in between. They are innovators of all shapes, sizes and skin shades, illustrating diversity as vast as the Philippines itself.

That’s what I picture, and I am not alone.

A movement, a creative culture is happening, my friends. I’m talking tectonic plates. Like the shift from Pangaea, but much faster and technologically pumped. Like never before, Asian Americans are gaining momentum in mainstream media outlets. Since 2010, HBO has been showcasing “East of Main Street,” a documentary series featuring the real stories of Asian Americans, in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Just last month, NBC Asian American was launched, providing the community a major news platform specifically catered to our interests. “Fresh Off the Boat” will be premiering this Fall on ABC, making it the first sitcom about an Asian American family to be picked up in twenty years. People are finally starting to pay attention. They’re wisening up and realizing what kind of power the fastest growing ethnic group in America has, with 19 million people strong. And us Fil-Ams (the second largest Asian American group at 3.4 million), are riding the wave.

So why is this a big deal? Growing up, I rarely ever saw faces that looked like mine in TV shows, in movies, or in the news. What does that absence say? That the stories and perspectives of an entire race of people just don’t really matter. Or don’t even exist. I didn’t have champion role models that shared my same background, no beacons of light illuminating what someone like me could be capable of.

As Pilipino Americans, we have to make sure that we see our own faces in glittering stories of success. Our reputation of being the ‘model minority’ has left us neglected and our colonial mentality has had us hiding in the shadows. But no more! We are slowly but surely striding into the spotlight, obliterating stereotypes and showing the world who we really are through the power of our creativity.

The impulse to create and manifest ourselves into something tangible, something that can improve our world is universal. Fil-Ams are no exception to the rule. I’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with Pilipino American change agents through organizations like UniPro, NextDayBetter, and FilAm ARTS, and have been watching this extraordinary network of people who put passion first expand and evolve. Tons of restaurateurs are putting Pilipino fusion food on the map, entrepreneurs are forging cutting-edge startups meant to engage and help the global Pilipino community, and the surge of Pilipino-centered productions of music and theatre have led many to say that we are in the midst of a Pilipino arts renaissance. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Pilipino American creative community is a well of talent and ingenuity. We are just as artistic, innovative, and relentless as the rest of them, and the world needs to know that. If we could spotlight and cultivate this culture of visionaries into becoming the norm rather than the exception, imagine what we could build and accomplish. Then imagine the chain reaction.

Photo Credit: partyearth.com

Response to Models.com "Rise of the Asian Male Supermodel"

Last month, Models.com published a photo article done by photographers Idris & Tony entitled “Rise of the Asian Male Supermodel.” With the intent to shine the light on a gender and a race that is significantly underrepresented in the modeling industry, the photographers did a photo shoot with the likes of Sung Jin Park, Phillip Huang, JaeYoo and Daisuke Ueda.

Once I saw the headline, I immediately clicked the link. Firstly, “Rise of the Asian Male Supermodel” are not words you usually see in the same line. Secondly, I guess it hit a little close to home for me and I was intrigued.

I think by Pilipino standards, I look “mixed,” - thanks to my parents for those genes, I suppose. I have a fairer complexion, a bit mestizo-looking despite being full Pilipino. Ever since I can remember, most Pilipino adults that I encountered have told me to “just be a model or an artista.” It’s okay - you can roll your eyes at this part. At family parties, my mom would introduce me to friends and I was programmed to say “Thank you po” every time I’d hear “Ay ang guapo mo iho!” Later on, when asked what I planned on studying, no one really wanted to listen to my responses about being a journalist (which is what I originally pursued in college); they would jokingly tell me to go back home and just be a model or a celebrity... in the Philippines. 

Never have I ever heard someone say “You should be a model here in the States.” Not that I think my 5’6” stature or my lack of a six pack would really work to my advantage if I did pursue something like that here, but I do find it interesting that a Pilipino guy like me could only be deemed “marketable” among fellow Pilipinos and not on a world stage.

So when I scrolled down through the photo article and reached the bottom of the page, I was a bit bummed that out of 15 supermodels featured, not a single one was Pilipino. The text of the interview with Idris & Tony mentioned that they had also wanted to shoot Paolo Roldan, a Pilipino-Canadian supermodel who has been featured in Vogue, but weren’t able to do so in this series. But otherwise, where were the Pilipinos? Where were the guys that look like me? Where were the guys whose titos and titas told them they should be models? Where were the guys to serve as role models for young Pinoy men trying to break into the industry? 

Perhaps there just aren't any. And that’s a shame.

Another thing I found interesting in the article was that a lot of the models featured are mixed, mostly Eurasian. So yes, there is a rise of the Asian Male Supermodel, yet how authentic is that headline? I get it though -- “The Sort-Of-But-Not-Really Rise of the Asian Male Supermodel” takes up way too many characters to be easily tweeted.

I do appreciate the spirit of the photo article and the dialogue that Idris & Tony aim to spark within the fashion community. They can’t be faulted for not including a Pilipino male supermodel if there simply is none.

However, I think this absence of Pinoy supermodels in the international scene might be perpetrated by how Pilipinos view their own. Look up a BENCH runway show and you’ll see quite a few quality guys. If they’re good enough for home, they’re certainly good enough for the rest of the world. And it all starts with believing that might actually be true.

Photo Credit: models.com

NextDayBetter Presents TFC Speaker Salon in San Francisco - August 9

EAT + THINK + DRINK

Ready San Francisco? Inspiration will be flowing through your thoughts and your taste buds at the TFC Speaker Salon this Saturday, August 9^th.

NextDayBetter, a culture platform for Pilipino-flavored ideas, is teaming up with The Filipino Channel (TFC), ABS-CBN Balitang America, and Pistahan Parade and Festival to bring you these incredible change agents:

Celina Agaton | Google USAID ICCM Fellow On sharing her tech-driven approach to rebuilding communities post- Typhoon Yolanda.

Lourdes Tiglao | US Air Force Veteran On showcasing Team Rubicon’s approach to unlocking the potential in a new generation of veterans.

Jo Ann Kyle | ABS-CBN Foundation Managing Director On the story of the Foundation’s forward-thinking approach to building better communities and inspiring a nation.

And of course, Chef Tim Luym of Attic Restaurant and Frozen Kuhsterd is taking culinary control of the reception to bring out the sweeter side of Pilipino cuisine.

Are you hungry yet?

TFC Speaker Salon August 9, 2014 @ 2PM – 5PM Children’s Creativity Museum 221 4^th Street, San Francisco, California 94103

Seats are going fast, so learn more and RSVP today!