DIRECTOR STATEMENT

The Filipino Heritage Studies march to honor Filipino labor leaders Larry Itliong and Phillip Vera Cruz took place in my hometown in 2013. I was a junior in high school. I remember hearing all the noise this march had caused. I had friends participating in it, but I didn't think twice about my decision to not march. Recognizing our Filipino roots wasn't anything extraordinary. A large percentage of my town is made up of Filipinos. Everywhere I looked I saw a Filipino business. I went home and had Filipino food almost every day.

In 2015, the student march efforts led to the renaming of Alvarado Middle School to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School. Once again, the significance of the Filipino Heritage Studies’ achievement didn't hit me. One year later, I attended Chapman University in Orange County and was dealt an immediate culture shock, going from a community of Filipinos at every turn to a few spread across a campus of thousands confronted me with past feelings that made me miss home deeply.

I understood then the success my hometown has achieved, not just for the Bay Area, but for the nation. Itliong-Vera Cruz is the first Filipino American named school in the US!

Channeling their efforts along with my experiences growing up was put into writing Buzz Cut. This is a story about identity and recognition. Buzz Cut is about how the road travelled is paved in community, and it's through our efforts to honor the legacy of the manongs that came before us, we can continue uplifting our culture and showcase our contributions to this country.