From Hayward, California and Iloilo, Philippines, Wayne Silao Jopanda ( @Jopandasal on Instagram) is a Cultural Studies PhD candidate at the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on labor trafficked Filipino teachers, Filipino college student experiences and collective resistance within the imperial university, and historicizing U.S. neoliberal universities’ commodification of Filipinos as bodies of labor. Wayne is also one of the cofounders and serves as Associate Director and Director of Internships for the Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies Wayne recently served as a 2020 Mellon Public Scholar, collaborating with artivist Angel Trazo on the project, “Illustrated Lesson Plans for Liberation: A Multimedia Project Documenting the Journey of Filipino Trafficked Teachers,” builds on seven years of work with Filipino trafficked teachers and their experiences and transformation from trafficking survivors to community organizers. As a research lead with the Transformative Justice in Education Center, Wayne focuses on collaborative and collective liberation struggles between Asian, Indigenous, Black, and Latinx communities in Northern California. Wayne aims to further examine these threads by 1) Historicizing solidarity across our communities through primary resources and literature review, 2) Examining how historic and current moments of solidarity serve as acts of communal healing, and 3) Analyzing cross community solidarity and collective struggle as acts of resistance and decolonization.
Here are Kuya Wayne's 3 fun facts!
FAVORITE FILIPINO FOOD Lumpia; Lucky 3-7 in Oakland; Seńor Sisig in Sf/Daly City; Lucky Chances Casino Cafe (24 hours) in Colma
IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY IN A DISH, WHAT WOULD YOU BE. Carnitas Mexibowl from one of my fav Chicana owned restaurants: Chica in Oakland, follow them on instagram at @chicaoakland
ULTIMATE FAVORITE MOVIE Avengers/Marvel Movies! Definitely see Bulosan community as the Fil-Vengers, and excited to see us all come together post-covid, and we can say “Filvengers, assemble”! I am so excited for Spiderman No Way Home! Let the Spiderverse begin! Good Will Hunting
Credits:
Intro: Filipina Girls by Jereena Montemayor
Outro: Beauty Sings by Tatiana Manaois
