A Quick Chat with Lauren Velasquez: Community Youth Development Coordinator for BRIDGE at UC Davis

Lauren Velasquez, a 22 year old UC Davis student, couldn't have been a more perfect candidate to start off Pinoy News Update's series of articles spotlighting Filipino Americans who are striving to make a difference within the community. We here at PNU strive to share our mission through laughs, but Lauren and her fellow classmates at UC Davis Bridge are sharing theirs through empowerment! There is definitely something special happening with the milennial Filipino community at UC Davis because the campus is home to the Bulosan Center- the first Filipino cultural studies center at a U.S. college. We are grateful that Lauren could take time out of her busy academic schedule and answer questions shedding light on what it's like to be a part of the growing Pilipino komunidad (community) at BRIDGE.

What is BRIDGE at UCD and how important is it to the Filipinx community at UC Davis?

BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention is one of the seven community programs at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center (SRRC). The SRRC has a center on-campus where we allow students to utilize as a study space during the day and we hold programming during the night. BRIDGE strives for educational equity, with our recruitment efforts through bi-weekly high school outreaches and annual youth conferences and our retention efforts through workshop and mentorship programming and annual undergraduate student conferences. BRIDGE is part of the eight student-run organizations that make up the Fil-Am community at UC Davis.

Explain how involved you are with BRIDGE!

Since being part of BRIDGE is an on-campus job, I am pretty involved in doing work for both the SRRC and BRIDGE. For BRIDGE, I plan programming to help support the Filipinx high school communities in Northern California, I support my fellow staff members with their own events, and I am part of the recruitment committee for the SRRC. This year, I planned Pilipinx Youth Conference, where I had 60 high school students come to UC Davis for the weekend and learn about their Filipinx identity through cultural, political, academic, and creative expression workshops. I am currently working on doing outreaches to high schools and starting a campus visit program for Filipinx groups to tour UC Davis. In addition, I have three amazing interns (shoutout to Celin, Jared, and Rhegille!) in which I help foster their professional development skills through helping me plan the events I do. For the SRRC, I am currently helping the recruitment committee plan Aggie Senior Weekend Trip, in which admitted high school seniors are invited to a three-day weekend retreat during UC Davis’ Decision Day weekend. For the Fil-Am at UC Davis, I serve as an active community member and contribute to community and cultural empowerment.

Wow you have a lot on your plate! How you are able to split your time being a student and an active member?

It has definitely been a struggle being able to manage my time between being a student and a BRIDGE staff, especially since I am also involved in a student-run clinic and a research lab position. I try my best to plan out my schedule 3 months in advance and make sure that my extracurriculars don’t conflict with school and with each other. I hold myself accountable with my google calendar and with others who are also experiencing a juggling act between extracurriculars and school. I’ve come to realize that my undergraduate journey can’t be accomplished alone, so I always ask for help when things get too overwhelming for me! What keeps me going is my love for the community and the work that I do!

How connected were you with your Filipinx roots growing up? Also please let our readers know why we use “Filipinx” as opposed to “Filipino” nowadays.

I wasn’t very connected to my Filipinx roots because my family was very americanized since I am 3rd generation. I didn’t connect with the FilAm community until I came to UC Davis and realized the value of my culture. The purpose of using “x” in “Filipinx” is to allow the FilAm community to utilize language that is gender-inclusive, meaning it encompasses all those who do or do not identify within the gender binary. This may include, but is not limited to trans and gender-queer identified folx.

Have you ever tried balut? If not, would you? What is your favorite Filipino dish?

I’ve tried it but it’s way too salty for me! My favorite Filipino dish is Sinigang! :)

What would  issues do you think should be brought more  awareness to in the media for the Filipinx-American community?

I think that it is important for others to know how different the FilAm experience is from most Asian American experiences. Many research data homogenizes all Asian Americans, but when the data is disaggregated, the FilAm experience is very different from most Asian American experiences or how society perceives Asian Americans in general. This way of taking data erases the underserved experiences of FilAm individuals.

Any Filipino restaurants or events you recommend in the Davis area?

Pilipinx Cultural Night on May 3 & 4! Tickets: tinyurl.com/mkpcn2019

Lastly, what’s your go to song at karaoke?

American Boy - Estelle & Kanye West

Meet Lauren Velasquez

As reported by: Nina Gosiengfiao & Thomas Ireton