biculturalism: ben valenciano gonio.

​In my view, based on my experiences, being a FA means honoring the values and cultural norms that come with identifying with the Filipino race.  This can mean many different things for most and that's okay because it honors that diversity in a manner that reflects those varying cultural, and philosophical norms practiced in the thousands of Philippine Islands.  

Being "American" is wonderfully rich because the very foundation of America was built on immigrants.  The richness of being "American" is different for each person too, but the commonality that connects each American experience is the notion that each immigrant sets off a chain of events that directly affects the second generation and so forth.  When each generation begins to honor both the Filipino 

cultural practices and values espoused by previous generations and also embrace the many archetypes of what it means to be an American; an authentic integration emerges to form an identification to the idea of Filipino American that is unique to each individual.

America is not a melting pot.  We don't need to disappear and melt into nothingness.  Or fully adopt an identity at the expense of another.

America is a salad bowl.  Filled with many colors. We can honor all of it.

So to me, in a general sense, this is what it means to be a Filipino American.

Learn more about Ben!

• Major: BFA Drama, Carnegie Mellon University; Magna Cum Laude, 1998/MFA Acting & Solo Performance University of Washington School of Drama 2003 
• Fun fact: I can balance a broomstick on my pinky, like forever.
• What he is up to now: Raising my 4 year old daughter and in Public Service, serving on a JD Admissions team with The University of Washington School of Law.