Drift: Immigration & Identity in America

EP 8 Chamorro-Filipino Kodiak immigrant Neil Pendon on his world wide journey to find his home and hybrid identity

Neil Pendon, the self-described former military-teacher-pharmacist talks about the importance of family and education, as well as the long and winding path across many countries while navigating his "hybrid Chamorro, Filipino and military" identity.

EP 7 Kodiak’s Filipinas on learning many jobs, languages and cultures while caring for their community

Kodiak Island, the U.S.'s second largest island is host to a large immigrant population of Filipinos/as including women and girls who immigrated since the 1980s from various islands in the Philippines. Nita Nicholas, Mary Jane Viray, Lisa Pascua, and Deneila Lyzah Betran speak to the challenges of learning more than one language (not just English!), adapting to many physical, cultural and school environments, all while caring for family members and their community.

EP 6 Bernadette Villaroya talks of immigrating from the Philippines to Kodiak Island, AK

Kodiak's Filipino-American Association Vice President Bernadette Villaroya is a 51 year old accountant immigrated from the Visayan islands in the Philippines 20 years ago. Her life is one of struggle, resilience and overcoming many challenges not the least of which is the cold and distance from her family back home.

EP 5 Kirk Gallardo on his love of languages in understanding his Filipino roots and Alaska Natives

Linguist Kirk Gallardo helps us understand the plurality of new worlds he has immigrated to as well as those he’s left behind–and how he specifically navigates among Alaska Natives and his Filipino ancestry through his work with the Anchorage Museum.

EP 4 Artist Rejoy Armamento on being a young female artist breaking away from Filipinx traditions

Illustrator and artist Rejoy Armamento speaks to what it's like breaking new ground as the first professional artist in her family, working to bridge gender and generational differences.