Not only I am an adoptee, but I also want to prove to everyone that being legally blind with a rare eye disease called Nystagmus that you can do and be anything if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself.
There were a lot of gangs in high school. Instead of being in a gang, I decided to dance.
Stan Lee is like the universal hero. He got every culture together by storytelling. He gave every community their own hero to follow, in fiction and actually in factual life.
I'm good at shapes. If I'm not close, even if it's big, I can't read it.
When I dance, I picture myself and the floor in my head.
I believe that there are many talented Filipinos and their talent is great and globally competitive, just waiting to be tapped. I don't want such great talent to be wasted.
Some teachers used to worry and ask me, 'What are you going to be when you grow up?'
Coming from the Philippines, my whole goal was to support my family and have a better living situation.
When I see the discrepancy between kids in the Philippines and the U.S., I feel like I have to give them an opportunity.
Back in Sapangbato in Angeles City, my mom signed me up on this foundation called Pearl S. Buck where they support Fil-Am kids left during the time when U.S. soldiers where at the Clark Air Base.
DJing is one of my hobbies.
The Black Eyed Peas is a family.
I like to be hands-on because that's what motivates me. I like to involved from the ground-breaking to ribbon-cutting to auditing the funds. Just giving money away is a little discouraging because I don't know where it is going.
My being in America and being adopted from the Philippines have given me motivation and drive as an artist.
If we go to a party, I'll just be chilling in the corner, absorbing everything.
Coming from the Philippines to the U.S. did shape me in that it gave me perseverance.
It is really important for me to help my culture.
I've started my own record label - Jeepney Music - and I want to put out my own stuff and also stuff by other Filipino artists.
I've been building classrooms for children. Computer labs for kids. It's such a huge problem and so many children just aren't given a chance in life.
I had poor eyesight when I was young and despite that, I was making good grades.
