Ibarra's Influence On Filipino Americans

Lastly, Ibarra’s music constructs an imagined collectivism to press for social advocacy. This influences Filipino Americans to advocate for each other. Her socially conscious music allows for Filipino Americans to re-define and re-articulate what it means to be Filipino American. Rapping “How can we be free and be a POC? ‘cause / what do PO see? / What’s their POV? / When they see no me? / They see you as a DOB or better yet a DOD, / they hoping that you do OD, statistics of that lottery” (Ibarra), to disclose the conditions people of color endure and how public officials and authority view them. The usage of the pronouns “we” signify a shared struggle that connects a group. Using the pronoun “you” expresses a direct reference to the viewer, …show more content…
This develops another Filipino core value called kapwa, which describes a shared identity that insinuates a moral obligation to care for each other (Reyes, 2015). Ibarra fosters a sense of kapwa that uplifts and advances a marginalized community. Listeners build community as they inspire each other. A Grain of Sand’s performative role in the Asian American Movement (“A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America”, 1973) parallels the role Ruby Ibarra plays in inspiring Filipino American solidarity and kapwa. Authentically and earnestly powering a community through successful transmission of relatable content, the collective, engaged participatory culture powers the push for Filipino Americans to also authentically and earnestly represent themselves in fields with a scarcity of Filipino American laborers. This creates a positive feedback loop of Filipino Americans in media and industry, thus increasing the inspiration as a community exponentially. Collaborative efforts produced from Ibarra’s work allow Filipino Americans to feel understood and that together, they can reach for a better future for Filipino