Jason Tanamor Quotes

I considered myself white, having grown up essentially American but with Filipino parents. I don't speak with an accent and I barely speak Tagalog. So, for most of my life, I looked at the world as a 'white' person.

I always wanted to be an author. I thought it was the coolest job. As a child of immigrant parents, it wasn't ever something that they promoted. They always wanted me to do something practical.

I've always looked at life through the lens of a non-Filipino.

So the biggest lesson for me was to write what you want. People are going to have their opinions—good and bad. The reality is you're not going to please everyone, and if you attempt to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. If anything, you can have fun doing it.

The most Filipino thing about me is the way I look. Having grown up essentially in American culture, for the longest time I'd identified first as an American and second as a Filipino.

If we can get more stories and people who can make differences, such as authors writing OwnVoices stories, I think we'll begin to see a shift in industries that can depict people of color in a more positive light.