Growing up, I was never really seen as a Filipino considering I’m mixed. So when I would be with my Filipino side of the family, I would always stand out a lot and people would think I’m just a family friend. Every time I would tell someone I’m Filipino they would always be shocked or sometimes, wouldn’t really believe me. I always grew up surrounded by Filipinos whether they were family, my mom’s friends, and kids I would meet at my mom’s work, so the Filipino culture has always been a big part of my life.

There’s this mall that is near my mom’s old work, and before there was a Filipino store that was filled with Filipino apparel. One day when I was 10 years old, I finally went inside and checked it out. I then found a shirt that had the Filipino sun with the three stars and knew I had to get it. I remember always wearing that shirt for years because everytime I would wear it I would always get recognized by other Filipinos and it would always be the best feeling. Even though me without the shirt does not make me any less Filipino, just being able to represent being one and getting recognized by other Filipinos just by wearing it always meant a lot to me.

So having this brand means a lot to me that not only I can represent, but so many others can too.

-Jazmine Real