Local Filipino American family featured in documentary debuting on Netflix this Friday

On Friday, a documentary featuring a North Texas family is making a debut on Netflix which will air on screens across the world.

Who We Become follows three young Filipino American women over the last three years as they grapple with the pandemic, racial tensions and social justice. The three also form unexpected connections with their families, many who are immigrants from the Philippines.

Lauren Yap and her family from Bedford are prominently featured in the film.

“For me making this film really centers the story of these three Filipino American women and you see them kind of coming into their own, embracing their own kind of political points of view and consciousness, and then figuring out a way to share it with their family – who they recognize may have a very different point of view and come from a very different experience,” said the film’s director, Austin-based filmmaker PJ Raval. “So I think it is possible to kind of have that exchange there, but I think it requires a lot of trust and vulnerability and it relies ultimately on this idea of family love…we know that so much a part of the Filipino experience is putting your family first.”

The story also centers around the Filipino word ‘kapwa’ which means "shared identity" and "togetherness.”

The film also captures the unbreakable bond between Filipino family and community.

“I think that idea of having one foot in the United States, and one foot tied to the Philippines through parents or grandparents or someone in our family, puts us in a very specific position where we're navigating American culture – but also very much Filipino culture, which as you know, has all of its richness and nuances as well,” he said.

Monica Silvero

Who We Become was acquired by ARRAY Releasing, a distribution collective by filmmaker Ava DuVernay which is dedicated to distributing and exhibiting independent films made by Black artists, people of color and women of all kinds.

In an interview with NBC 5, Raval said he’s excited for Asian-American and minority communities to see the film and connect with its message.

“Understanding that the experience of a Filipino American is also very specific because it falls into this space that some scholars have called liminal, which is this idea of kind of straddling both American culture and maybe the culture of our ancestors or our parents or grandparents,” he said. “And I think that is something that is experienced by many different communities…It's a way to think about how we align together and that strength there. So very much the film goes into Asian and Black solidarity.”

Zachary Adam Gomez

Raval said it’s also about sending that same message to the rest of the world during a crucial time.

"I'm really excited to be releasing this film in December because I think the holiday time period, as much as it can be filled with a lot of joy, it can also be filled with a lot of anxiety and tension sometimes for family. And I recognize right now we're living in very turbulent times and there's a lot of division, not only within the country, but within family sometimes. I think if anything, I'm hoping this film will be inspirational and maybe can serve as an example and a guide for those who are trying to bridge that gap between other family members,” he said. “It is really always reminding us that this is all centered in love, right? The idea of love of family, love of community, and love of friendship – with that love comes trust. And that's where maybe these conversations can come out of."

 Who We Become has already held screenings across Texas and beyond. NBC 5’s Alanna Quillen – who is Filipino – recently hosted a local Q&A with the director and the Yap family at a recent screening.

There's also a virtual watch party happening Friday night at 7 p.m. CT. For more information about the watch party and the film, click here.