Immigrant parents inspire American University senior

As a single mother struggling to get a foothold in a new country, Aleli Vinoya did whatever she could to make sure that her eldest daughter, Nicole Gasmen, would have better opportunities than she herself did growing up in her native Philippines.

She also understood that for those opportunities to have meaning, her daughter also had to be free to follow her interests wherever they may take her — be it the stage, the loi (taro patch) or the halls of government.

"My mother has always been supportive of whatever I’ve wanted to try," says Gasmen, 20. "She never understood parents who kept their children from trying different things."

And that, in brief, is how Gasmen found herself empowered at a young age to pursue music, acting, environmental science, international studies, sustainability, food production and anything else that kindled her imagination. It’s how she has been able to travel from her native Ewa Beach to college in Washington, D.C., and soon to South Korea for further study.

Gasmen, a rising senior at American University, says she draws inspiration from the experiences of her parents and grandparents, who emigrated from Ilocos Norte, Philippines, in search of better opportunities.

Her parents did not marry, but Gasmen speaks respectfully of how her father came to Hawaii with just a middle-school education and earned his first dollars stringing lei for criminally low wages. She recalls with admiration the way her mother supplemented her income as a computer programmer with shifts at Burger King so Gasmen could attend St. Andrew’s Priory.

And, indeed, Gasmen has made the most of her opportunities. She started playing drums in middle school and became a standout in her school ensemble. The confidence she gained from the experience fueled her later activities in theater (she plays a wicked Shylock) and student government.

"When you succeed in one thing, it makes you want to see what else you can do well in," she says.

At American U., Gasmen plays drums for the pep band and participates in the newly established Fili­pino American Coalition.

Last fall, Gasmen interned with Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, which stoked her desire to increase voter participation and raise environmental awareness at the grass-roots level.

"It’s amazing to me that we have (Hirono) in the Senate and that our representatives are also both women of color," she says. "We’re fortunate to have them as role models, especially when there are young girls growing up in other states who still think it’s a man’s world."

Gasmen also served an internship with the Pacific Islander Access Proj­ect, helping to address inequities in scholarship distribution to Pacific islanders.

"I do things for my own sake, but also because I really want my mom to be proud of me and for my sisters to be able to see how far they can go in their own lives."

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Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.