VOICES Feature: CaseyAnn Alcantara Carbonell
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CaseyAnn Alcantara Carbonell
Co-Founder of Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC)
Board Member for Be Smooth, Inc.
Community Educator for Little Manila Rising
Consultant with Everyday Impact Consulting
Interviewed December 13, 2020
What do you do? Tell us a little about yourself and your work.
I am a second-generation Filipina-American. I come from a lineage of Ilokanos. I honor my ancestral lands in the Philippines and the unceded Yokut and Miwok territories that I reside on now, colonially known as Stockton. I was born in the Bay Area, San Jose, to two Filipino immigrants. I moved to Stockton in 6th grade and grew up here.
As I write this in December 2020, I am involved in various efforts in Stockton and beyond. I am one of the Co-Founders of Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC), which was started to address the lack of services for Southeast Asian communities; we started a Southeast Asian Youth Leadership Program and just recently launched the 209 Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition with Little Manila Rising.
I sit on the Board of Be Smooth, Inc., an organization started by Lecia Harrison to honor the life and legacy of her son and Stockton youth activist, Brandon Harrison.
I’m also a Community Educator for Little Manila Rising.
These are some of the local efforts I’m involved in, but I also have the privilege to sit at different regional and statewide tables.
My day job is with Everyday Impact Consulting, as a Consultant, where our vision is a society where there is social justice and equity for all communities.
And while I do the community and movement building work, I also believe in doing healing work. Within myself and with my community.
What inspired you to do the work that you do?
Finding my passion in social justice inspired me. Meeting other people who are interested in working towards something bigger than themselves inspired me. Learning my true herstory inspired me. Being a child of immigrants and learning my parents’ journeys inspired me. Growing up in Stockton and now being able to make an impact in Stockton inspires me.
What are some of the barriers, challenges, or issues that women in Stockton face that you want to highlight?
I can’t speak for all women, but I will speak for myself growing up as a Pinay and Woman of Color in Stockton. A challenge I experienced and see is the lack of femtorship (female mentorship), it wasn’t until I got older that I learned how important it is for me to learn from other women and to relate with them and learn to cultivate self-love and self-respect from them. Women carry so much, and do it with grace. Women also deserve to be fed up and tired, with the sexism and misogyny we have to put up with in this patriarchal society that we live in. I’d like to see more inclusive spaces for women that promote healing, sisterhood and empowerment.
What do you do to treat yourself? Any self-care recommendations to share with other women?
This is a hard question in 2020. I ask myself how I can treat myself during a time of multiple pandemics: COVID-19, white supremacy and capitalism. My self-care routine evolves and goes beyond physical activities. I journal, I spend time in nature, I get in comfy clothes and watch a funny movie, I eat my favorite foods, I also consider the work I do with my community a form of self-care because my spirit is fed.
This is a hard question in 2020, but I would say balance work with rest. You/I/We deserve to rest. Women do SO much all the time.
What can people do to support and get involved in your work?
You can follow me and all the organizations I’m a part of on social media to stay updated on the work we’re doing. I would also say to just get involved in general. Most things are done virtual now, so join conversations you’re interested in, reach out to organizations that you resonate with, show solidarity and unity with other Womxn of Color in Stockton and with those aligned with your values. Stockton needs all of us.
Follow CaseyAnn’s work on social media:
Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC): Website, Facebook, Instagram
Be Smooth, Inc.: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Anything else you want to share with our newsletter list?
I’m always open and happy to talk to other young womxn and girls about empowerment and community-involvement. I can share my e-mail address if requested. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Thank you Younger Women’s Task Force for asking me to share my story.
Email [email protected] if you’d like to be connected with CaseyAnn via email.
Thank you for everything you do for our community, CaseyAnn!
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