Isabel Angeles - Founder, Editor in Chief of The Walang Hiya Project
Isabel Angeles is a writer, founder and Editor in Chief of The Walang Hiya Project. Currently majoring in English and double minoring in Film and Applied Development Psychology at UCLA, Isabel plans on a Masters in Education and to become a teacher. Isabel’s early love of writing and reading was nurtured by her parents, and she started writing poetry as a child. She found writing to be a release and an escape. “I use my writing as a platform for my experiences as a Filipina, my bisexuality, addressing racism, womxn empowerment; but I also write a lot of everything. I love writing about romance and crafting intricate stories. I love world-building and character development. I love that I can encompass the human experience on paper. Writing for me has truly always been an outlet that has given me life.” Isabel created The Walang Hiya Project as a space for Filipino womxn and non-binary Pinxys to express themselves through art and connect to one another. The Walang Hiya Project holds poetry, essays, interviews, visual arts. It is a “collective stands for education/learning, creativity, growth, and decolonization.“ And it is growing. She has a drive to push herself and create, and uplift her community. Isabel has started an earring shop called Kumikislap Co, and has a collaborative article and website created bye Filipino womxn and non binary folks coming.
The Walang Hiya Project website is: https://walanghiyaproject.wixsite.com/collective
Walang Hiya Instagram: @walanghiyaproject
My Social Media:
Personal Account: @roni.isabel
Poetry/Writing Account: @lumpiyas
Earring Shop: @kumikislap.co
Linkedin: Isabel Angeles
All published works: linktr.ee/lumpiyas
I am the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Walang Hiya Project. Besides the collective, I recently finished working with my local community college’s Upward Bound Program as a student mentor and tutor for almost a year. Upward Bound is a program that aids low-income, first-gen, and disadvantaged high school students with their educational journey. I have recently transferred to UCLA from my community college and will soon be working at a similar job at Bruincorps, which aims to help and tutor elementary school students! Additionally, I started a small earring business on Instagram, which you can find at @kumikislap.co! My plate is pretty full at the moment!
How are you creating your career path?
I recently transferred to UCLA from community college. My goal is to major in English and double minor in Film and Applied Development Psychology (child development). I’ve always wanted to be a writer even as a child, so while I am getting my education I am doing writing on the side. I often submit to online magazines or, when I get the chance, perform at virtual open mics. I am aiming to be a writer for books and scripts/screenplays, not just for films, but for children’s shows. I am also planning to go to grad school to get my masters in Education/my teaching credentials, as I am really interested in becoming a high school English teacher or an elementary school teacher! The jobs and volunteering I have done for years all have to do with mentoring and working with children and teenagers, so I definitely have experience with a wide age range. I love meeting new students and listening to them talk, and I also just love helping people in general. I am confident in the path I am taking now to achieve all my career goals! It hasn’t been an easy road, but it has been rewarding as I overcome each and every obstacle that may stand in my way.
Why did you start the Walang Hiya Project? What is the message behind it?
I started the Walang Hiya Project because I did not see any Filipino/a/x-centered collectives, or at least any that were active. I chose to name the collective “Walang Hiya” because it is a Filipino phrase that means “shameless” or “without shame.” I have been called “walang hiya” by my parents before; and I know many others can relate. The term itself is often used to berate those who break cultural norms and stray from traditional aspects of our culture. But for years, many Filipino/xs have been reclaiming the phrase as a way of empowerment. The Walang Hiya Project was created as an outlet and safe space for Filipino womxn and non-binary Pinxys to express themselves through art, writing, etc., without any shame. The collective stands for education/learning, creativity, growth, and decolonization. This project also sets out to help fellow Filipinxs make connections with each other. I wanted to create a space for healing, and give people an opportunity to share how they are living their lives without shame; or, sharing one’s Walang Hiya story.
How important is it for you to be inclusive to Pinay womxn and non binary Pinxys?
It is extremely important! I want them to feel like they are heard and loved, and that they have a safe space to express themselves. The Filipino/x community can be misogynistic, transphobic/homophobic and ageist; some behavior coming from people and men who are lauded as “rolemodels” in the community. This behavior is so utterly disappointing, and must be diminished. But non-men in the Filipino/x community have almost always uplifted and been there for each other through these ordeals. Pinay womxn and non-binary folks are so powerful; they constantly amaze and inspire me. We are truly the backbone of the Filipino/x community, in my opinion. When we come together and connect in a safe space that accepts our strengths and our fieriness, we are unstoppable! I just hope that The Walang Hiya Project perpetuates and emphasizes that sense of community between us.
What has the response to the Walang Hiya Project been like?
It started off very slow, but has only recently garnered some support! I would love for it to grow even bigger and for it to connect more people! I want Filipino womxn and non-binary Pinxys to know that if they’re searching for a safe space, the Walang Hiya Project is there for them. I just want people to know that they are loved, seen, heard, and deserve to be recognized. I would love for more people to submit to the project and then connect with each other! It has already happened before and I marvel at the closeness and friendships that have blossomed from the collective. I think seeing others connect, make friends, and build community is the best part about continuing The Walang Hiya Project.
How long have you been writing poetry?
I have been writing poetry since I was a child. My earliest instance of writing was when I was three years old; I was constantly making little books, thinking I had written novels. I have always loved writing and reading, and I think that relationship rooted itself so deep in my life because my parents would encourage me to as a child. They were always reading to me and telling me stories, especially my dad. As I grew older, English became my favorite subject, which is why it is my major now.
I loved how you could move people and evoke certain emotions in them with just your words, or how you could plant visuals in their head and give them ideas and inspiration. Of course, I had to develop my writing style and get better at it; I am still learning how to fine-tune my writing now. That process will never end, I don’t think. There is still much for me to learn and to do.
Writing has always been a coping mechanism for me. It’s an escape. Especially as someone with anxiety and depression; writing is one of the things that have saved me. It is honestly a marker for me that I am alive, that I am here right now, penning something.
I use my writing as a platform for my experiences as a Filipina, my bisexuality, addressing racism, womxn empowerment; but I also write a lot of everything. I love writing about romance and crafting intricate stories. I love world-building and character development. I love that I can encompass the human experience on paper. Writing for me has truly always been an outlet that has given me life.
What are some of the favorite poems you've written?
Two of my favorite poems are:
LAKAS
lakas (adj.): tagalog word meaning “strong”
she makes love with the sun
and feasts on flames.
mahal siya ng araw.
centuries of defiance
tucked away
in the liquid red lightning
striking through
her veins.
isang babae na walang takot.
her face is not only her own
but her ancestors’
pag tumawag ang rebolusyon, sasagutin mo ba?
always.
grip the knife in one hand,
occasionally trade it for a gun:
intertwines her fingers
with her kasama’s in the other
she is made of the brown, brown earth
where all those who came before her
are now laid to rest
resilient womxn
dala niya ang lakas ng mga ninuno niya.
isabel angeles 4.11.20
HONEYMOON: FIN
Isabel Angeles
but i’m jealous of the girl with the doe eyes
and the spring-fresh face:
rosebuds blooming pink in her cherub cheeks,
feverish with punch-drunk love for the boy-next-door.
do you remember what it was like to see stars
after soft lips locked?
shrug the shimmering over-the-moon dust off your shoulders —
— the magic has worn off.
and though the fireworks burst bright in his eyes and yours
the still sky is lonely and longing for light.
don’t you wish
you were dipping your hands
in jars of honey instead?
i would rather be stuck with sweetness,
moonstruck and tongue-tied
at the brushing of his fingers
against mine.
but now it is time to learn
how to fall in love with you
all over again,
each time different than the last.
and this is romance at its finest,
is it not?
we were royals once —
— in the halcyon days where young love reigned.
this empire has not crumbled yet.
just shaken by the earth quaking beneath our feet
and the tempest of thoughts
that storm and cloud our clockwork minds.
pieces of our castle crash down and collect dust
but we can rebuild this home together
and each time
we will reassemble it with steel.
step through the illusion
and let the painted background
tumble over and splinter.
rekindle this flame with the debris of our old ways,
watch it grow and warm us.
it wavers and falters,
shrinks and smokes,
but never goes out.
pull my sugared hands out of the glass,
wash the liquid off my fingers,
intertwine your hand with mine.
so long as you are the keeper of my heart
and i the keeper of yours,
we will conquer this world together.
— “honeymoon: fin”, i.a.
(I performed both of these at the Marias at Sampaguitas’s open mic! You can find most of them on my poetry account on Insta, @lumpiyas, and my Link Tree: linktr.ee/lumpiyas. “Honeymoon: Fin” is not there. I believe it will be published in Marias at Sampaguitas in December!)
What is your biggest driving force?
I would say that my biggest driving force is myself, and my love for my people/the people. I am constantly pushing myself to do new things and explore; to constantly learn and unlearn. I am extremely passionate about my community and helping others. It is so important to uplift others! In terms of art, I make it to share with others, in hopes that it inspires them to create and do the same. I want people to feel/get in touch with their emotions and relate/make connections. I am always extremely touched when people tell me that they look up to me or that a creation of mine has led them to pursue a project/art/craft. That motivates me to keep going. For me, it’s all about spreading love, kindness, and a sense of encouragement that will impact others and have them carry that legacy on to future generations.
Do you have any upcoming projects that you're excited about?
I planned to host an Open Mic for the 1 year anniversary of the collective, but it fell through! I will plan another one sometime soon, and The Walang Hiya Project may collaborate with another literary magazine in the process. I had a lot of plans for the collective but everything had to be put on hold due to my mental health and busy schedule. I’m excited about everyone sharing their art and connecting with others!
Besides that, I am working on releasing new earrings for my earring shop, Kumikislap Co. I’m stoked to share my art with everybody, and very grateful and happy about the support I’ve received so far in regards to my designs. I started the business to help me pay for college and personal expenses. Finally, a collaborative article and website I am a part of will be published soon on October 31st. The article and website, created by a group of Filipino womxn and non-binary folks, seeks to call out the misogyny and ageist behavior enacted on non-men by certain Fil-Am academics and “activists” in the community. It reveals our experiences with this negative and degrading behavior and assumes a call to action/accountability from these men and other adults.
Photos courtesy of Isabel Angeles