A Story of Community

For our third installment of Where We Belong, we’re showcasing Casielle Santos-Gaerlan, a Filipina-American artist and illustrator born and raised in Brooklyn. Casielle shared how being part of the Filipinx diaspora and growing up in Brooklyn influence her artwork, the impact of growing up in a diverse community, and what makes her feel – and know – that she belongs in Brooklyn, New York.

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Jalen:
So how has being part of a diaspora influenced your work as an artist?

Casielle:
It influenced my work a great amount. When I'm creating work, I feel like I'm creating it for the community and not just myself. I find myself trying to represent every single unique and rich identity.

Jalen:
Like all the different people in the diaspora, right?

Casielle:
There's so many! It just shows how rich our history is, and there's so much to uncover. So that's what a lot of my art practice is about.

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Jalen:
How would you say that the culture of Brooklyn blended with your Filipino background to create your identity as a Filipino born and raised in Brooklyn?

Casielle:
I think because Brooklyn is inherently diverse, I think Brooklyn is an identity on its own. So I think I leaned into that as well. it was a really good balance. I think everyone knew I was Filipino, so maybe we didn't have the same cultural background, but we had the same kind of bi-cultural experience of being from, you know, growing up in a Chinese household, growing up in a Peruvian household, but then, you know, we all came to school and we all, were kind of experiencing the same thing at the same time to each other. 

Jalen:
Like you can all relate to each other, even if it's a different culture?

Casielle:
Yeah, yeah!  Which was really beautiful, if you think about it.

Jalen:
Yeah, I think that's something that's really cool about being part of a diaspora and knowing what that's like, even across different diasporas, races, countries, and ethnic groups and backgrounds. Even if you're from different places, you can all relate to that shared experience.

Casielle:
Yeah, I think it leads to a lot of really beautiful art, a lot of beautiful community, multifaceted people. I think it was a really big plus for sure. Growing up in Brooklyn, and being around that type of environment.

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Jalen:
What makes you feel like you belong in Brooklyn as Filipino?

Casielle:
I think I belong here – especially like doing the show – I think I belong to kind of, like, represent us. A lot of my artwork as well is inspired by, like, the Brooklyn culture, sneaker culture, the food. The diversity also just shaped my art practice. And then also people that I'm surrounded by. And it's been that way for my whole life, being born and raised and growing up in a place like Brooklyn.

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Jalen:
Was there ever a point – because of the duality of your identity – where you felt like you didn't belong?

Casielle:
I always felt – not that I belong – but I have a right to be here. You know what I mean? You know, my family's here. They immigrated here from the Philippines. I just think back on, like, all the times my ancestors got through hard times and how we ended up here. There have been moments of isolation, like I mentioned. I didn't have any Filipino friends until, like, 2020. So I think I'm having and unlocking this new chapter in my life and finding friends who have similar [experiences]. You know, they grew up in New York too, or they're Filipino-American, and they get it. They get, like, "why are Filipinos so loud" or like, "why are we so passionate", or "why are we so...you know". And if you know, you know. It's a "if you know, you know."

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To watch the full interview, visit us @dspraofficial on Instagram and TikTok. To learn more about Casielle & her work, go to casielle.com and visit @casielle.jpg on Instagram.