When he was a kid, James did not really care about why he would always hear reminders from his parents to stay out of the sun.
“I’ve got a lot of friends who are Filipino and our parents would tell us not to play outside because our skin would get dark.”
“Growing up, I never really questioned that. But now as an adult I’ve realised how messed up that actually is. I reckon comedy is the best way to destroy that way of thinking,” he says.
Adjusting to a new life
Coming from the Philippines, James describes how difficult it was adjusting to a new life in New Zealand. He acknowledges that there are culture clashes and having Filipino parents, he was raised with a certain set of values. It was tough at first, he says, but eventually they kind of reached a middle ground.
“[My parents] accepted the fact that it is something that happens when you are migrating to another country. Eventually, you do have to embrace and acclimatise in a way that acknowledges your heritage and embraces the new culture.”
Uprooting the whole family for the benefit of their children is such a big sacrifice to make and James is grateful his parents did that. Source: Supplied by J Roque
“I will have fish and chips, but I’ll have it with rice,” he quips.
‘Why not doctor?’
Every parent wants the best for their children. And having Filipino parents, there is a certain expectation that they would want their children to become doctors or nurses.
James admits it was hard for him to tell them he wants to be a comic because he realises the big sacrifices that his parents made.
“When I tell them I want to be a comedian, they said, ‘Why not, doctor?’[laughs]. That was a hard one that I find hard to navigate but eventually they came around,” he shares.
James says he is inspired by his parents and he would always share stories about them on stage.
He shares one classic example:
“Like a very classic Filipino mum is that she’ll force you to eat too much. If we have guests in the house, she won’t just say hello, but she’ll ask them ‘Have you eaten?’ and she’ll check every hour if you’ve eaten.”
“That’s very classic,” he says.
A minority in the industry
James also admits that having brown skin is a bit of a double-edged sword for him. He explains that there is an expectation that when he hops off the stage in front of a white audience, people expect him to talk about his skin colour.
“Just because you’re brown, that doesn’t mean that’s all you want to talk about. It’s hard because you are a minority in the industry.”
"Looking like the way I look, I’m Filipino in a white country, there’s an expectation." Source: SBS Filipino/ R Masinag
“It can be a little bit discouraging at times, but you know, I just persevere. I realised I was representing a group of people and that was way more important than finding it difficult,” he shares.
In terms of being brown in the industry, it also meant that he has a point of difference.
“In comedy, it’s so important to have a distinct voice and I was able to tap into that,” he says.
Boy Mestizo at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
After a successful run at last year’s Melbourne and New Zealand International Comedy Festivals, James performs a sequel to his journey to get back to his Filipino roots through his new show, .
From pinching their baby’s noses to try make it pointier like a white nose to using skin whitening products to try and make their skin whiter, James tackles all these in his new show.
“The show is about finding pride as a Filipino in this modern world, post-colonialism. It’s a way of me getting in touch with my Filipino roots, establishing a new identity as a Filipino in this new world that we lived in.”
