How Music Changed My Pride

Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, Roby Karangalan is currently a Junior at the University of Utah studying Games and Japanese. of Utah. In this post, he shares his story of his identity and how music and joining a band allowed him to gain pride in his ethnicity. Roby makes music under the name Soybeano, so check out his music from the links below! Thanks for you submission, Roby!

How music changed my pride

By: Roby Karangalan

I've been struggling with the idea of identity since I was a little kid. I don't speak Tagalog since my parents were too afraid of me getting bullied if I were to develop an accent. However, I was also raised in a Filipino-like way, so growing up, I couldn't understand how my friends who were full blooded Americans, could just get away with doing specific things. I never really saw myself as a Filipino since I wasn't raised there and I can't speak Tagalog, but I never really saw myself as an American since I didn't really do things that "Americans" did. However, to make a long story short, I've met many friends who are now a part of my little music group named "Hinabi Bloom". These friends showed me that I don't need to have one label to my name. That I can be whoever I want to be! That I should be proud of being an Asian American!

Hinabi Bloom (Music links below):

Check out some of his music from the following links:

• Wished - Soybeano

• Soybeano - Wished - Lyrics video

• Soybeano 'Outro: Aloha - Hinabi Bloom

• Solitude - Hinabi Bloom