Video Transcript

Voiceover
The game plan is a production of Disability Rights California, a space to strategize, organize, and posterize for the future of the disability rights movement. For more information on our work, please visit us at www.disabilityrightsca.org

Eric Harris
Welcome everybody, to the Game Plan with Disability Rights California. My name is Eric Harris and I am the Associate Executive Director of External Affairs at Disability Rights California. I'm really excited because today we have an amazing guest. His name is Roque Bucton. Welcome, Roque to the show.

Roque Bucton
Eric, so good to be with you today. It's Roque Alas Bucton here. And some greetings to the folks, tawo po. Just so happy to be on the Pod and connecting with you all.

Eric
Absolutely. Well, we're so excited to have you. We're only, in the beginning stages of the show. And we're really thrilled to have such amazing guests, including yourself. And let's get right into it.

Roque
Sounds great. Thank you.

Eric
Yeah, absolutely. So, first, I'd love to know a little bit about Roque, especially young Roque. Your background and kind of your youth. What are some of the things that, that you experienced as a as a young person growing up?

Roque
Well, I grew up in Los Angeles, so, like, what is now considered a historic Filipino town. So I, I was, first living above my dad's market in historical town as an infant. And we bounced around a little bit in historic Filipino town, and then I, we bought my dad and mom bought a house in what is now known as Koreatown, which before was known as the Latino Byzantine Quarter, because this was sort of the outskirts of the downtown L.A., so was like the suburbs back in the late 1800s. And, yeah, that was a really interesting experience. It was not the greatest neighborhood, if you know what I mean. It was very culturally diverse. But a very poor neighborhood that, you know, got even worse over time. There was lots of what we would call now disenfranchisement. We didn't have that term. It was just the hood back in the day. So, that was sort of that.

And those were like, so very formative to like, where I'm at now. There was lots of challenges, growing up in that environment and, you know, just general poverty, etc., etc., all those sorts of challenges in the, in the, like in the ghetto. Very common experience amongst, the poor. You know, in the I was born in '64, so like, I really grew up in the 70s. You know, I'm like a 70's kid.

Eric
Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Well, it's interesting because I think. And you can, you know, speak to this, when you're a kid, you kind of just, you're living life as a kid. Did you did you really understand or did you process the challenges that were in your community, or was it just, yeah, this is just where I live. I'm with my friends and with my family, and this is kind of how things are.

Roque
It was sort of a combination of that and also awareness because of like what was really around the area and the level of violence that was around the area. So, you know, like as a kid, I got picked on just for going to school. Being an Asian, you know, there was like, you know, like, racism, you know, like they would say like things like, you know, like Chino, this or that and then, you know, bully you because you were not, you know, like a Latino or something like that. It was just very, like, challenging to understand why people from your own neighborhood or your own community would, you know, pick on you just because of your race.

It's hard to process when you're a little kid. You know, I'll walk in a school and I did have, like a real revelation and insight. And this is very distinct to me. When I was, I would say maybe in the fifth grade. So I went to a, small Catholic grammar school and right next to it was a public park. And this public park was really, really bad. So there was graffiti everywhere. There was like, you know, I don't know people on different substances of different kinds and gangs. Just it was a really intense location for, like, a little kid to kind of play in. This was a playground. And I did have an insight one time, and, and I was like, looking around at the environment, looking at all the crazy folks, you know, like the graffiti that's, all that. And I said, I don't know if I'm going to make it out of here before I'm like 20 something years old. And I kind of made a vow to myself or to a divine essence and said, if I can get through this, I will transform my life and somehow like, commit to, being the best person I could be. And I remember that distinctly. It was almost like having a, like, an epiphany at a very young age about the reality that was around me, and that if I was fortunate enough to live through it, that it was it would be an opportunity to do something for the community.

Eric
Wow. Wow. Well, it sounds like even early on, you just had so many different experiences, whether it was the community that you were in, the schools that you went to, the epiphany that you just spoke about. What would you say, you know, kind of all of those things contributed, towards your political awakening, if you will, or kind of, your, entry into, early advocacy?

Roque
I would say just the, the, cultural differences within various communities. Like, I, like I said, I'm just in this kind of community. But then I went to, Catholic high school, like a very wealthy, Loyola High School. And it was somewhat of a culture shock to be around, folks that had such different lives. Like my high school friends. They lived in very wealthy neighborhoods around LA. And when I would hang, I mean, they were just my buddies. And we would go hang out and I'd be like, wow, you live here? Like, this is amazing. Like, I can't believe you're going to school in my neighborhood because Loyola was in that neighborhood.

But the the students who were there were from like, extreme backgrounds, like, like the things they would tell me their parents did were just like, fantastic to me. Like, they were like, how is that even possible? And so and I started really experiencing, like the various cultural spaces that like LA had for the really the first time because I was sort of just kind of really embedded in the Filipino community, the Latino community, the, you know, just this kind of region very local, regional experience, and then meeting folks that were in my high school and hanging out with them where they lived, they were like at the beach and beachfront homes. They were like in these huge houses, things that I was just like, I, you know, but the part that I really connected to was that they just accepted me as me. I was their friend, you know, it was not a class thing. It was not. We just connected as people. And so I thought that was like the real, like the real meaningful part.

The other stuff was just like, wow, okay, this is this is like a very different upbringing and experience. And it did inform me that there are differences that, like, differentiate, you know, your, your life experience, your view, your perspectives and that, the things that I was experiencing or were subtly, you know, informing me about what I wanted to do in life and what I wanted to do for the community, things that I wanted to become interested in. So that's just a bit of a pretext, but you could follow up if you wish.

Eric
No, I appreciate all that. Okay. And it's so fascinating. I mean, you can tell very early on that all of your experiences led to, you know, your, your growth and development. One question that I have as a, as a follow up about, you know, all of this, your disability identity, and kind of how that came about, all of us have a disability story, you know, what was it for you having the cultural elements, the community element, the poverty element, and then the unique perspective of being in a school that was, as you know, kind of elite in terms of, you know, financial elite levels. What was your experience early on with your disability?

Roque
Well, I was born with two disabilities. So one is a hidden one that, like most people can't perceive. But I was born with like, a, crooked leg, like my my right leg bends at an odd angle. And I remember I went, I could still, see, I still had some eyesight when I was young. And I looked at some photos and I asked my mom. I said, mom, what are these weird shoes that I'm wearing in this photo? Like, I'm a little kid. I was like, what is this? She was like, oh, those are orthopedic shoes to help straighten your leg. And I was like, what? I was like, what are you talking about? Because I was just so used to being in my body, I didn't even perceive it for, say, as a young person. And then I was like, oh, wow. Okay.

The other, disability, is retinitis pigmentosa. So it's a genetic disorder, and that affects the retina of the eye and it's progressive. So as a young person, I had really poor eyesight. And then I eventually started wearing really thick glasses. And then that kind of, got really severe in my mid 30s, let's say, like the my eyesight really started degrading. But that's really like the retinitis pigmentosa was really when I started, dealing with disability. I was, I went into the eye doctor and was diagnosed and it was pretty like, blunt, like the doctor said, oh, you're going to go blind. I was like, I think I was in my I think I was 20 years old. I was like, what? And they were like, the doctor was like, yeah, you have this disorder, etc..And so that was pretty traumatic, let's say, as a young person to hear this news. And there wasn't much follow up, you know, there wasn't any kind of counseling or anything like that. I just kind of went home and talked to my mom about it and, you know, was just wondering what my future would be. That was really, the beginning of my awareness. And then the, the challenges, I would say for like my mental health challenges that started when I was very young. So when I was five years old, my dad passed away and I really did not have the skills as a kid to process all of that. And, and also like, you know, like what was happening with my mom, I, I, you know, I'm a kid. So it was like really hard to process what my mom was going through, etc..And there were things that, just were not like, let's say, tended to in a healthy way for a little kid. I, you know, you got to understand, this was like in the like the early 70s. They didn't we didn't have the sort of like psychology development that we have now, therapeutic things and all the awareness that that, that we have, like it's such a blessing, the conditions we have now on the awareness of those things. And so I, I just sort of went along in life, you know, those are the things that really started to under like for me to, like be with all these disabilities and then much later on in life, sorry, this is going on, but I got several disabilities and then I have a hearing disability, which is just tinnitus, just just ringing in the ears, you know, that, happened over time, probably from just too much loud music exposure. You know, not having the consciousness of wearing earplugs in loud environments like we do now and the reduction of stage volumes, which is really good. So anyway, that's that so can can you refresh or reset like your question because I kind of rambled on there.

Eric
No, no, this is perfect. This is perfect. You know, as a, as a, a follow up to that, you know, having one disability, can bring about, you know, different experiences for, for folks obviously having multiple disabilities, especially, in a situation, as you spoke about, where you're growing up in a community, that is has its own challenges. You're growing up in a situation where your mom is dealing with her own, trauma, potentially, of course, with, you know, your father passing away. How was it just navigating your disability with all of these other elements as a part of it? Your cultural background, your community background, and some of these other pieces?

Roque
Well, for sure, it was challenging, no doubt, because I didn't have, like, tools or guidance initially. And it was also challenging for like, my family, you know, to start experiencing my sight loss and the challenges that I had to like, sort of like that transitional phase from when I was fairly able and active, moving around independently to much different situations. So there were like situational conditions with, R.P. where like the lighting really influences like what you're able to see. So at night, my capacities really start would drop. Like there would be times during the daytime I could walk around fine, but at night I was like having trouble just doing things and stuff like that. So, my friends also were like, like they were saddened that their friend was going through this, you know what I mean? But they were also, like, very supportive. And they also joked around a lot as well, which also helps to kind of ease the tension of like going through difficult things. But it was very challenging.

Eric
[nodding] Yeah.

Roque
I think the, the, the, the for the vision impairment, the, the time I started, going to the Braille Institute and meeting other blind people, that's when I really started to shift, my perspective on what it meant to be a disabled person. I started encountering very well adjusted blind folks. I started meeting blind people that were very, accomplished in their lives, living very full lives that were happy and humorous and engaged and had very full lives were doing all kinds of things that were like, wow, you do that? Like, how do you how can you do that? You're blind. And those sorts of things really did help me.

Playing in a blind band that was like probably one of the most healing things that, that, that, that really benefited me. It kind of merged two passions, you know, like, like music and, and the disability. So, you know, in that space, there's, it's there's kind of like just direct communication. There's no visual thing that's affecting the what you're playing musically. And it was a great training ground. These guys were so talented musically. I just it was it was a great experience to do that.

So once I started realizing that it wasn't like, your life isn't completely over because you have a visual impairment and one of the greater insights that I eventually got to was to really accept where I'm at. And the way I phrase it is, I stop grasping, overseeing. So those things that like, would get me depressed, like reaching, like wanting to see things or do things that are site based, that really help. So like to stop grasping after seeing and to really just accept my realm. And one of the things that did inform me about how it is to be a being in in the world with different senses are animals. So animals have I started like getting really fascinated about how animals navigate in the world. Like many animals can see in other like optical dimensions, you know, like they can see and like like birds see a glittering realm that, you know, bats navigate with ultrasonic. There's fish that navigate with electromagnetic fields in the ocean. There's shrimp that sea and a whole other dimension. There's all this stuff that I was like, and none of them worry about not having another ability, you know? Like, all right, like animals on the ground. Don't look at birds and say, “oh, I my life is over, I can't fly.” You know, it doesn't. They're just they just dwell in their realm and are completely able and content and just go about their, their life. And that really helped me kind of get grounded. About being disabled.

Eric
That's that's fantastic. And it's interesting, you know, I think that for me, kind of in a similar way, meeting other kids, with physical disabilities who were active and engaged and high energy and fun. And for me, it was wheelchair basketball of course. That kind of led me into that part of my community. But finding others in the disability movement, in the disability community really kind of fired me up and got me excited to not only be active as a as an athlete, but also be active as a as an advocate with activism, community work, and just thinking about what, how what can I do? What role can I play, to help not only myself, but others in our community. And I know that that's, a decision that you made very early on as well, which wasn't just about your own experience. But you started to get into community work, activism, social justice. Can you talk a little bit about your early experiences in that space as well?

Roque
Oh, sure. But my family and, the local Filipino community, they were very community driven. There was a real sense of that. And I grew up in it. You know, early on, there weren't institutions, Filipino organizations, institutions, they kind of just started them and built them out. And they were all most of them, from my experience, were just volunteering. And so that just became a very normal thing to do in the community was just, you give of yourself and you help others. And and eventually I started like understanding how to to build like organize and stuff. So I was informed by my elders how they had their like what we term now grassroots initiatives. So I really did start in the Filipino community and my passions started. And like with most young folks like your culture, identity, etc. and so I really started diving into those sorts of things, and that led me down a amazing pathway. I started on learning about my culture and I, you know, in like in your studies in America, it's it's it's it doesn't really cover that region of the world and it's richness. I sort of started studying all these things. And, was really amazed at like, like the wealth of culture, philosophy, spirituality, the diversity, that so many, so much of that, like, really started my journey into, the music of the, Philippines, the martial arts of the Philippines, the cultural, spiritual practices, a whole bunch of stuff that just wasn't really, taught in general. And, and was limited, let's say, within, very small pockets in our community. So I was lucky that on my block, there were several Filipino culture bearers, and I was just sort of immersed in that, culture. I didn't realize how fortunate I was to be around these lineage holders of different music traditions, dance traditions, art traditions, etc. it was a very rare sort of like little like micro community of arts and lineage, culture bearers. And so I, I really started studying those sorts of things and going and taking that big deep dive into it. And I can branch off into any of that if you wish.

Eric
Absolutely. Well, that's that's really fantastic. Okay. And I'm wondering, you know, you've talked about music, art kind of stories, culture. How do you how do you see some of these pieces connecting to disability? And I know you talked a little bit about it with the idea that, that some of the other experiences, of folks, can influence how we view disability, and, and other circumstances. But but what would you say about just the connection between disability and some of these other art kind of forms?

Roque
Sure. So, as a lead in, bit of a preface, I, was shopping in a record store back to old school, back in the day, record store, World Music, where they had all this world music records. Like, it was literally like a couple of blocks from my house. And I walked in there and I was just curious, and I was like, oh, they got a Philippine section, right? I was like, whoa, what's this? And and I looked through the records and I was like, what if it was an album that said, like, Kulintong gong music from the southern Philippines? And I was like, I had no idea what it was. I had. I was like, what is this? You know, there were some other modern cultural folk albums. There was like, People's Army album, which is like a like kind of a rebel rebel group or let's say social, progressive, political wing in the Philippines. And it had that, and also like, what is this one? And I didn't buy them because I had no idea what they were.

Then I kind of let it go about I a couple years later, I went to a, Philippine Independence Day celebration in MacArthur Park. And this was back in the day where MacArthur Park was like, it was it was not a great place like it is now in the year 2025. And I was in the back just like, what the hell am I doing here? This is an awful event. There was like, all these kind of really bad political speeches, and, I don't know, it was just, I was just like, what am I doing here? And then all of a sudden, this, this, this guy comes out and he looks really, like dark skinned, very indigenous looking. And he starts setting up gongs. And then there's this beautiful woman, Filipina comes out and starts setting up the gongs. Was like, what is this? You know? And I was like, totally like what? Because I was a musician at that point, you know, I was playing music, you know, like percussion ensemble, etc. so I was like a magnet.

I went from the, from the back of this event way in the back towards and I just moved up like I just kept going closer and I just kept looking at the gongs and, and then they started playing and then I was just totally blown away, of this amazing gong drum tradition of the southern Philippines. And I went after the set, went to the back, and I told them, what? What is this? I'd love to learn this. Do you do you guys teach, etc. and that started my path down the gong music in the southern Philippines called Kulintang and they were in their very formative stages of starting a nonprofit. The World Kulington Institute. And I just became a pest.

And they would joke with me, who is this guy that keeps calling us about classes and stuff? And, and then I just I was just in it. I was just in my element playing gong music from the southern Philippines. We eventually recorded the first gong music of this tradition on CD. And I eventually ran back to that record, so and the two albums were still there and I bought them. And, so we started like an entire institute. So there was the World Kulington Institute, which is in, Reseda in the Valley in Los Angeles, teaching the music, touring the music, playing, you know, under the Music Center, on tour program, etc. tons of gigs, tons of cultural like, tangents that are connected to the traditions. There's a wealth when you dive into the culture.

The gongs are one aspect, and then all these other things just start unfolding in front of you that are connected to it, culturally speaking. And that was my deep dive to circle back now to the disability part. Part of this culture is also martial arts. So there's some, a martial arts tradition that has several names, but like, Kali is one of the main names, eskrima, arnis. There's several. And they're related to the Indo Pacific Islander Martial tradition. So they're connected to Indonesia, the silat tradition and also to southern India. The karate it tradition of southern India. These are, very deeply connected, stylistically and traditionally and culturally.

And so as a person who was who was very conscious that I was going to be losing my eyesight because I was really having poor eyesight, I wanted to really dive into the martial arts while I could still see. And so I practiced as a visually impaired person, a very sophisticated, let's say, martial style that involved like sticks, knife fighting, swordplay, etc. which really required a lot of visual acuity. And I was trained against able bodied, fully sighted folks, and they became my cohort. And I really did get to an accomplished level in that. And, and I knew that that would also be of great benefit, because I knew at some point I'd be walking around with a cane, you know.

Eric
[laughing and nodding] Yeah. That's right, that's right.

Roque
Yeah, exactly. And so I was like, this is so ideal for a person to eventually be dependent upon a cane for their life, really. And it it really did help my mobility. I, you know, I'm really good with my cane skills because of that. Like that background and awareness. The like the the full like, like, capacity that I have with my cane. So that's just a neat little bow on that.

Eric
Wow. Well, that's really, really fascinating. And I have to believe the other folks who are in your cohort and just around who got to witness, the the passion and energy that you brought to, to the martial arts and, just like how good you were at it, I'm sure that it carried a lot for them to go back to their communities, go back to their families, and otherwise, and just be thoughtful about, you know, having somebody with the disability included in our team or on our cohort or a part of our culture is important because they bring things that maybe otherwise we wouldn't have, we wouldn't have had. So I think I have to believe that that, you know, made a major difference on a lot of those folks experiences as well.

Roque
It sure did. And also, my, my, my colleagues, my my friends, my my musician friend, my martial friends, to also, it was challenging for them to experience the like my diminishing eyesight over time, you know, and they were still very supportive of me, you know, understanding let's say, but it was also challenging, you know, to, to see someone so let's say capable and then starting to diminish in, like, eyesight abilities. Those sorts of things were, were very like, I learned a lot about how to be in the world, as, a visually impaired person. That that was really, transformative time in my life. I'd say like, yeah, that that was really quite amazing. Yeah, yeah. And just as a side note, I eventually started, training at the blind dojo after my eyesight really started going down. So I have that as my, part of my background. That was where the Paralympic, judo, players in Los Angeles trained. So I got to play with them. Yeah, it was a great time.

Eric
Wow. That's interesting. And I know, you know, something that just came to mind. Of course, as folks live longer, acquiring disability is just part of part of the our lifespan. And having vision loss, especially as you get a little bit older, you know, a lot of people will try to do everything they can to either deny that it's happening. Or. Or otherwise, you know, they'll, they'll let me do anything else besides, you know, have to either have a cane or, use any other types of support. What would you say to somebody? And of course, this happened to you, you know, your disability early in your life, but what would you say to folks who are navigating maybe a little bit later in life or any point in their life, about, you know, especially vision loss and kind of, you know, as they, as they, grow and get older?

Roque
Oh, sure. Yes. I completely understand this, having experience with other folks, you know, just sharing like, the journey. I'd say one of the main things is to be free of shame. There's lots of folks that, like, they have a certain sense of ego and pride about how they are as an able bodied, quote unquote, person. And then there's some stigma to now being, disabled person, someone that may be reliant on a mobility device, etc., or an assistive technology, whatever it might be. And being free from that takes a lot of an interior, internal personal work. Now, there's great support services for that. But, I'd say that's one of the primary things to let go of that. Like I was I went through that myself, like, they call it passing, meaning you're trying to pass as a sighted person and you're trying to just make it through. And that would happen to me, like. Like I mentioned, like when it got dark.

Yeah, I would, I wouldn't be using a cane because during the day I was still able to walk around, etc. and get around, but then at night, like my eyesight wouldn't be as good, but I was like hiding the fact and not using a cane, when I should have and really didn't need it. And this is something I didn't realize till later in life. Others around me would have benefited from that. They would because people looked at me like, why is he odd like that? Why is he moving around in a weird way? Or this guy's weird or something? I'm not weird. I was just going through my disability, but I didn't have the evolved skillset to disclose it yet, so that part of it, I'd say, is one of the primary hurdles. And then, like I mentioned earlier, not to grasp after what you're not any longer. That's a tough thing for many folks. Because let's say, let's say people who got, became disabled over a traumatic incident like I've, I've been around lots of folks who've had accidents and, and then different kinds of things like that where it was traumatic. On some level, it, it, it it's it, it's even easier than a slower degradation because you just have to accept the fact all of a sudden, like you've, you've been in an accident. Here you are. But folks that have a disability where it's gradual, that can be even more challenging because you're used to just being so able bodied and you're still trying to grasp after what you once were, etc., etc..

That's just like the martial arts thing. Like I started like when I went to the blind dojo, I was like, oh, there's a bunch of blind martial arts and they're there. They're totally fine. And damn, can they fight? You know, like so, yeah, I would say those sorts of things like that and for sure, like, trying to reach out and being around your new community. So like I mentioned earlier, being around, blind folks, that kind of support, even if it's indirect, not like, you know, peer support group or a formal therapeutic setting, but just being around folks like that to talk about, you know, who are living their lives, just you know, doing their things, etc., having fun, like, you know, just all that that is such a, transformative, environment to be in and very healing. And I would say those things. Yes.

Eric
Absolutely. No, I appreciate that. Okay. So we're going to switch gears just a little bit, back to kind of your, statewide advocacy. And some of the spaces that you hold on boards, councils, commissions, I think folks who are listening and, and, you know, checking this out, can tell that you're involved. You could be involved in so many different things in terms of your music, art, spirituality, martial arts, etc., etc. you spend a whole heck of a lot of time, you know, helping the community, doing statewide advocacy. Can you talk a little bit about, you know, why you think that's so important and what you think we as a disability community can do during these times? You know, it's challenging at the federal level, challenging in some ways, of course, at the state level, local levels. What would you say as an advocate who's chosen to do this? You know, what would you say to our community, on ways that we can, kind of lead in and, and hopefully improve, our situation?

Roque
Well, as I mentioned earlier, I was really grounded in community service as a young person and as a extend it out. And, and we built these things out culturally. It it just became, a normal thing to me to tend to my community, whatever that meant. And very early on it was in the Filipino community. But it soon it started to expand. And through my journey, I was very conscious about, like how R.P. affects my your life, curve in terms of eyesight. So I knew I wanted to do certain things as a young person while I still had some visual capacity. And but later, I knew deep down I also wanted to broaden what that community meant to me as a person with a disability. So I knew later on in my life, as my eyesight shifted, I wanted to really start to embrace the disabled part of my being and extend my, service to the disabled, my my disabled community. So I really started doing things, for the blind community, working in that sector at first because I was so let's say, connected to that part of my disability.

I then started, working in the mental health sector because I, a friend of mine, encouraged me to get connected to the L.A. County Department of Mental Health. They were starting a disability advisory council, which, is now named, Access for All. And that was a really good, place for me to start expanding, like, let's say, moving out of the silo of the visual impaired community, expanding outward into just disability and disability, including mental health, because I experienced those mental health challenges going through my disability journey. And I and I knew that there were others that may be also struggling. And, I, I encountered them, you know, in this disability advisory committee. And they were also talking about, you know, things like equity and services, like the discrepancies and, the services that were available to people with, disabilities, the the lack of, cultural etiquette amongst, therapeutic practitioners, etc..And I really was like, well, let's, let's transform that. Let's, let's really work, let's, let's get them accountable. You know, let's, let's make, these changes, manifest and, come into being so that we have, a better, the better conditions for all of us. I grew up prior to the, Rehabilitation Act and the ADA, so I kind of know what it was like. Like I didn't have these accommodations when I went to school. It was really challenging, you know, like, I was staring at the chalkboard. Like the chalkboard. A visually impaired person trying to keep up in a classroom. Like what? You know. Yeah. It's so different now. Yeah. It's so that the conditions are so much better on so many levels.

You know, like the assistive technology, etc..It's it's amazing. And so I do understand what those challenges are and what it means to fight for those sorts of things. I didn't have that kind of language back in the day. We didn't have, you know, like accommodations, like length. That just was not a term, you know? And so I, I, I do recognize the, the, our, our prior leaders that brought about the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act. I've met some of them now who are or some of like they and they're very inspiring to be around because they, they talk about like what they had to go through, what they did, the initiatives like. And even to this day, they continue all that work. I'm in awe. And, you know, just inspired by their stories and their current accomplishments and what they actually do, those sorts of things really informed me, and I just wanted to continue that. And on a very deep level, like in terms of advocacy, we're speaking up, for those who don't have a voice or, you know, don't have the, like the, energetic capacity to do that for whatever reason that is, you know what I mean? Like, you're dealing with your stuff. Yeah. And it's a bit overwhelming. Totally understandable. You know, you got a lot going on.

Eric
That's right.

Roque
But those there are those that have gone through the journey and are maybe better, able at a, at a certain time to speak about these things and then, like really do advocacy on behalf of the community. And I, I do understand that, I was schooled through my elders, in the Filipino community. They were very tough on us and called us out on a lot of stuff, you know, like that we were not skilled in certain areas. We didn't have emotional maturity, we didn't have spiritual grounding, etc., etc..And so I know it takes a bit of time to cultivate those skills. And I'm always, I let's say, I, I, I love being around the, the disabled leadership community because I understand that journey. I understand and appreciate all the, the things that they are able to do and how fierce and ferocious some of them are, and how talented and skilled they are.

In order to go through all the various pathways in order to improve the conditions for people with disabilities. During these times, it's very challenging to view opposition as you know, your brothers and sisters because they're opposing certain services or funding and you can, view them as like opposition per se, or those with, negative views. So I try to really work on the issues themselves and to dissolve, like, let's say, political bias, which is not easy to do these days. Racial bias. Economic, biases. I really try to ground myself in humanity like, this is a human thing. These are people that need compassion, care, etc. and I really ground myself there. And, you know, it's it's like our brothers and sisters who are on the streets, you know, most of them have disabilities. I think of it as a disabilities issue compiled, you know, like, compounded upon by being unhoused. You know, that they are trying to tend to themselves in any which way, meaning like maybe self-medicating, etc., trying to find some kind of relief. I know I don't blame them in that regard, or look down upon them for trying to find some relief. Trying to find some peace in a very challenging, experience. Going through, a very challenging, environment to navigate, etc. repeated traumas, etc. and trying to heal through that. They just build upon themselves. And so that's where advocacy comes in. You're, you know, we're working to really improve their conditions as best we can.

Eric
[nodding] That's right.

Roque
When faced with, let's say, policies that impede their well-being, where like, like I think we need to stand up, rally folks across the aisle, look at our common humanity and tend to people as best we can. So I'll pause it there just to reset.

Eric
You know, I really appreciate, you know, those points, Roque. And I feel like, you know, as a colleague and friend of yours now for years, I can say thank you for all the work that you do in the way and not just the work that you do, but how you do it. You always, do it in a way that is welcoming. Do it in a way that is inclusive of all people's kind of ideas, backgrounds. And I think that's what we need more than ever during these times. And so I just, you know what I appreciate you for for doing what you do, how you do it. It's it's been wonderful to, to collaborate and and to watch you do amazing things. But doing it with grace is always, something that I've been able to respect.

Roque
Thank you for those very kind words. Thank you so much. I would say one of the keys for me is really listening to the community and what they're expressing and trying to assist them in achieving, let's say, their aim or goal. I learned that, through trial and fire in the Filipino community and, building out a festival and associated nonprofit with that, we we were running the the largest Filipino cultural festival for many, many years. A shout out to FPAC the Philippines, the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, just recently having its 30th year of, production. So it's still up and running and, the, but that that that experience really taught me how to listen and, let's say, integrate, engage and, attend to how the community wants to express itself in its fullest way.

That that experience really, helped me, let's say facilitate like a meeting, you know, to listen to what the community is saying, to understand that, like, a, an attack or a harsh criticism was, a learning moment for, for the that body that, that committee, etc., on how to address a real passion. The folks like that express themselves, in, let's say, challenging ways are very passionate about an issue. And so, you know, listening to their passion and trying to guide it, support it so that their, their aims and outcomes, become, beneficial to the community. That's a real goal. And I got really I'm really thankful for my community experience and being able to, facilitate that. And a lot of things just start unfolding on their own once people have their own, space to, express these sorts of things, the things start building out on their own.

There's a different culture that gets established, meaning the community starts to realize their voice is being heard and and then also giving them the responsibility. So that's the other side of it. It's like, okay, you asked for this, so now you got to do it. You know, you you got to you have to actually do the work. Now, you, you wanted this, right? So, so also putting them, you know, like holding them accountable and not just making it a one way thing like, oh, you just provide services to us and that's it. No. You want this? You have your, your areas of, of responsibility as well. So, all those sorts of skills are, are how I, I move through like the, let's say dialog in the community.

Eric
Well, fantastic. Well, we're going to, start closing up. Now, I can't, I can't finish a conversation with you without a couple of things, though. And you probably know where I'm going, but Dodgers are still playing the LA Dodgers, of course. And the LA Lakers season is about to begin. What are what are your thoughts as we kind of get to the end of baseball season and then, during basketball season?

Roque
Yes. I am definitely a sports fan. And being from LA, these are my, favorite hometown teams. The Dodgers are it it it's amazing how good a team they are because they're facing they're like a better team technically. Like the, the Philadelphia Phillies. It reminds me of the prior season when they faced, like, their toughest opponent, getting to the, World Series, which was the San Diego Padres. I, I think the Phillies are really a really challenging team. And the the skill of Dave Roberts in managing is his pitching staff, not just the bullpen, because he's been using, his starters in the pen, which is, which is like, it's a really, let's say, novel approach. I think he's been one of those innovators of like, there's a starter kind of pitcher, and then he brings.

Eric
[nodding in agreement] Right, right.

Roque
All that. So, a very progressive view on, using the arms that he's got and not just traditional roles. And, well, obviously he can't rely upon them because the pen bullpen, the pitchers have been pretty shaky prior to the, the playoffs. And for the Lakers. Oh my gosh, it's a whole new season, a whole new transformation. We're right on the cusp. I don't knowis LeBron like going to retire. Like you know you look at this like kind of ten second advert or I don't know it's it's amazing.

And then this whole new era of Luka and it's beautiful. It's there. It's it's a, it's it's a really beautiful, thing to you know, like, marvel at our human capacities in all kinds of ways, you know, in arts and in sports and, I just enjoy that.

And how about you, my friend? What what what teams are you?

Eric
I, I, I refuse to talk about it. You know? It's funny because, you know, I've, I'm excited for basketball season. It's always going to be my favorite season. In terms of, the sport itself, but I just, sport and creativity and great athletes, is what I enjoy. Unfortunately, most of my teams are not, are not, are not doing particularly well. But, you know, the finish of the WNBA season, you know, coming to a close right now, with the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, you have, the NBA season about to start here shortly. So I'm just enjoying as much as I can. Tennis, all these different sports that are fun for me. So it's all been an enjoyable, an enjoyable experience.

And to finish off, the, the show Roque, if you could put together a short game plan, you know, the show of course, is called the game plan. If you could put a, put a game plan out there for our community. And you've talked about this throughout, but just, anything that you want to finish on as a game plan going into 2026?

Roque
Sure. I'd say one of the things that I would, want to build out or work on is how we can, develop a best practices, for navigating social media, like how to fact check things like that. It's sort of, the, the parallel concept is like sort of the know your rights card, you know, for like, immigrant communities right now that are being stressed, by ICE raids, etc. and they don't know what their rights are, but they need kind of like, a guide, because, I think it's sort of like, sort of like a pathogen. That goes through, social media that really, impacts the way people think and their views. And that's really important to, like, tend to protect, help guide. And, and it's just to, I think there's a thing to help, improve the discernment amongst the community and how to, to better navigate these murky waters. You go down rabbit holes and all kinds of stuff, and it's very sophisticated.

Eric
Yeah.

Roque
And, so that's one, the other thing that I would like, these are kind of related things is how we leverage our disability think tanks. You know, those like Policy Institute, etc., for people with disabilities. And the imbalance, of the disability lobbying. Are you a certified lobbyist?

Eric
I am, yes.

Roque
You are? So like so I think about like how to build out a, like, a pipeline, for folks to start engaging in all the various sectors that, disabled folks need to lobby because we're sort of imbalance. We're up against it, as you know, there's like like people don't even turn to us about disability issues. They just make policies for us. And, that, that, that sort of thing I think is important to build out, you know, what what sort of pathways are needed to cultivate those, like in what sectors need to be disability sectors and in particular need to get represented so that we get some, a bit of equity. And I also know that part of that is also, like the capacity of building to support those endeavors. So leveraging like the funds, to support, various, let's say, issues that need the attention by the community. So like, let's say building out a pipeline, like how to cultivate the youth and, and, share with them what it what's needed in order to really make change in terms of policy. The capacity building, like how to leverage the community's financial capacity to help support these endeavors, like the pulling the funds together to build out, our service networks, etc.. Especially now and in the face of cuts and, etc., there's a lot about the community that, could experience hardship, because of the challenges of, navigating the bureaucracies. Trying to figure out, like, sophisticated policy things, like just reading documents is like, hard to interpret. It's almost like you need an interpreter for those documents, you know, like like you know, like what? What is this in plain language?

Eric
Yeah. That's exactly.

Roque
And that's where I just a couple of my thoughts.

Eric
No, I really appreciate it. Okay. And we are so grateful for all that you do. And so grateful for you being a guest on the Game Plan with Disability Rights California. I look forward to continuing to work with you. And I think your ideas for how we can improve our circumstances and make sure our community has as strong of a voice as we can, are right on point. You know, the the role that policy plays, the role that our community members play. We all need to kind of join together in this push. And then in all honesty, in this fight, to make sure that that our community is, has what we need, has the rights that we deserve and that our community continues to fight for it. So really grateful for you, Roque.

Roque
Thank you. I really do appreciate this. Maraming salamat po. But thank you so much. To DRC, thanks to Sam, producing this and in the background, egging me on to be on this podcast because I was like, oh, why me? I really do. Thank you all. Deeply appreciate it.

Eric
Absolutely. Thank you so much, Roque

 

[Triumphant music playing]

Voiceover
This has been the Game Plan. A production of Disability Rights California. Please like, subscribe, comment on the platform of your choice. See you next time.