Angela Garbes

Angela Garbes is the author of the text. Garbes is the daughter of Filipino parents. Her parents immigrated to the United States in the 1970s after earning their medical degrees at the University of the Philippines. Garbes then grew up with her parents and her two brothers in rural Pennsylvania. Although she had a relatively happy and stable childhood, Garbes constantly felt the absence of community in her life. She spent much of her time alone, and obsessively compared her family to the families of her peers. Her favorite and most joyful childhood experiences occurred in the context of her vacations and holidays with her extended family.

In order to change their circumstances and improve their quality of life, Garbes’s family later relocated from Pennsylvania to Seattle, Washington. This move changed her parents’ demeanors and engagement with life. At the same time, the move initiated...