Meet the Team

Lou grew up in Reseda, California after immigrating with her family from the Philippines. She was first introduced to Ethnic Studies in high school as part of the humanities program in her junior year. She fell in love with Ethnic Studies, as it helped her understand the world and so much of her experiences and the experiences of those close to her. She eventually continued her education in Ethnic Studies when she majored in Comparative Ethnic Studies and in Modern Languages & Literatures at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. There she furthered her education, particularly looking at the intersections of language, identity, and sense of belonging. She brings along her heavily used and annotated copy of Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, a text that she holds dear to her heart, as she teaches Ethnic Studies in hopes of bringing forth a future where everyone is able to talk critically and productively about systems of oppression, and be able to bring change institutionally and societally through these conversations.

Outside of her passion for Ethnic Studies, she spends her time delving into two interests: horror and video games. She'll spend the weekend chilling at home listening to a horror podcast or playing Pokémon with the love of her life.