E.J.R. David, is currently an associate professor of Psychology, author of two books (Filipino - American /Postcolonial Psychology:
Oppression, Colonial Mentality, and Decolonization), Director of Alaska Native Community Advancement in Psychology (ANCAP) Program, and a Filipino American community activist. He is also a psychological scientist who
has published in scientific journals that concerns the topics in Filipino American psychology and mental health. He has been a
featured speaker on The Filipino Channel and other community on-line and print publications, as
well as on several television and
radio programs (see source). He received the Distinguished
Student Research Award "for his significant contribution in psychological
research related to ethnic minority populations" by American
Psychological Association Division 45. Dr. David was also honored by the
American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program in 2012 with the
Early Career Award in Research for Distinguished Contributions to the Field of
Racial and Ethnic Minority Psychology, citing his "outstanding scientific
contributions and the application of this knowledge toward the improved mental
and physical well-being of people of color (see source).
MORE OF HIM (Interview from www.filamako.com):
Please
tell us who you are.
What’s
up everybody, this is E.J. David, author of Filipino-/American
Postcolonial Psychology. I grew up in Pasay to Kapangpangan parents. I also
grew up in Paranaque and Las Piñas, while going to school in Don Bosco
Makati. When I was fourteen, I moved to Barrow, Alaska, which is the northern
most point in the United States. I played competitive high school basketball
and was an all state basketball player for two years. After that, I attended
the University of Alaska Anchorage to obtain my bachelors degree in psychology,
while working at a local mental health agency and also a roughneck in the oil fields
around Pluto Bay. Then I attended the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, where I received my Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical Community
Psychology. Now, I am a faculty member in the psychology department at the
University of Alaska Anchorage with my primary duties being with the doctoral
program and the students in the clinical community Ph.D. program.
What
inspired you to pursue a career in psychology?
None
of these were really planned. I was never really the type of student, who was
really into school when I was young. All I really cared about was basketball. I
had no intention of going to college and becoming a doctor or professor. All I
wanted was to eventually play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA),
which is like the NBA of the Philippines. I wanted to be a professional
basketball player. If I was going to college, it was so that I could play
college basketball. I didn’t care about school at all. When I was a sophomore
in high school I became really curious why people made fun of my Filipino
accent, the way I dressed, and my Filipino values and mannerisms. I also began
to ask myself, why I made fun of FOBs (Fresh Off the Boat). I questioned why I
regarded lighter skin as more attractive and many products in the U.S.A. as
better than anything from the Philippines. I also began to see that many
Filipinos and Filipino-Americans thought the same thing. Given that psychology
is the scientific study of human thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors, it gave me
hope that somehow read more...
***88888***
I happened to see the post of Dr. EJR. David on twitter which was retweeted by Asian American Psychological Association. The article was entitled, "Why are Filipino Americans Still Forgotten and Invisible?" and it was published in Psychology Today (here). Luckily, I was able to get the original article from him and it was published here! (click here to read)
Follow him on twitter: @ejrdavid
Be inspired! #Mahupsych #lovepsych #proudpsych
