Aissa (she/her) was born on the ancestral lands of the indigenous Gabrieleno/Tongva tribe and now resides on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, outside of Detroit MI. Her mother’s people come from San Juan, Santa Rita, Pampanga, and her father’s people from Bauko, China, and Spain. She was raised by a strong mother and her family who she remains close to today. Her mother gave her a love for cooking and food in general. Aissa is known as the Tita to many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. 

Aissa looked for a deeper sense of belonging and began by joining the Detroit Filipino Supper Club. There she found many amazing people doing the work of decolonization, anti-racism, anti-capitalism, and anti-patriarchy. Embracing ancestral knowledge and living by the Kapwa spirit was intriguing to Aissa and she found herself wanting to learn more. The Center for Babaylan Studies 2024 Symposium, Kapwa Nilalang, proved to be a life-changing event. Since then she has begun to view our relationships (human and otherwise) as sacred. 
 

Aissa previously played the violin and cello, achieved her 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is a top 20 all-time bench presser, but these days she is content to spend time with her family, her community, and her two chihuahuas Lola and Cinco. She tends to many indoor plants and is always up for a food adventure. Aissa works as an Inventory/Purchasing Coordinator for a manufacturing company.
 

Aissa is honored to be a part of the Center for Babaylan Studies and to carry on this important work.