Street Walkers NYC had the pleasure of catching up with Kevin L. Nadal, PH.D. He is a good friend and somebody I hold in high regards. Honestly speaking, Kevin is very unassuming. When you meet him, you get the feeling that he is a really cool guy, very relatable and quite the drinker! However, when you get to know him, you realize that he is the guy who pretty much does it all. He is a professor, activist, author of two books and a stand up comic!
I have witnessed it all, and I have to say that he is good at what he does. All of it. Again, it is with great pleasure that we get to share this interview with our fellow Street Walkers:
SWNYC: What inspired you to write Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice?
KN: I was a psychology major in college and was fascinated when I started
to take ethnic studies classes. My program even allowed me to take
multicultural psychology classes-- namely African American, Latino,
and Asian American Psychology. While I appreciated and enjoyed all of
these courses, I always felt like Filipino Americans were left out of
the mix. We have a lot of cultural values and colonial histories that
differ from all other racial/ethnic groups, which means we have
different behaviors, family systems, psychological processes, and
experiences. I wanted to write a book that I wish I had when I was in
graduate student.
SWNYC: How did your family react to the views that were in the book?
SWNYC: Would you ever consider marrying your stand up routines and book writing? Maybe a like a guide to stand up comedy for Filipino's?
KN: I feel like I've been able to integrate comedy into my role as a
professor, and my academic knowledge into my life as a performer. I've
always enjoyed having funny professors and listening to smart comics,
so hopefully others feel the same about me too.
SWNYC: Is there anything you would like to share with people that they may not know about you?
KN: I want people to know that anything in life is possible. I was a
pretty average high school student who eventually graduated with a
Ph.D. from an Ivy League institution. I grew up without any gay,
Filipino role models, and now I have the opportunity and responsibility to be one. If everyone just knew their full potential
and if everyone knew that their voice mattered, I truly believe that
we could change the world.
SWNYC: How does it feel to be a New Yorker?
SWNYC: How did you get into stand up?
KN: I started dabbling in stand up comedy and performance when I was an
undergraduate student at the University of California Irvine. We used
to bring out comedians and spoken word artists who talked about things
that I felt passionate about too. I thought to myself "Hey, I can do
that." So I started to perform at our local Filipino American and
student of color events. When I moved to New York, I felt I had enough
material to premiere my first one-man show, and I did that in October
of 2002. Since then, I've had three more one-man shows and have had
the privilege of performing in over half of the United States.
to bring out comedians and spoken word artists who talked about things
that I felt passionate about too. I thought to myself "Hey, I can do
that." So I started to perform at our local Filipino American and
student of color events. When I moved to New York, I felt I had enough
material to premiere my first one-man show, and I did that in October
of 2002. Since then, I've had three more one-man shows and have had
the privilege of performing in over half of the United States.
SWNYC: What inspired you to write Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice?
to take ethnic studies classes. My program even allowed me to take
multicultural psychology classes-- namely African American, Latino,
and Asian American Psychology. While I appreciated and enjoyed all of
these courses, I always felt like Filipino Americans were left out of
the mix. We have a lot of cultural values and colonial histories that
differ from all other racial/ethnic groups, which means we have
different behaviors, family systems, psychological processes, and
experiences. I wanted to write a book that I wish I had when I was in
graduate student.
SWNYC: How did your family react to the views that were in the book?
KN: My family has been generally supportive of everything I've written about in this book and other academic publications. However, in my new
book, Filipino American Psychology: A Collection of Personal
Narratives, I actually contributed a short story about growing up gay
and Filipino and some of the hurtful experiences I experienced in my
family. I'm not sure how they'll react to this, especially since we as
Filipinos aren't supposed to share what happens within our families.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're just as supportive.
book, Filipino American Psychology: A Collection of Personal
Narratives, I actually contributed a short story about growing up gay
and Filipino and some of the hurtful experiences I experienced in my
family. I'm not sure how they'll react to this, especially since we as
Filipinos aren't supposed to share what happens within our families.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're just as supportive.
SWNYC: Would you ever consider marrying your stand up routines and book writing? Maybe a like a guide to stand up comedy for Filipino's?
professor, and my academic knowledge into my life as a performer. I've
always enjoyed having funny professors and listening to smart comics,
so hopefully others feel the same about me too.
SWNYC: Is there anything you would like to share with people that they may not know about you?
KN: I want people to know that anything in life is possible. I was a
pretty average high school student who eventually graduated with a
Ph.D. from an Ivy League institution. I grew up without any gay,
Filipino role models, and now I have the opportunity and responsibility to be one. If everyone just knew their full potential
and if everyone knew that their voice mattered, I truly believe that
we could change the world.
SWNYC: How does it feel to be a New Yorker?
I love and breathe everything about New York. When I am gone for long
periods of time, I feel like a piece of my soul is missing.
periods of time, I feel like a piece of my soul is missing.
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