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Through its first six years and onwards, 'So Jannelle' tells stories of the Filipino American community in triumphs and overcoming the obstacles of immigrant life
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For the past six years, the lifestyle magazine show So Jannelle TV has focused on telling the stories of Filipino immigration and representation from across North America. Ever since the show first debuted on The Filipino Channel on July 17, 2017, Jannelle So Perkins has asked not only the tough questions, but also the questions not often posed to the Filipino Americans who are making news at home and abroad.
Just ask Josh dela Cruz, the Blues Clues star who called his appearance on the show “the most fun I’ve had in an interview” after asking if he had any “mom crushes” reach out to him, or influencer Asia Jackson, who credited So Perkins with “asking a lot of questions that most people don’t ask.” The show has spanned the spectrum of topics in the Filipino community, including boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, actor Darren Criss and theater legend Lea Salonga.
There were also stories of celebrities sharing their immigration stories, like singer Miguel Vera, who left the celebrity life behind to become a truck driver in the United States, or Reagan John Rada, who struggled for years as an undocumented immigrant, working as a caregiver before getting the break of a lifetime as a jewelry designer working with American screen icon Elizabeth Taylor.
Other stories included Filipino entertainers coming stateside to connect with fanbases in America, like boyband SB19, and the first international movie tour of on-screen duo Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan as they promoted their movie, An Inconvenient Love.
As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and shut normal life down for an extended period of 2020, So Jannelle began telling the stories of frontline workers who were making a difference in combatting an unprecedented struggle. The pandemic also brought with it another societal ill in the form of a rise of anti-Asian discrimination. The show has brought attention to the plight of Filipino-Americans whose harrowing tales of harassment and abuse may have otherwise gone overlooked.
Among the families who sat down with So Perkins to tell their stories were the Roques, who endured physical assault and racial epithets from a man at a fast food restaurant in North Hollywood last year. So Perkins also gave a platform for Nicanor Arriola, a Filipino-American journalist, to tell the story of the unprovoked assault he endured while touring the California capital city of Sacramento.
In addition to covering the biggest celebrities and issues that matter to the Filipino American community, So Jannelle has also shed a spotlight on a number of Filipino Americans who may one day become household names. Joaquin Wilde, a Los Angeles native, sat down with So Perkins earlier this year to discuss his journey to becoming a member of the World Wrestling Entertainment roster. Another potential breakout star was Kieran Tamondong, the martial artist turned actor who caught the attention of audiences as part of the Netflix series Dahmer.
Through the first six years and on to the future, So Jannelle remains your go-to show for inspirational and heartfelt stories in the Filipino American community, telling the stories of triumph and overcoming the obstacles of immigrant life.
So Jannelle airs US-wide on cable channels The Filipino Channel (TFC) and ANC; as well as on local Southern CA digital channel KNET 25.1; and is also available on social media platforms. – Jannelle So Productions | Rappler.com
Rappler is partnering with Jannelle So Productions Inc (JSP), founded by Filipino-American pioneer and Los Angeles-based journalist Jannelle So, to publish video and written stories from SoJannelleTV about the journeys, successes, and challenges of Filipinos living in America.
Check out So Jannelle TV daily for stories that make you pause, reflect, and appreciate who we are and what we are as a people.
Any time on YouTube.com/SoJannelleTV
