Meet Audrey Soriano | Community Leader & PALAD Immediate Past President

We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Soriano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, what inspires you?
I am inspired by my Pamayanan, which means “community” in Tagalog. A community can mean and be different things to everyone. It extends beyond those in my family to whom I am related by blood. It’s the group of people who shaped me into the person I am today, in many facets of my life.

I am fortunate for my family, who built a community in Los Angeles when they immigrated from the Philippines to give us a better life and chase the “American Dream.” I am thankful for my friends—most of whom I have met at different stages of my life—who have become my support system and north star as I navigate the role I want to play in this life and the ways it impacts those I care about.

They all inspire me to do my best, and I know that whether they are leading me forward when I need guidance, holding me up when I need help, or standing by my side to face whatever comes next, I can do it because we are in this together.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have experience working within the AAPI community, specifically around leadership development. My identity and community have always played a factor in the jobs I choose—whether it’s uplifting the next generation of leaders, or ensuring that companies are culturally competent and intentional when it comes to racial justice and equity.

I currently work in a community development/engagement space that focuses on reinvesting back into the communities we serve. I’m grateful for the work that I am doing at this point in my life since both my 9-5 job and 5-9 community work align together in finding ways to empower and uplift the various communities that makeup Los Angeles.

Getting to this point in my career was not linear, nor was it something that I could have done on my own. I am forever grateful to the fierce black and brown women who helped nourish me and my professional development skills. I will never forget how you were present for me, and I hope to continue to lead with grace and hold open the door for many others just as you have done for me.

To my family, who may not fully understand what I do and why I do it, but know that it is important to me and the future I want us and our descendants to have. I love you, and I carry you with me in everything that I do.

To my mentors, colleagues, and friends who give me constructive criticism and feedback so I can continuously improve and grow—thank you for being in my corner.

To my partner, who has stood by my side for everything. Thank you for allowing me to grow in this lifetime with you.

I would also like to thank those who doubted me—the ones who tried to tell me when and when I couldn’t do things because THEY didn’t think I was ready. To the people who think it’s okay to bully and push others down just so you can rise. I would not be here if it weren’t for you because you showed me what type of person and leader I do not want to be.

I do this for my family, my community, and myself. I hope Audrey from a few years ago can see how far we’ve come. And I hope others know it’s okay to try your best. Sometimes you will try something and realize it is no longer what you want nor the path you want to take in life. We are constantly evolving and learning so don’t be too hard on yourself when life isn’t going the way you expected it to be. It might end up a lot better.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have been enjoying re-learning and exploring different cities in LA as an adult. I spend quite a lot of time in Pasadena since it’s near my job and the mid-point between me and most of my best friends when we hang out.

As a big foodie, music/theatre, and book lover, our itinerary would involve the following:

We’d grab lunch at Paper Rice on Union and Fair Oaks Ave. which is essentially Chipotle for spring rolls. You can get a bowl or the three rolls and choose different proteins for each or get all the same! My personal fave is getting all sauteed beef with their house spring mix, the everything toppings along with their savory peanut sauce, and a large Lychee lemonade.

Next, we’d spend some time at Vroman’s bookstore, California’s largest & oldest independent bookstore. I can spend hours browsing through the different genres and seeing what new books are out there. I love reading romance, queer stories, and manga so most of the time I never know what book or books I will end up getting until it’s time to leave.

Lastly, I would check out a show at Pasadena Playhouse, a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue. As a high school theater kid myself, I always do my best to watch shows and support local theater when I can. The Playhouse has staged thousands of original productions, such as “One of the Good Ones” by Gloria Calderón Kellett, creator of Netflix’s One Day at a Time, earlier this year, which I got to see with one of my best friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD) community, with whom I have been serving on the board for the past four years. PALAD is the oldest Asian and Filipino American Democratic club in Southern California, that has worked to organize, mobilize, and empower Asian and Filipino American communities in LA County since 1987.

I have experience working in the nonprofit sector doing leadership development work among the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. As a first-generation Filipina American (FilAm), this made me want to learn more about the FilAm community here in Los Angeles and see how I can get more connected and engaged.

Being a part of PALAD and working alongside some of the most important movers and shakers in the FilAm community has been so eye-opening for me since my family didn’t have the privilege or access to get politically involved. Before PALAD, I thought the only way we could make a difference was by running for office. Since then, I’ve learned and seen firsthand how community organizing also makes a big impact in the political landscape when it comes to advocating for worker’s rights, affordable housing, climate change, etc.

Being in this space with so many trailblazers, activists, and disrupters has shown me how important it is to have a community to not only have as support but to also learn from and grow with. We may not always see eye to eye and have differing opinions, but the opportunity and space to have these conversations are crucial to better understanding what we need and how to better advocate for these changes to move us forward.

I had the opportunity to serve as PALAD’s president last year, and I am very thankful for the work we’ve done to reimagine and expand our reach when it comes to knowing who is a part of our community. This was seen through our community outings at local sports games, our participation in the LA Pride Parade over the years, and our support of regional theaters highlighting FilAm stories. We’ve strengthened our partnership with other democratic clubs by hosting a friendly summer BBQ battle and held our very first candidate forum in Panorama City, one of the largest Filipino populations in LA.

I am so proud of all that we’ve achieved so far and look forward to seeing how we will continue to grow in the years to come.

Instagram: audrnico

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ansoriano/

Image Credits
Michael C Palma
Sea Sloat