TRELAINE ITO
PROFILES
Founder & Principal Consultant at Ito & Associates
Former Senior Advisor Senior Advisor in the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
Former Deputy Appropriations Director and Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Brian Schatz
TRELAINE ITO
he /him/his
FAMILY ORIGIN
Filipino - Tuburan, Carcar, Valladolid, Siquijor. Japanese - Yamaguchi, Niigata
EDUCATION
Master of Science in Justice, Law and Society; Concentration in Social Thought and Jurisprudence American University (MS), Pacific University (BA)
ACHIEVEMENTS
Certificate in Recognition of Ten Years of Service in the Government of the United States
Dream big, but have a flexible plan of action.
For the longest time, being part of a large, multi-generation Filipino community in the uniquely blended world of Hawaii, being Filipino wasn't top of mind. It was a subconscious facet of my identity that didn't need to be identified to be visible. It was only when I came to the continental U.S. that my Filipino identity took on a new meaning, one that emphasized our people's historical contributions to this country, fighting to alleviate both the shared of all non-white people and the unique struggles of Filipinos in the U.S.
I think Filipinos tend to be caricatured and stereotyped in American media, and only recently has our community been more visible in different lights. I think generally in politics and education, we are overlooked, swallowed within the larger AANHPI community. But there has been growing awareness of our place in the socio-historical and political understanding of our country, which is heartening. The more that we are recognized both for our past and current (and future) contributions to this country, the better.