media, working class immigrant women are often depicted uneducated, conniving and inarticulate. My life, however, as an SFSU graduate student and as a working class immigrant Pilipina American who has supported herself since age 18-speak of a different experience. Watching both my parents slave over 12 hour working days, seven days a week in menial labor jobs just to make rent for a one bedroom apartment was my reality as a child. My parents' work ethic and daily struggles continue to serve as an inspiration for me to strive for a relevant and meaningful