By Nickee V. de Leon/Asianjournal.com
(Second of two parts)
AS of this writing, Krishtine may already be embarking on her first legit assignment as contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine.
Krishtine de Leon, a Fil-Am journalism graduate from San Francisco State University and a native of the Bay Area, was chosen among six fledgling journalists who joined MTV’s “I’m From Rolling Stone” to become the next contributing editor for the legendary rock and roll magazine.
Two weeks ago, the Asian Journal had the opportunity to have a phone chat with Rolling Stone’s newest “edition.” At that time, Krishtine(who was then temporarily based in Los Angeles) had not formally spoken with RS regarding her responsibilities as contributing editor, but shared a general idea of how things are going to work.
With RS being more inclined towards rock, alternative and pop music, AJ asked Krishtine how she can integrate a fresh perspective, coming from a background that was more oriented towards hiphop.
“I think that RS is such an institution on rock and roll and there’s no way that I can ever take away from that, but after thirty years now, hiphop has proved itself not to be a passing fad, it’s really a lucrative business right now and it’s huge… in terms of being recognized, it’s old enough as a genre itself.”
“I felt that it was finally time for rock n’ roll as an institution and RS as an institution to recognize hiphop. I thought that there’s a possibility that as contributing editor, hiphop would be my specialty and that they needed that. At the same time, I wanted people to recognize that RS came from San Francisco, and it came off as a sub-culture rock and roll and rock and roll wasn’t taken seriously. I felt that was the same thing about hiphop, I wanted hiphop to be taken more seriously. RS didn’t really have any credibility with the hiphop community either,” she asserted.
She narrated how some journalists she met perceive RS as “a magazine for pop culture and a magazine for old, white folks.” She’s hoping to make RS more relevant to the community of color and to the urban community as well.
With the Fil-Am community finally finding representation in RS, AJ asked Krishtine if she thought that this could be a jumping off point for Filipino American bands to make it to the mainstream as well.
Krishtine gave a hearty laugh. ” I think that with me just being there and being somebody who they trust as an important person, as a peacemaker per se, it’s definitely a chance not only for Fil-Ams but for everybody. It’s hard because I’m coming in there as a representative of my community so people think that now that I’m there I’m takin’ down the bill, which is true.”
“But people have to meet me halfway also because I worked very hard to get where I’m at, just because I’m there doesn’t mean that some Fil-Am band that comes out of nowhere is going to make it to Rolling Stone. They have to work as equally hard as I did. If they get to my level, I will definitely be the first person to pitch. I will pitch it.”
When it comes to writing about more complex issues or issues of social relevance, Krishtine writes with such vividity and eloquence. Her piece on “The Dark Side of Kentucky,” Krishtine’s IFRS national affairs assignment on the Tyson Chicken Houses, is an illuminative combo of factual reporting and palpable imagery that will move you to feel nothing but compassion for the families affected by this eco-disaster.
Asked what inspires her to write with so much poignancy, Krishtine revealed that she finds writing therapeutic. “Growing up, feeling like I was from two cultures, feeling that I was from the Philippines but that I was also from America…the Filipino-American identity is something that is still being shaken.”
“Going to SFSU and learning about my history, that was a huge inspiration for me. Not only Fil-Ams, but people of color in general, the struggles they have made to be recognized in the community. I realized that my problems are so little compared to theirs. I realized that their work made my work possible. I can’t complain about how hard it is because I don’t really know what it’s like.”
“I can imagine how hard it was and I can imagine the perseverance of our people. I still get emotional to this day, thinking how hard it must have been for Filipinos to be recognized.”
“Coming into the situation, my father and mother had to give up their whole life to bring me here and sacrifices are still being made so that I can stay in this very fortunate position. That is my muse, because I’m given this opportunity to have a place and what am I going to do with that voice, am I going to sit there and waste it and not recognize the work that was before me? Or am I going to recognize all the work that has been put in so I could be here in this position and do my best to, not only be myself but to be proud of my culture and also be somebody whose talent is undeniable universally…,” she further added.
Krishtine’s message to aspiring journalists — Don’t worry about anybody else, worry about developing yourself. Use your struggles by taking in the strength and learning about yourself. Always give back at the end of the day. Finally, look at yourself as a representation of your community and as a Filipino, a force to be reckoned with. (Photo by Statia Photography/Rollingstone.com)
