Moving to Portland, Oregon, resulted in culture shock for designer Andrea Cenon. The city set north of Los Angeles, California, felt like a completely different, and often unwelcoming, world. A world where people of color are not well represented.

In this transition, Cenon clung to her Filipina heritage and gravitated toward the people of color she befriended who shared her Portland experience while she leaned on the support of friends and family back in Los Angeles. This ultimately resulted in the birth of her visual project ‘notfromhere.’

Resolute Magazine had the chance to chat with Cenon over email about her visual project ‘notfromhere.’

Resolute Magazine: What brought about your visual project ‘notfromhere’?

Andrea Cenon: notfromhere came to life through my personal experiences living in Portland, which was a difficult transition physically and emotionally. For many reasons like the lack of diversity, it was an extremely growing experience and it still is.

Can you describe the art direction of this project and why you chose to represent notfromhere the way you did visually?

notfromhere’s branding came from the idea that even though I’m not from here. This is my current home. I knew the letters 'h o m e' were in the phrase “not from here.” It was simply unifying the idea of “notfromhere” and “home.” 

I also love GIFs. I feel like they elevate photography and design, but they aren’t as strenuous as film. I love that it’s fluid, but the frame by frame animation makes it more fun and not as clean cut which I love.

What was your initial response to the lack of diversity in Portland?

Culture shock. Whenever I entered a room I instantly felt alone and ostracized without anyone having to do anything. It shocked my system to see that I was the only Asian in a grocery store. I hadn’t experienced this type of culture shock since I moved from the Philippines to America.

What brought about your move to Portland?

I moved for a job with Adidas. 

You shared a story, through the project, about how as a child your parents were excited to see other Filipino people, and how you initially thought it was “extra.” How did you grow to understand and embrace that feeling your parents had?

I didn’t understand why they felt the way they did when I was younger. I didn’t get the leaving home and starting a new life feeling. Transition was a foreign concept as a child even though I did go through it. As an adult in the transition from LA to Portland, [it] made me search for anything familiar. So, seeing a Filipino was one of the closest things to a sense of familiarity, a sense of home. I also felt like if I saw another Filipino that I knew they were able to live here and that it was gonna be okay. I’ve since spoken to every Filipino I’ve seen which is unlike me.

You talked about living in L.A. Did you grow up in L.A.? If not L.A., which part of SoCal?

I am from Los Angeles, but technically I’m from LA County or the Greater Los Angeles Area. When I moved from the Philippines I lived in LA, as in my address had Los Angeles in it. But, in high school and onward I lived in Pasadena. 

How did you go about collecting other perspectives of others for ‘notfromhere’?

AC: The people in notfromhere are my friends who I’ve shared some or a lot of frustration with. I knew they had a sense of what I felt from their own perspectives. 

How did you get into design?

I took an art class in college and knew I had to pursue this world to be satisfied so I switched my Psych major to Design.

What was a challenging part of this project?

I was thinking so small about notfromhere that I didn’t think about how much bigger it can get. I’m learning to really think big and have big visions for projects I do even though it’s “just for fun.” All the logistics from camera equipment to location to collecting imagery had its own struggle. I wish I wasn’t a perfectionist, but there’s a lot I would edit about notfromhere. Overall, I’m happy with it. I’m glad it’s not perfect. 

Someone jokingly asked me when I’d be done spreading hate speech about Portland. That unfortunately really triggered me, and made me feel even more how real notfromhere is because it was that person’s ignorance and privilege that they could even joke about something like that.

What proved to be a blessing about the project?

When people were commenting “thank you” or sending me messages about how they loved the stories (which meant they were reading the long captions) [that] was one of the best parts. 

In your feeling ‘notfromhere’ in Portland, what makes you feel welcome as you continue to live there?

Deepening relationships I’ve found worth the investment help make this place home.

What advice would you give to a non-white person who has just move to Portland? Or any city that lacks diversity?

Why would you move here?!!! Just kidding. I would say, take your time. Enjoy the process. This doesn’t have to be forever. If you're disappointed, let it build your faith. If you feel challenged, go slow and steady. Win big and small. Feel it all. It’s going to be okay.

Did moving to Portland confront any biases you possibly had?

AC: 100%. I had to ask myself why I’m not drawn to non-POCs and it’s not my natural inclination to befriend white people. I definitely challenged myself to give everyone a chance. 

What was the ultimate goal of this project?

I didn’t start with an ultimate goal. I knew that I had feelings and I wanted to express it which I always do through design, so this project seemed fitting. However, I think notfromhere has much more to bring, so we’ll see where it goes.

Did moving to Portland spark how important representation was or is representation something you've always been passionate about?

I’ve been obsessed with diversity before Portland. I’m not an expert, but I’m always drawn to the topic. I think in LA there are so many different cultures that it’s easy to flock with people who look like you, Filipinos with Filipinos, so even when I lived there I wanted to make sure that when I looked around the table I saw different representations. 

Do you feel that theology informs your creativity?

More than theology, I will say that whatever I create is always with The Lord. I’m a Christian so whatever I create will have life or that “Jesus” spark. I wouldn’t know how to separate creativity from God. 

Is there anything you would like to add?

Let disappointments build your faith and not destroy it. 

Photos taken by Cindy Lu. Design by Andrea Cenon.