Ruby Rodriguez uses acting skills to evade ‘Asian hate’ in LA

MANILA, Philippines — In Los Angeles, California, the fear for Asian hate crimes is real, seasoned actress and TV host Ruby Rodriguez affirmed in a Viva virtual press conference early this week.

According to the now LA-based star, she and her fellow Filipinos in LA even reached a point when they had to disguise themselves as other races for fear that they might get attacked in public places.

Ruby, for one, admitted that people still mistake her for a Latina, which she uses as an advantage to prevent falling victim to Asian hate crimes. Her daughter, who works in a multicultural workplace with lots of Asians, was once told by workmates that since her daughter also does not look Asian, she’s probably the only Asian safe there.

“S’yempre natatakot ako, nagpa-public transport, nagsa-subway ako. Eh ‘di ba naka-mask ka lang? S’yempre ang lola mo, mega mascara tapos eyeliner na maitim para mukha talagang Latina. ‘Di ako napagkakamalan!” Ruby shared her tactics to Philstar.com and other press in the virtual con.

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In the subway, which she rides every day on her way to work at the Philippine consulate in LA, she encounters people of different stripes – and many of them were homeless and lost their minds for losing jobs during the pandemic.

Thus, she avoids eye contact and maintains a tight grip on her water bottle to be ready to defend herself should there be a looming threat.

Her acting chops also helps her save her life.

“Kinakausap ako Espanyol. ‘Pag naiintindihan ko, sasagot ako. ‘Pag ‘di ko naiintindihan, sasabihin ko, ‘Excuse me,’ ilalabas ko ‘yung accent ko: ‘Excuse me, I don’t speak Spanish!’”

Apart from disguising as a Latina, she also uses a regional Filipino dialect when speaking with a fellow Filipino, instead of speaking in Tagalog.

“’Wag lang kami kakausapin ng Tagalog,” she said, so she recalled to have once told a friend she was with on the subway to converse in Ilocano.

“Nag-Ilocano kaming dalawa! Hindi ngayon nila alam kung ano ‘yung salita namin!” she bursted with a loud laugh.

Ruby recently signed as a comeback Viva artist after over 30 years of hosting cult noontime show “Eat Bulaga.”

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