USING THE ARTS TO CREATE BONDS
Producer, director, actor Ernest Ochoco helps unite diverse people of Guam
Each week, this series will introduce you to an exceptional American who unites, rather than divides, our communities. To read more about the American profiled here and more average Americans doing exceptional things, visit onenation.usatoday.com.
What does it mean to you to be an American?
I don’t identify the word American just as a people who live in the United States. I identify the word American with an ideology. ... The word American encompasses the truth that everyone is created equal and that we are all the same kind of people, no matter race, creed, sexuality or whatever country you happen to be living in. It means that everyone is worthy to be here.
What gives you hope or what concerns you?
There’s a lot of things that are really negative that are happening in the world. ... My philosophy is to look to the light, because when you look for it, you’ll find it.
These things that I see, all of the goodness that I see in humanity, that’s what really gives me hope. It’s when we can treat each other with respect, goodness and love.
What moment touched or motivated you to launch your efforts?
The arts is always a place where you feel like you either love it one day and hate it the next day or the next hour, even.
My voice teachers always told me this is a commonality in all the arts. You will always love your art one day and you’ll feel so triumphant and you think you got it all figured out. But the truth is, the next day, you can also hate it and just hate yourself. So many times I’ve tried to quit singing, theater and dance. Yet so many times I found my way back.
What do you hope to accomplish with your efforts?
I hope to accomplish community, unity, friendship and ultimately a way for each person to be able to connect with each other with the language that is art.
I think that the arts are a uniting force. It’s an amazing thing to continue to allow people to meet each other and learn from each other.