Olivia Rodrigo

In honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, The Cardinal will recognize the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

Luisana Chavez, Senior Writer

Olivia Isabel Rodrigo was born on February 20, 2003, in Temecula, California. She is an American actress and singer who is known for her roles on Disney Channel’s, Bizaardvark, and the Disney+ series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Olivia can also be recognized for her debut single “Drivers License” which was released in January of 2021 and reached number one in multiple countries worldwide. In April of 2021, she followed the release with her second single “Deja Vu” and both songs are featured on her upcoming debut album Sour, set for release on May 21, 2021.

Olivia has talked about her Filipino heritage before in a video that premiered exclusively on JustJaredJr.com for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month a few years ago. In the video, Olivia mentions how she is of Filipino descent on her father’s side and how her great-grandfather came to the US on a boat when he was just a teenager. She goes on to share the traditions her family still celebrates and embraces within her heritage and culture, like making Filipino food.

When JJJ asked Olivia about her “Be Inspired” segment, she mentioned how excited she was for her fans to get to know more about her and how her family and culture is a big part of who she is, and how important it is to embrace one’s culture and learn about their history. She concludes the video by saying, “I’m Olivia Rodrigo. I’m a Filipina. I’m a lumpia fan. I’m a daughter and a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter. I’m American. I’m an Asian-Pacific islander.”