APA Spotlight is a weekly interview of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) community leaders. It is a spotlight on individuals who have dedicated their careers to issues surrounding the APIA community with the goal of bringing much deserved recognition to their work and cause(s).
Jocelyn (Joy) H. Bruce, M.D. graduated from the University of Santo Tomas School of Medicine, Manila Philippines in 1969 and emigrated to the United States in 1975. She had seven years of post-graduate residency & fellowship training in Pathology (Neuropathology) in Cleveland, Ohio, before accepting a faculty position at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine / Jackson Memorial Hospital in 1982.
Dr. Joy Bruce has served the social needs of elders, effectively bridged the intergenerational gap, addressed multicultural and multi-ethnic diversity, developed leaders, crossed geographic boundaries, formed a strong coalition of cultural, business, health, educational and service organizations in Florida, and assisted the impoverished families in the Philippines.
In 1992, Dr. Joy Bruce was instrumental in forming the Philippine Charities Foundation in Miami to help families that were affected by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines. In 1994, she founded NANAY, Inc., an acronym that stands for National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth. In 1998, she formed the Philippine American Federation of South Florida to unite and support the various Philippine-American organizations in South Florida in promoting civic, charitable, religious, educational, sports and scientific activities as a reflection of their Philippine heritage, commencing on the Philippine Centennial Celebration.
She served as the Southern Regional Chair for the Washington-based National Federation of Filipino American Associations from 1998-2001, and held the first NaFFAA Regional Conference in West Palm Beach during her term of office. In January 2000, she formally opened the NANAY Community Center that now provides free counseling, recreational activities, arts and crafts, conversational English lessons, health sessions, educational seminars, and computer classes to more than 500 elders and youth. In 2001, she formed the Miami-Dade Asian Pacific American Community Partnership with ten local Asian organizations to address cultural diversity and social issues affecting their respective ethnic communities. She incorporated the NANAY Health Center, Inc. as a non-profit affiliate organization of NANAY, Inc. in March 2003 to provide primary health care to the underserved and uninsured, and the NANAY Community Development Corporation (NANAY-CDC) in June 2003 to develop programs, affordable housing, counseling, education and supportive services that empower, transform and improve the lives of disadvantaged individuals and low-income families..
Dr. Joy Bruce also co-founded the Filipino American Coalition of Florida made up of community leaders from South, Central and North Florida interested in social and economic empowerment. In 2005, she established the Advocates for Children and Elders (ACE) International-Philippines that successfully lobbied for the amendment of the Philippine Juvenile Justice Bill to protect the children from being incarcerated with adult prisoners, and currently provides supportive services to Philippine children in conflict with the law as well as underprivileged children and families in poverty through values formation, scholarship, computer training, youth-for-youth programs and livelihood projects for poor families . In 2006, Dr. Bruce helped facilitate the formation of the Fil-Am Political Alliance of Florida to serve as a venue for political empowerment, led the Florida FilAm GOTV initiative, promoted voters registration, coordinated the Presidential Candidates forum and received a Proclamation from the Florida Governor, designating October 2009 as Filipino-American History Month. In 2010, she became President of the Asian American Federation of Florida, energized its member organizations to undertake the Florida Census 2010 Initiative, and held Statewide Asian Summits in Florida.’
All of Dr. Bruce’s community-related activities were carried out while also performing her professional duties as a board-certified neuropathologist at Jackson Memorial Hospital and tenured full professor at the Department of Pathology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine. She has written 8 book chapters, given 40 scientific presentations, published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals and examined brains from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and various types of brain tumor. From 1995-1999, she edited and published “Current Medical News,” a bimonthly health magazine that provided medical updates for the public, written in layman’s term. The second edition of her book, “Histopathologic Techniques,” published in 2006, is currently being used as an official textbook by Medical Technology schools in the Philippines.
NANAY, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization that provides supportive services to elders and youth.
ACE International (Advocates for Children and Elders International) is a global network of advocates and community leaders whose mission is to protect the human rights and improve the lives of disadvantaged elders and children in the Philippines.
The Asian American Federation of Florida is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to empower and preserve the culture and tradition of Asian Americans in Florida.
What is the mission statement of your life?
My mission is to improve the lives of others and to harness the good in people. I lead by example, mean what I say, and stay true to my principles. My ultimate goal is to achieve unity and world peace. Every event in my life brings me closer to my future goal, and my victory brings benefits to all involved.
How did you end up doing what you’re doing?
In 1992, while at a social party, a group of friends asked me how we could help the families who were devastated by the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption in the Philippines. We did a garage sale and incorporated the Philippine Charities Foundation as a tax-exempt charitable organization in Florida so we could send money and medical supplies back home. My intention then was just to make sure that the organization was transparent and accountable to donors and supporters of the project. We provided artesian wells for safe drinking water, set up soup kitchens, medical check-ups, and microloans (following the principles of Grameen banking). We partnered with a local non-government organization (NGO) in the Philippines, and required photographs to document our program. When I saw the photo of a dirty-looking emaciated young girl that we had helped, my heart sank and I couldn’t help but ask myself what took so long for me to help. As president, I learned the ropes and the ins and outs of nonprofit management, including the need to network and partner with as many other organizations as I could in order to accomplish the things we had set out to do.
In 1994, I founded NANAY, an acronym that stands for National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth, and a Filipino word for “mother,” in memory of my mom who died in 1994. In 1998, I was asked to take the lead in planning for the Centennial celebration of Philippine Independence Day in Florida, which resulted in the formation of the Philippine American Federation of Florida, made up of at least 20 local Fila-Am organizations in South Florida.
In 2004, I saw a CNN TV documentary about young children who were being kept in prison with adult felons. So I went back to the Philippines for two weeks and visited the prisons to see for myself the plight of these children in conflict with the law. We lobbied to pass the Philippine Juvenile Justice Bill aimed at keeping children below 15 years old out of jail, and we established the Advocates for Children and Elders International- Philippines.
In October 2009, I met with Florida leadership from Orlando and we decided to revitalize the Asian American Federation of Florida (whom I had been closely working with since the mid-80’s) in order to push for the Census 2010 count in Florida. In so doing, we were able to unite the many diverse Asian American organizations across the State, while also preserving and showcasing our culture and heritage. We lobbied for the repeal of the Alien Land Law that used to ban Asian immigrants from owning properties – Florida is the only State that still has the provision in its Constitution. We also held seminars and workshops to educate our community about the political process and issues that affect the Asian Americans in Florida.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
I don’t know. I am not too familiar with names of actors and actresses in movies. The only ones that come to mind as Sandra Bullock and Angelina Jolie.
How can people find out more about your organization or get involved?
They can visit our websites at www.asianamericanfederation.org, or www.nanay.com or www.ace-international-philippines.org. There are so many ways to get involved, depending on their interest.
If you had a crystal ball, what do you see for the future of the Asian Pacific Islander American community?
I see the Asian American Pacific Islander community as a fully-empowered, strong, cohesive and integral part of American society – occupying influential and high positions in government, breaking the glass ceiling, sitting at the decision table, and taking the lead in planning for the future of this country.
Bonus Question: What advice do you have for young professionals? Would you give different advice for young Asian Pacific Islander American professionals?
Aim high, be true to yourself, know what you want, stay focused, and do not be afraid to face challenges or take calculated risks. The road will not always be easy, but as long as you know where you are going, you will eventually get to where you want to be. There will be mishaps and mistakes along the way – accept them, correct them, use them as a learning experience and a reminder that you are human, and that you can always be a better person. To the young Asian Pacific Islander American professionals – you are as good as, if not better than anybody else. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
Bonus Question: What are your comfort foods and what memories do you have associated with them?
Any soup will do. But I would love to go back home for this rice cake made with purple yam, steamed inside a bamboo tube, and served with margarine and coconut gratings. We call it “puto-bumbong,” and it is only served at dawn after novena mass, in preparation for Christmas in the Philippines.
Bonus Question: What’s your guilty pleasure?
Lying on a couch after a hard day’s work and watching CSI, NCIS, Law & Order, The Mentalist, The Closer, Bones, and American Idol.
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