TNT Traysikel, a Social Sculpture of Protest and Solidarity
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TNT Traysikel (Photo by Paolo Asuncion)
TNT is an abbreviation of the Tagalog phrase, “tago nang tago,” or “always hiding,” a moniker for a Filipino undocumented immigrant in the United States who always has to hide and be cautious of his/her movements in order not to be caught by immigration officers.
TNT Traysikel, however, does anything but shy away from public view. Esquire magazine in its April 7, 2021 article called TNT Traysikel “a tricycle on Filipino steroids.”
“We called the tricycle TNT in order to shine a light on the issues of undocumented immigrants like the DACA kids who have no path to citizenship and there should be,” said Paolo Asuncion, one of the collaborators of TNT Traysikel, along with Mike Arcega. “It’s also in reference to the fact that we are considered the perpetual foreigner here in America. Blasting a light on and celebrating our contributions to this country -- and being loud about it -- is our way of coming out of the shadows. The tricycle is the opposite of keeping our head down, staying quiet. This is our way of claiming our space here in this country,” explained Asuncion.
TNT with Ella Jay Basco, whose single, ‘Gold’, opened the friday night show at CAAM Fest this year. ‘Gold’ is all about the colonial mentality of skin whitening. Ella plays the first asian super hero in a DC film in ‘Birds of Prey’ with Margot Robbie, and she is also the niece of Dante Basco, who also had a movie screen that same night, “The Fabulous Filipino Brothers”, back to back with “Lumpia with a Vengeance” inn CAAM’s most filipino night ever. (Photo by Paolo Asuncion)
Loud and proud of their cultural heritage is perhaps best expressed through the painted pun on the front of the sidecar, [cue heavy Filipino accent here] “Por Wan Pibe.” In California, law enforcers say “415” as code for “Disturbing the Peace.” It stems from California Penal Code 415, which makes it unlawful for any person to start fights in public and maliciously and willfully disturb another person. TNT Traysikel appears guilty of creating “loud and unreasonable noise” through its karaoke.
Singing along to OPM (Original Pilipino Music), riders appear nostalgic and even giddy as if they have stepped into a time machine recalling childhood memories back in the Philippines of riding tricycles to school. “I’m in San Francisco riding a tricycle! I can’t believe it!” exclaimed one rider who rode up in a Harley motorcycle.
Philippine Consul General (San Francisco) Neil Frank R. Ferrer and Marie Soleil Tropicales belt out ‘Manila’ by Hotdog on the sidewalk in front of the Sutter Street office of the Philippine Consulate General. (Photo by Paolo Asuncion)
“It’s like finding a piece of home for them,” explained Arcega. “It’s comforting, like a warm embrace of understanding and familiarity.”
Asuncion added, “It’s like a mechanical hug!”
Even second and third generation Filipino Americans find affinity with TNT Traysikel.
“They sometimes can’t seem to place the words and images, but they know it’s a Filipino thing so they can still relate to it,” said Asuncion. “Overall, it’s a catalyst for conversations. So many stories of our Filipino American experiences, all different but all equally amazing.”
Mike Arcega (left) and Paolo Asuncion add some filipino flair to the 10th Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. (Photo by Alvin Dizon)
Arcega added, “TNT Traysikel is a social lubricant, a way for diverse communities to come together and release all those things that divide us. As a social sculpture, TNT Traysikel was used as an aesthetic object, a protest tool and symbol of solidarity with the Black community against police brutality and delivery vehicle during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also allows us to express more of what it means to be Filipino on American soil.”
Asuncion and Arcega admit they have had pushback when throwing their support of the Black community. “Filipinos would tell me, ‘but we’re not them [Black people.],” said Arcega. “We need to help everybody, especially the Black community. It’s not only the right thing to do, but also by helping them, we help us.”
“The tricycle is the opposite of keeping our head down, staying quiet. This is our way of claiming our space here in this country,” explained Asuncion.”
This is an ironic reference to “Positively No Filipinos Allowed” sign at a Stockton, California hotel back in 1930s (Photo by Paolo Asuncion)
TNT Traysikel is a mobile public artwork that operates as a cultural marker for the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District in San Francisco. The aesthetic of the traysikel is adjacent to Filipino-customized transport jeepneys left by Americans after WWII. TNT Traysikel is an immigrant metaphor constructed from a deep colonial history. It will be the main site for collecting stories of Filipinx diaspora in a forthcoming documentary.
TNT Traysikel is a collaboration between @mike_arcega and @pao_silog, Hand-Painted by Meng Nguyen, @allthingsmeng. It was funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Artist Commission #sfacfunded with additional financial support from Awesome Foundation, San Francisco State University @sfsu_school_of_art and Balay Kreative @balaykreative . Special Thanks to Cardo, Sena, Icon, Handsome Asians Motorcycle Club @handsomeasiansmc , All Things Meng, Jeff Larrimore @okayjeffrey , Mark Baugh-Sasaki @mark_baugh_sasaki , Brian "Milk Crate" Lester and our families for their generous contributions.
Find TNT Traysikel on Instagram: @tnt_traysikel
Corin Ramos started her journalism career as a reporter for Philippine News. She was also the first managing editor for Filipinas Magazine in San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Southern California. Corin graduated from UC Berkeley, and currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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