Melissa (they/ she/ siya*) is a second-generation, mixed-race Filipinx immigrant-settler to so-
called “British Columbia”. They grew up on and currently occupy the unceded and active lands
of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ nations, colloquially known as North
Vancouver. As a Filipinx immigrant-settler, Melissa works in solidarity with local Indigenous
nations based on the understanding that settler colonialism here is intimately tied to
imperialism overseas.
Melissa holds a Diploma of Motion Picture Arts from Capilano University, and a BA from UBC
Okanagan where they majored in Cultural Studies and minored in Sociology. They are currently
completing their MA at UBC Vancouver’s Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice Institute,
where they work at the intersections of Feminist Environmental Humanities and Critical Animal
Studies. Their anti-colonial, queer, and feminist research focuses on multispecies justice in the
context of mass extinction.
Featured Publications
Plisic, Melissa. Black Luminosity in the Age of Social Media, UBCO, 2021. https://fccs.ok.ubc.ca/degrees-programs/undergraduate-programs/cultural-studies/student-projects/?fbclid=IwAR2SsJXwu1eiqYH4xzCcxs8bVvBEC7w_Kl- V1MaoXOz3k7uNNkJ5oAz1Uno
Plisic, Melissa. Who Are You and Why Are You Here?, UBCO, 2021. https://fccs.ok.ubc.ca/degrees-programs/undergraduate-programs/cultural-studies/student-projects/?fbclid=IwAR2SsJXwu1eiqYH4xzCcxs8bVvBEC7w_Kl-V1MaoXOz3k7uNNkJ5oAz1Uno
Contact
Instagram @greenfilipinx
Email melissa.plisic@ubc.ca