The CSU is excited to share an opportunity for the CSU community (campuses, students, faculty and staff) to watch a screening of an important documentary film—"Nurse Unseen"—in honor of National Nurses Week (May 6–12, 2025) and Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month. 

"Nurse Unseen" is an award-winning film that shines a light on the vital yet often unrecognized contributions of Filipino nurses in the United States, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The documentary offers an important opportunity to honor the unseen heroes who have shaped healthcare across generations—and to spotlight the CSU’s role in preparing a diverse nursing workforce, including first-generation college students, people of color, immigrants, and students from underserved communities.

The Philippines is the leading exporter of professional nurses in the world. In the U.S., almost one-third of all immigrant nurses are Filipino. Since 1965, over 150,000 Filipino nurses have immigrated to the United States. Yet, there has been little to no representation of Filipino nurses in U.S. mainstream media. Furthermore, according to a study by National Nurses United, nurses of Filipino descent make up roughly 4% of the registered nurses working in the United States yet account for more than 25% of the nation's nurse deaths due to COVID-19 (slightly down from the previously reported 31.5%.)

"Nurse Unseen" shares the diverse and personal stories of nurses on the front lines, including a veteran ICU nurse who survived an 8-month battle with COVID, academics, historians, Filipino journalists, hospital administrators, community leaders, as well as families who are coping with the loss of their loved ones. These stories are truly inspiring and representative of our Filipino American community at large. The heart, resiliency, and sense of duty among Filipino nurses that shined through a time of such uncertainty and fear deserve not only to be seen but also celebrated.

This is a learning activity for the Healthy Humboldt Place-Based Learning Community course, ES 108 Asian American Lives. The screening is open to all CSU students, faculty, and staff only.

The Department of Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies (CRGS) in partnership with the Nursing BSN Program and the Asian Desi Pacific Islander Middle Eastern and North African Collective (ADPI-MENA) will host a public screening of "Nurse Unseen" on Tuesday, May 6, from 3–4:30 p.m. in Founders Hall 163.

Join documentary filmmakers on Zoom hosted by CSU East Bay on Monday, May 12, from 3 to 4 p.m. Register for the online event at: https://csueb.zoom.us/meeting/register/iY8VBK2_QvqJ2OyGwnsncg#/registration

About the Filmmakers
"Nurse Unseen" Director Michele Josue is an Emmy Award-winning Filipino filmmaker whose feature debut Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine won 10 Best Documentary and Audience Awards from film festivals worldwide and boasts a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Michele is also the executive producer, director, and lead editor of Happy Jail, the award-winning Netflix Original documentary series about the Cebu jail that is home to the world-famous “Dancing Inmates.”

Producer Carlo Velayo is a Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated producer, a Berlinale VFF Talent Highlight Awardee, and the inaugural San Francisco Film New American Fellow. Carlo has produced two narrative features, including Isabel Sandoval's Lingua Franca and Jessica M. Thompson's The Light of the Moon. In the non-fiction space, Carlo was senior producer on Michele Josue's Netflix Original documentary series Happy Jail and is collaborating again with Michele on the documentary feature "Nurse Unseen."