Filipinos and the 1965 Delano Grape Strike

Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) trustee Emily Lawsin shared with her Facebook friends an article entitled "Cesar Chavez Day and the Forgotten Asian Americans," which can be found at http://www.laprogressive.com/2009/03/31/cesar-chavez-day-and-the-forgotten-asian-americans/. It highlights Pilipino farm laborers and their role in starting the 1965 Delano Grape Strike, which gave birth to the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union that Cesar Chavez is best known for.

The writer asks that we "restore the forgotten heritage of all people forged through struggle and remember the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) as a vibrant political force again."

Our community would gain a strong sense of pride by taking that advice.

Staying Away From Gangs

The Deputy Consul General of the Los Angeles Philippine Consulate, Daniel R. Espiritu has proudly stated that family values and community caring have managed to shield young Filipino-Americans from gang activity

He says that neighborhood familiarity, and the community's role as an extension of the family is key, particularly when many parents are working multiple jobs. The part a kumare and kumpare plays to look after their Pinoy neighbors kids is one example.

Community and family awareness programs that are being instituted by Fil Am community organizations may also aid in dissuading Filipinos from joining gangs. These programs temper the individualism in American society and create a natural, barrio-level connection among individuals.

Language may also play an important role in instilling positive cultural norms in individuals, also keeping the family and community together.

Basically, this reinforces the African proverb that "It takes a village ot raise a child."

FANHS Sacramento-Delta Chapter Oral History Project

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Sacramento-Delta (Sac-Delta) chapter is looking for people to assist with conducting interviews for their oral history project. The individuals will have to undergo some training to be provided by FANHS members and will interview some progeny of pioneering Filipino American families to the Sacramento and Delta areas.

Oral history has long been a tradition in the Philippines and with individuals of Filipino descent. Talk story is often taken part in by individuals even today.

Filipino Intercollegate Networking Dialogue, Inc. 2009 Spring Conference

Filipino Intercollegate Networking Dialogue, Inc. (FIND) is in the midst of hosting a conference at Drexel University. The conference theme is "May Yabang, Hindi Mayabang," which roughly translates to "With Pride, Not Arrogance." FIND exists to promote unity and cooperation among Filipino students on the east coast.

Among the sponsors is the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), from which many of the speakers and workshop presenters are coming from. Ruby Veridiano-Ching, from Sacramento, is also performing and presenting.

Speedy Dado--A Great Pinoy Boxer

On March 27, 1931, Speedy Dado defeated Chate Laredo for the flyweight title in Hollywood. At 5' 3" he amassed a 90-43-14 (37 KOs) over a fifteen year career.

Katipunan Pilipino Student Organization's One Fall

The University of California, Riverside Katipunan Pilipino Student Organization is hosting its annual Pilipino Culture Night on Saturday, April 21, 2009, at the California Theatre for the Performing Arts, in San Bernardino, CA.

The show not only provides a project that the collective body of students can work on together, many of the students feel that it connects them to the Philippine and Filipino American culture. Another aspect of the show is philanthropic, as the club is donating all of the profits of the show to Bantay Bata, an organization whose mission is to aid abused and exploited children.

Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown

On April 9, 2009, Images of America, Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown will be released, the work of Carina Monica Montoya. She started by collecting photos, and now they are valuable recordings of history.

She has also authored other books, Filipinos in Hollywood, and a series of children's cookbooks, which incorporate Philippines history and food, like the origins of adobo and the strong Spanish influence on it.

Ms. Montoya is a great example of someone who realizes the importance of recording and disseminating ethnic history, and found a way to do just that.

The Babaylan

In the sixteenth century, the babaylan held an important place in Philippine society. While the term is akin to a spiritual leader, they were much more than that. Both men and women could be babaylan, although a majority of them were women. They were healers, receptacles of knowledge, skilled practitioners in shaanistic traditions, and native philosophers and therapits. They had much political and economic power and influence. They were the manifestation of both female and male power.

Slaughtered during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippnes, the memory of the egalitarian babaylan tradition is faint, but not gone, and ready to be revived.

Honoring Teachers of Philippine Descent

Two teachers of Philippine descent were honored at The New York Times 2009 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESO L) Teacher of the Year Awards

From 50 nominees, a winner and three other honorees were named, including Rosemarie E. Parreno—English as Secondary Language (ES L) continuing education teacher of Hostos Community College; and Nestor Villamil Tebio—ESO L instructor and program manager of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, and Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee.

The ESO L award program recognizes instructors who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to help students learn English and develop the skills to create successful new lives in the United States. Essential to the success of any immigrant is the ability to speak and write English.

The U.S. needs more highly qualified teachers and to be able to say that two of the ones honored are of Philippine descent is a strong source of pride for Filipinos everywhere.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869. He was a leader in the Philippine Revolution and became the first President of the Philippine Republic in 1898.

Los Indios Bravos

Jose Rizal, Mariano Ponce, the Luna brothers, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Marcelo H. del Pilar were minorities who not only survived but excelled in a foreign land by means of their talents, strength of character, and the power of their intellect.

Rizal was a man of many gifts, a poet, novelist, social reformist and, in the end, a martyr. Ponce was a skilled physician. Antonuo Luna was a a pharmacst-turned-revolutionary general. His brother Juan was a fine artist whose masterpiece won the gold medal at the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Lopez Jaena was a propagandist who was called "The Prince of Filipino Orators" and Del Pilar was an edtor whose nom de plume--"Plaridel"--Phiippine journalists now proudly identfy with.

They called themselves Los Indios Bravos, a pejorative--meaning "wild Indians"--that they defiantly transformed into an expression of ethnic pride, a way of distinguising theselves fro the Spaniards from the islands who, ironically, were Filipinos.

Philippine American Teachers

More than 100 school districts, including 20 in California, are recruiting in the Philippines to fill teacher shortages in math, science, and special education.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has hired 250 to 300 teachers from the Philippines -- the largest contingent among more than 600 foreign exchange teachers. LAUSD first begn recruiting foreign exchange teachers in the 1980s from Mexico and Spain to thelp wth bilingual elementary education. It shifted to the Philippines and Canada for math, science, and special education teachers in the last four years.

The Philippines is a favorable country because the higher education system is similar and credits are more easily transferable for teaching credentials. Most Filipinos speak English and can understand Spanish, which is embedded in the Pilipino language as a result of Spain's 300-year colonization of the Philippines.

Most teachers jump at the opportunty at earning ten times as much as the $300 to $400 a month they would earn in the Philippines. However, it is more temporary than anything, as the teachers are recruited on three-year teacher exchange visas known as J-1s.

It may be interesting to analyze how this situation affects Philippine education, society, and economics.

Pinay Leaders in Sacramento

Four Pinay women are leading the way in the nonprofit world in the Sacramento area. They are Elaine Abelaye, Melanie Ramil, Gloria Ochoa, and Nilda Valmores.

Elaine and Melanie are the Executive Director and a Board Member of Asian Resources, Inc. which provides different social services to the local Asian American community.

Nilda and Gloria are the Executive Director and Board President of My Sister's House, an organization that addresses the needs of the Asian Pacific Islanders dealing with domestic violence.

While they are only a few of the many examples of strong Pinay leaders, they all serve as rolemodels for current and future generations.

Stimulus Package Funds for Filipino World War II Veterans

The recently passed stimulus package affords Filipino World War II Veterans a one-time lump-sum payment for their service. Information has been trickling out regarding the payment and this information should be shared with the Veteranos and their advocates.

Eligibility Requirements

• Persons who served before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Govern­ment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, while such forces were in the service of the Armed Forces of the United States.
• Members of the organized guerrilla forces under com­manders appointed, designated or subsequently recognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or oth­er competent authority in the Army of the United States.
• Persons who served in the Philippine Scouts under Sec­tion 14 of the Armed Forces Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945.
• To be eligible for the new benefit, service members in each of the three categories above must have been dis­charged or released from serv­ice under conditions other than dishonorable.

Items Needed to Submit with Claim

• Two forms of identifica­tion such as a driver's license, birth certificate, Senior Citizen ID, Bureau of Post ID, Voter ID card.
• Philippines Veterans Af­fairs Office claim number.
• Philippines Veterans Af­fairs Pension bank account number.
• U.S. Citizens should bring U.S. passport.
• Military discharge docu­ments.

Teodora Alonzo Lodge of the Legionarios de Trabajo

On March 17, 1935, the Teodora Alonzo Ludge of the Legionarios del Trabajo was organized. Named after the mother of Jose Rizal, she is widely credited as the national hero's first teacher. Her role as a foundation for Rizal's success was symbolic, as the Legionarios del Trabajo is a fraternal organization that supported many Filipino Americans as early as the nineteenth century.

Amistad Oriental Hospital

On March 15, 1929, Dr. A.F. Amistad, a Filipino doctor in Stockton, opened the Amisad Oriental Hospital, the first Filipino hospital in the United States.

This is right on the eve of the stock market crash and the Great Depression and an amazing feat considering the times.

Military Bases Agreement

On March 14, 1947, the United States Military Bases Agreement was signed, allowing 22 U.S. military bases to be opened in the Philippines.

Although the Philippines had been independent since July 4, 1946, the U.S. Military Base Agreement furthered U.S. military presence in the country. Their presence has been and continues to be very controversial.

Michelle Malkin

Michelle Malkin is a prominent Filipino American journalist and author. In addition to her internationally syndicated column and blogs, she has written three books, entitled:

1. Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores
2. In Defense of Internment: The Case for 'Racial Profiling' in World War II and the War on Terror
3. Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild

Overseas Foreign Workers

More than ten percent of the 89.5 million Filipinos are spread out all over the world. They are collectively known as Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs), who remit billions of dollars to the Philippines each year. In 2005, close to 75 percent of the one million Filipinos who emigrated were Filipinas. Doestic work is their primary occupation. Women, many of whom have college degrees, spend the most productive years of ther life cooking, cleaning, and taking care of other people's children.

Battery, rape, and murders are the top occupational hazards for Filipinas who go overseas, not to mention unpaid salaries, overwork, and contract malfeasance. It is an issue that needs to be continually addressed.

Filipinos and Angel Island

When the Philippines was a colony of the United States of America, the people of the Philippines could come to the U.S. freely as nationals. They often travelled by ship and landed in San Francisco, California.

When the Tydings-McDuffie Act was introduced and being voted upon, ships carrying around 350 Filipinos were in transit from the Philippines. They landed at Angel Island, and the fate of these individuals was to be determined by the vote.

Well, the individuals were allowed to proceed to the mainland before the vote was finished. When the Tydings-McDuffie Act passed, they were supposed to be deported back to the Philippines. However, most of them had already left and blended into the culture. For the next fifteen to twenty years, the Immigration and Naturalization Services searched for their whereabouts, and was only able to deport one individual.

Judy Yung from the University of California, Santa Cruz, is co-authoring a book about these individuals and is looking for descendants and family members of them. I can not wait to read their stories.

America is in the Heart

Carlos Bulosan's most famous work, America is in the Heart, was first published on March 10, 1946. Taught as a part of most Filipino American history courses, the book chronicles many incidents that various Filipinos in the United States of America encountered during the early part of the twentieth century.

Kuna Ni Nanang

Kuna Ni Nanang means My Mother Said. is an award-winning documentary short film by Jessica Sison. She won the San Joaquin International Film Festival 2008 Best Documentary Short-length Film.

In the synopsis of the film, Ms. Sison writes, "In this day and age, when everything is documented and even cell phones have cameras, one woman has no souvenirs or photos of her beloved mother. Meet Elena Bautista - 101 Years Young on April 19, 2008."

The film is playing with other award winning films on Wednesday, March 11, 2009, and Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at the San Joaquin Film Society (SJFS) Cinema Room program. Find out more at the SJFS Cinema Room Web page at http://www.sjiff.org/cinemaroom/index.html.

Kilusan Pilipino's Pilipino Culture Night

Pilipino Culture Night (PCN) season is practically here, and one of the first shows is going to be that of the University of the Pacific's Kilusan Pilipino, on March 21, 2009, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Faye Spanos Concert Hall, at 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211. The show title is "Common Connections", and it looks to be a promising production.

Mark Munoz

The newest Pinoy to rise in mixed martial arts is Mark Munoz, joining Brandon Vera as a welcome addition to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) A native of Vallejo, it is nice to have a northern Californian in the program as well.

Carlos Bulosan's Freedom from Want

Carlos Bulosan, most famous for America is in the Heart, had a piece printed in the Saturday Evening Post on March 6, 1943. The piece was titled "Freedom from Want", and is an example of how good work can penetrate mainstream society and customs.

A Night in the Philippines

Even as early as 1937, Filipino Americans were gracing the stage in Sacramento, when on March 5, 1937, "A Night in the Philippines," a musical variety show, was presented. Today, many actors and actresses of Philippine descent take part in stage roles. One of the most famous is Lea Salonga.

The Filipino Federation of America

The Filipino Federation of America (FFA) was founded in December 1925 by sakadas--Filipino contract laborers of Hawaii. The FFA was a mutual-aid and quasi-religious society which held to a number of secret beliefs and mystical traditions, led by charismatic and controversial Hilario Moncado. They did not eat red meat, attend gambling events or taxi-hall dances, or go on strike in the fields--members were often used as strikebreakers).

Fight Night at ARCO Arena

Mercito Gesta of Cebu, Philippines (14-0-1, 5 KOs) is coming to Sacramento's ARCO Arena as part of Fight Night. He is part of the brand of pugilism that has existed among Filipinos and Filipino Americans for centuries. There have been many exemplary fighters through the years, providing individuals of Philippine descent much reason to be proud and happy.

Filipino World War II Soldiers: America's Second Class Veterans

Filipino World War II Soldiers: America's Second Class Veterans, by Rick Rocamora, is a collection of photographs of the photojournalist, capturing the lives of Filipino World War II Veterans with an appropriate mix of feelings, from sadness to triumph.

Mr. Rocamora has long been taking photos of the Veterans in San Francisco, and has exhibited them in various venues throughout the country as well as included them in video documentaries. His work is moving.

Doctor-Nurses

Hospitals are full of Filipino nurses, many of whom are overqualified. Many Philippine doctors become nurses in other countries, especially the United States of America. They call themselves MD-RNs.

In applying the push-pull analysis to the situation, one looks for what reasons doctors were pushed out of the Philippines and pulled into other countries, like the U.S. Not surprisingly, the financial factor was significant. Although Philippine society views doctors as professionals who make money esily, reality proves otherwise. Data from the Philipine Bureau of Internal Revenue reveal that the average Filipino physician earns a monthly income of PhP 16,196 ($324). The Philippine government's own economic office estimates that a monthly income of PhP 16,800 ($336) is needed to meet the basic daily needs of a family of six in Metro Manila.

In the U.S., nurses can start earning $4,000 per month, more than ten times what an average doctor earns in the Philippines. In addition, this job would also serve as an entry point and a stepping stone to eventually achieving the American dream.

What this does to the availability of medical professionals in the U.S.? How can the Philippines get better if the highest educated individuals leave the country? It is well documented that overseas workers send remittances back to the Philippines, to a tune of $10.69 billion in 2005 and $12.76 billion in 2006. What an unfortunate situation of dependence.