Filipino American History Month

Senate Concurrent Resolution 48 will be voted on this week to formally recognize October as Filipino American History Month this year and in the future.

It is necessary to make the general public aware of the historical contributions made by immigrant ethnic and cultural groups to build the fabric of the State of California and the United States into the state and country that we know and are proud of. As with many other ethnic and cultural groups who have received public recognition for their contributions to American society, Filipinos and Filipino Americans also deserve to be recognized.

One can review it on the California State Senate Web site at http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/scr_48_bill_20090608_introduced.pdf. Please review it and contact your state Senator—both at the State Capitol and their district office—to let them know how you feel about the bill. Letters, e-mails, and calls from individuals and organizations are encouraged.

To further strengthen your case, you may wish to:

· Give a brief background on the history of Filipinos in your respective senate district
· Provide demographic figures on the population of Filipinos in your respective senate district; and
· Highlight one historically significant Filipino event, individual, organization, or business in your senate district

Any correspondence should also be courtesy copied to Senator Leland Yee.

You can find senator contact information and demographic information on the California State Senate District Map Web page at http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/districtmaps.HTP.

Philippine Independence Day

On June 12, 1898, revolutionary forces under Emilio Aguinaldo, the country’s first and youngest President, declared independence from Spanish colonial rule.

Today, Filipinos celebrate June 12, 1898, and July 4, 1946, as Independence Days. It is telling that the people of the Philippines celebrate twice. It means that the people had to fight twice. Certainly, the soldiers of World War II understand fighting for two entities--the United States government and their very own homes. The Philippine diaspora has had to manage at least two cultures.

All these concepts are testaments to Filipino resilience and ingenuity.

Rubilen Amit: World 10-ball Champion

The Philippines’ Rubilen Amit trounced two-time world titlist Liu Shin Mei of Chinese Taipei, 10-4 to rule the 2009 JBETpoker.net Women’s World 10-Ball Championship at The Block of the SM North Edsa in Quezon City.
The 27 year old downed Liu, the 2006 Doha Asian Games gold medalist who reigned as world 9-ball queen in 1999 and 2004, with her superb shot-making to the delight of the appreciative weekend crowd.
After she sank the final ball, Amit knelt in triumph, got up, hugged Liu and shook hands as confetti fell on them. She became the first 10-ball champion ever in the event, which was a recent addition to the sport.
“Maraming salamat po, kayo ang ang nagpanalo sa akin (Thank you very much. I won because of you),” said Amit, who dedicated her triumph to her parents, patron Puyat Sports, and a certain “Tito Tolits” who recently passed away.
The win by the pocket-sized Filipina earned her a whopping purse of $20,000 while Liu pocketed $9,000.
She took the early initiative in the finals with a 6-3 lead. But Liu threatened, only to suffer a couple of miscues and allow the local favorite to take a 7-4 lead.
The crowd started to cheer loudly after Amit went ahead at 8-4 and louder when she sank a magical, double-rail shot on the No. 5 to reach the hill. It was all Amit in what proved to be the tournament’s final rack.
It was Amit’s first international victory since falling short in the 2007 Amway World Women’s 9-Ball Championship in Chinese Taipei where she finished second.
“I didn’t expect to win. I only realized I won when I sank the final ball,” said Amit, a three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist including a pair in the 2005 Manila Games.
More importantly, Amit joined the ranks of countrymen Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, who have won world titles in 9-ball and 8-ball.
Reyes, adored by many because of his skills and humble demeanor, won the 9-ball title in 1999 and 8-ball in 2004, Alcano the 9-ball and 8-ball titles in 2006 and 2007, respectively, and Pagulayan the 9-ball plum in 2004.
“It feels great being in that company,” said Amit, who is now 2-1 in her head-to-head duel with Liu.
Earlier, Amit broke out of a close game by hitting the shots that mattered most to overcome a tough Akimi Kajitani of Japan, 9-6, in the semifinals.
Amit made it this far by trouncing a heavily favored Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee of the United States in a nerve-wracking 9-8 hill-hill quarterfinal victory.
Before that, the Cebu-born, Taguig-based Amit downed Julie Kelly of Ireland, 8-4, and Tan Hsiang Ling of Chinese Taipei, 8-3, in the first two rounds of the knockout phase also Friday.
It was her eighth straight triumph since opening her campaign with a 1-5 setback to world No. 1 Kelly Fisher of England, who was booted out in the quarters by Liu in another hill-hill win, 9-8.

Pedro Flores and the Yo-yo

On June 9, 1928 Pedro Flores established the Yo-Yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California. He would later sell it to the Duncan company, where yo-yos became a huge phenomenon.

One can learn more about it from the Yo-Yo Museum in Chico, California.

Filipino American Youth Leadership Conference (FAYLC) 2009

One my most favorite events each year, the Filipino American Youth Leadership Conference (FAYLC), a project of the Philippine National Day Association (PNDA), is coming up in less than two months. It will be on August 7-9, 2009, in Sacramento, CA. Participant applications can be downloaded at http://www.xpoinc.org/documents/faylc09participantapplication.doc.

The Recession's Effect on Filipino American Students

As reports of continued cuts in public schools continue to be released each day, many are looking at how this will affect Filipino American students.

As a baseline, a study was released by the National Federation of Filipino American Assocations (NaFFAA) in January 2008. The study strove to explain how Filipino kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) students are doing in America’s public schools.

While there is documented exemplary Filipino academic achievement, it was noted that in California there are: (a) low numbers of Filipino students going to college and dropping out early; (b) high suicide rates among Filipino teenage girls; and (c) many Filipino teens feeling excessive Filipino parental pressure to succeed.

The Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee

In June 1960, the American Federation of Labor chartered the Agricultural Worker's Organizing Committee (AWOC). Some Stockton organizers in the AWOC were Larry Itliong, Cipriano "Rudy" Delvo, and Dolores Huerta. They would become integral parts of the labor movement, leading many protests, including the Delano Grape Strike.

Philippine Independence Celebrations

As June 12 approaches, Filipino communities across the world prepare to commemorate the independence of the Philippines from long time colonizer, Spain, on June 12, 1898.

Communities often have fiestas with vendors and entertainment. In Vallejo, Pista sa Ngayon will be on Saturday, June 6, 2009. In Sacramento, the Filipino American Fiesta of Sacramento will be on Sunday, June 7, 2009. In San Francisco, the Fiesta Filipina will be on June 13, 2009.

There certainly is much to be celebrated, as well as improved, in the Philippine and Filipino American community.

Bamboo Life Lessons

Bamboo is a plant often associated with the Philippines. There are creation myths and legends surrounding bamboo. It is an amazing plant, rightfully earning its place amidst Philippine literature. The bamboo also holds symbolic meaning for families.

Bamboo grows new shoots annually. This growth generally takes place during a certain period, for a couple of months during the year. The main shooting season varies with the species, of which there are over 1,000, depending also whether it is a tropical or temperate species and other factors..This is comparable to the thousands of islands of the Philippines, from which my family came.If one starts off with a small plant, the canes, called culms, are relatively small. All growth takes place over a period of a couple of months or so. After this, these culms do not get any larger in diameter or taller in height, and the only new growth these culms produce in following years are side branches and new leaves. Eventually these culms die, being replaced by new generations of culms. Filipino families start small, and with new generations, grow more and more.

Each following year, under good growing conditions, the bamboo planting will grow new shoots which will grow larger and taller. It can take over ten years for the bamboo plant to reach full maturity, in which the new culms produced for the season will grow to their largest height and diameter. Parents do their best to provide their family and friends good growing conditions, where they can grow and prosper.

One species, under ideal conditions, at its fastest growth stage, grew almost two inches per hour, or four feet per day. When a shoot emerges, its upward daily growth is slow, and gradually picks up speed. At mid height, its daily growth is the fastest, then it gradually decreases upward growth as it begins to reach its full height. This is the goal that we all need to have for family and friends.