Filipino and Filipino American Writing

This thirtieth day of Filipino American History Month brings information on the printed word of and about Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

As early as March 31, 1883, when the article of Lafcadio Hearn about Manila Men at St. Malo, Louisiana was published in Harper's Weekly, the printed word has had a dramatic effect on Filipino Americans and their place in America.

Some of the most famous writings are those of Jose Rizal, who published Noli Me Tangere in 1887 and El Filibusterismo in 1891. These writings reinforced the ideologies of political independence and equality. Today, a translation of Noli Me Tangere can be found as part of the Penguin Classics collection.

The first issue of the Filipino Student Bulletin in Berkeley, California was published on April 1, 1905. In 1923, the Filipino Student Bulletin was the first to use the term "Pinay" to refer to a woman of Filipino descent in the United States of America. When, in 1990, maganda magazine began its publication at the University of California, Berkeley, it traced its origins back to the original Filipino Student Bulletin.

On January 22, 1921, the Philippine Independent News, the first Filipino American newspaper in the United States of America, was published in Salinas, California.
Filipino publications were also printed in other languages. For example, on February 2, 1924, Ti Silaw (The Light) was published in English and Ilocano in Honolulu.

On March 10, 1946, Carlos Bulosan's semi-autobiographical novel America is in the Heart was published. Today, it is studied in most Asian American studies classes

On August 30, 1961, the first issue of Philippine News was published by Alex Esclamado. The paper became the longest-running Filipino American newspaper.
In June 1971, the first issue of the Kalayaan newspaper was published by the Kalayaan Collective of Filipino Activists in the bay area, leading to the establishment of the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino in 1973. The publication ushered in an era of Filipino collectives and groups in San Jose, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and other cities and college campuses.

Around 1975, Liwanag, a collection of Filipino American art, photography, fiction, and poetry was published in San Francisco. The book represented the radical and passionate work produced by young Filipino American artists in California in the 1080s. Many formed the Kearny Street Writers Workshop and made music in bands like Dakila and drum groups like Ating Tao. Pioneering FIlipino American writers such as Jessica Hagedorn, Al Robles, Jeff Tagami, Jaime Jacinto, Virginia Cerenio, Oscar Penaranda, and Shirley Ancheta, among many, many others, emerged from the region and period.

In 1983, Fred and Dorothy Cordova's landmark book, Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans was published. This too is a foundational book studied in Asian American Studies and Filipino American Studies courses.

The widely popular Filipinas Magazine was launched in May 1992 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco.

To house and showcase Filipino American literature, the Pilipino American Reading Room (PARRAL), now the Filipino American Library, was established in Los Angeles in 1994.

Filipino American writing also has received much acclaim. In 1997, Byron Achido and Alex Tizon of the Seattle Times won Pulitzer prizes for journalism. Other writers, like Jessica Hagedorn and Tess Uriza Holthe have also received awards for their writing. In the theatre realm, playwrights like Jeanne Barroga and Chris Millado have also received critical acclaim for their plays.

All over the country, local newspapers allow Filipinos and Filipino Americans to share stories, news, not only with one another but from the Philippines as well.

Each and every form of these writings comprise a vital niche in the Filipino American culture, history, and heritage.