Ok... So on October 4th my English class and I went to a book fair @ San Diego City College were we meet Judy Patacsil and she introduced us to her book about the history of Filipinos here in San Diego and her self. Judy Patacsil's father was a war vet for the United States. Judy also shared that she is a counselor at the Mira Mar Mesa College. I learned that OCTOBER is considered Filipino History month. Judy broke her book down into five chapters:
Chap. 1 - Early Pioneers and settlers.
Chap. 2 - Foundations of the Community.
Chap. 3 - Military Life.
Chap. 4 - Forging Identities.
Chap. 5 - Contributions to the Community.
Judy's Co-Authors in this book are Rudy Guevarra which i don't remember meeting, and Felix Tuyay which was Judy's professor before.
Judy shared also with everyone that she was born and raised here in San Diego and also attended Southwestern College.
Judy taught me a lot of things that i never knew for example:
* Arcadia is one of the #1 book publishers.
Chap1
* Filipinos were involved in a war which was considered the first Vietnam War.
* In the 70's there was a lot of activism going on in the United States.
* In the 1930's in the downtown area of San Diego there was a coffee shop called "Malina Cafe" which was also considered Filipino Town, and a Man named Carlos Bulosan wrote about it.
* The majority of Filipinos that first came to the USA were males.
* Before the Cesar Chavez and farm workers movement, Filipinos were the most labor leaders.
Chap2
* In 1953 the USA started allowing Filipino American brides to come into the United States.
Chap.3
* Filipinos use to consider San Diego the "Navy Town".
* Filipinos even went through discrimination in the United States Military.
* In 1955 Felix Tuyay's father passed away.
* Enrolling into the United States Military was the primary way for Filipinos to come into the US.
* In the 1950's What was considered Encanto, Filipinos were allowed to purchase property.
* An untold triumph: America's Filipino Soldiers (2002)
Chap.4
* Women are the primary culture carriers.
* Jose Resa was a Filipino Leader.
* Arnis - One of Filipino's Martial arts.
* Bruce Lee's mentor was Filipino.
Chap.5
* In 2005, the Filipino language education was allowed in the United States (Bill: AB 420)
* Jabbawockeez
* Filipinos are in the fabric of American history.
I wasn't able to buy Judy's book but thanks to my English professor Henry Aronson which is also a Filipino American, i can say that i enjoyed going to that book fair. I learned things that i had no idea about Filipinos and their history.
(Judy Patacsil and Henry Aronson)
Thank you Professors
Marcel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this.
You remind me that part of our cultural ties are created in the act of naming our history in a place.
Part of what I enjoy so much about being a Filipino American - is the way that we tell stories about the places we are from. Filipinos are a diaspora of people - spread all over the world, and still at our root we have that longing for the land.
I don't think we loose that once in the e'States. I think some of it transfers into our claiming of place on this land.
As a community-based theatre artist, this informs my work with middle school theater-makers and adult professional practitioners.
The sum of all of these thoughts lead me to ask:
*If you were to write a book about Filipino Americans in San Diego - what would your chapters be?
* Tell me about an element of Filipino American history in San Diego.
*What was it like to find this book about Filipinos in San Diego?
* What was it like to go to a book fair? Some might think your generation is loosing its relationship to books - what are your thoughts about that?
I realize it might be strange to ask the questions, I'd be curious of your answers, even if just a sentence or two.
Thanks again for your post raises these interesting questions for me.
Which also connects to your point about your English Professor. Professor Henry Aronson introduced me to Multi-Racial Asian American Theater and it opened up a whole world of possibility.
I have always appreciated that he engages in thoughtful conversations inspired by books, theatre, our history and our present.
Thanks again!
Big light,
Alison De La Cruz
Multi-Disiciplinarian
Sup Alison forgive me for not replying quicker, i'm still getting use to "blogging" Mr. Aronson is a cool teacher. great attitude!
ReplyDeleteabout your questions well first i had never been to a book fair at least none that i was aware about, meeting Ms. Patacsil and her friends was enlightening once again i learned things i had no idea, i can honestly admit that before all this knowledge and experience i though Filipinos were just some Asian group, but now i realize the multiple groups still haven't fully been given credit too. in regards to Filipinos and San Diego i still hardly know much besides what i stated above from Ms. Patacsil's presentation. but im glad to learn this so that i can get a better idea about a Filipino whenever i meet more,and if i were to write a book about Filipinos en San Diego i would also highlight the history and then quickly get into the subjects of how Filipinos have contributed to the lands of San Diego with Judy Patacsil being an example, then music and who knows what more once again i'm still learning about the subject but i'm proud of the idea and support it all the way, because discrimination needs to come to a end soon, if not sooner.way to many people are under educated about their surroundings. i know i was one.
Ahhhh Marcel! I really enjoyed Judy Patacsil's presentation. I really learned a lot. And I thank you for explaining the book again! It is now jotted down elsewhere beside the book for me to read. BYE MARCEL!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMarcel!
ReplyDeleteThank you for including so much of what you guys heard from Judy!! I had to miss it because of familial obligations, but hearing what you all went over is really helpful for me! You are helping me get caught up. :D
What do you think was the most important take-away from that experience?
I'm looking forward to reading more from you.
Best,
Laura
being introduced to Filipinos in general, historical events and new ones that we don't know about. Professor Tuyay was very helpful today when he summed it up by saying Filipinos influence colonization.
ReplyDelete