Los Angeles’ Filipino-American community hails U.S. nod to Historic Filipinotown

Federal council designates the district as a Preserve America Community

 

Milford Wayne Donaldson, right, chairman of the Federal Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation, presents a certificate designating Historic Filipinotown as a
Preserve America Community to Ben Marte, co-chairman of the Pilipino American
Network and Advocacy, on Saturday (Jan. 28, 2012) at Unidad Park in Los Angeles.

The truth is there are many Filipino “centers” in America. Just about every street corner where there is an LBC or Goldilocks quickly becomes a veritable community gathering place for Filipinos and Filipino businesses. Whether it’s in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles, there is always a “Filipinotown” where a Pinoy can go to satisfy a hankering for lechon, polvoron, bibingka or any of the Filipinos’ other sumptuous delicacies.

But there is only once such place that has been recognized by the U.S. federal government: Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles.

The district, comprising the southwest portion of Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood, was designated in October 2011 by the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (FACHP) as a “Preserve America Community.”

Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon of the Philippine
Consulate in Los Angeles speaks during the celebration,
which drew about 125 people to Unidad Park.

On Saturday (Jan. 28, 2012), a virtual fiesta was held at Unidad Park on Beverly Boulevard to celebrate the occasion.

Hosted by the Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (PANA), Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), and My HIFI, the celebration featured a presentation by Milford Wayne Donaldson, chairman of the FACHP, of a certificate to the organizations that have been advocating for Historic Filipinotown.

Leaders of Los Angeles’ Filipino-American community who spoke on Saturday—including Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon of the Philippine Consulate, Joel Jacinto, executive director of SIPA, and Michelle Magalong, chairwoman of My HIFI—hailed the designation of Historic Filipinotown as a Preserve America Community.

Magalong said it will help protect the history and heritage of the nation’s Filipino-American community and enhance the awareness of Philippine culture in an ever-changing United States.

Organizers also used the Saturday event to recognize the designation of the intersection of Temple and Alvarado streets in Historic Filipinotown as the Remedios “Remy” Geaga Square. Geaga was a staunch community organizer and activist in Historic Filipinotown. She died in 1997.

The choice of Unidad Park as the venue for the event was a master stoke. The park’s colorful and well-known mural highlighting landmarks in Philippine and Filipino-American history provided a colorful and fitting backdrop for the speakers, all of whom paid homage to the richness and importance of Philippine culture.

For more information on Historic Filipinotown, go to www.myhistoricfilipinotown.org.

Organizers and guests of the celebration on Saturday pose for a photo under
Unidad Park’s “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana” (Golden History,
Golden Heritage) mural.

Some things new

I’ve grown quite fond of this blog. Not only has it given me a book, it’s also served as a way for me to make sense of my Pinoy-in-American life. I’ve said that all along because it’s true. Writing has always been for me, as it has been for others, really a way of thinking. That is, as you’re finding the right words for what you want to say and composing sentences and paragraphs (as I’m doing right now), you’re actually realizing what and how you think of what’s happening around you, so that if you didn’t do it, you wouldn’t have had those thoughts. And it would be a loss on your part.

Of course, whether it’s such a great loss or not is another matter altogether. But you keep writing because you want me to keep finding out how you feel about things.

Not everyone needs to do that, of course. In fact, most everyone is fine as they go about their lives and they are able to reflect on their experiences as they happen, without writing them down. At the same time, though, you wonder whether some people should make it a point to reflect on what happens to them—whether they do it through writing or some other way. But that’s beside the point.

Revisiting Carlos Bulosan

“America is not a land of one race or one class of men. We are all Americans that have toiled and suffered and known oppression and defeat, from the first Indian that offered peace in Manhattan to the last Filipino pea pickers. America is not bound by geographical latitudes. America is not merely a land or an institution.  America is in the hearts of men that died for freedom; it is also in the eyes of men that are building a new world. America is a prophecy of a new society of men: of a system that knows no sorrow or strife or suffering. America is a warning to those who would try to falsify the ideas of free men.

America is also the nameless foreigner, the homeless refugee, the hungry boy begging for a job and the black body dangling from a tree. America is the illiterate immigrant who is ashamed that the world of books and intellectual opportunities is closed to him. We are that nameless foreigner, that homeless refugee, that hungry boy, that illiterate immigrant and that lynched black body. All of us, from the first Adams to the last Filipino, native born or alien, educated or illiterate—We are America!" 

— Carlos Bulosan, from America is in the Heart

Thanksgiving #7

I was going to say that this Thanksgiving was my seventh Thanksgiving in America, but I realized it would be more precise to say that it was my seventh Thanksgiving ever, since I never celebrated it when I was living in the Philippines.

Although there seems to be more people in the Philippines these days who are at least aware of the American holiday, back in my time, it was almost unheard of. I mean you knew there was such an American holiday (occasionally you saw references to it in books or on TV), but that was it. You didn’t even necessarily know when it was celebrated.

My life is so different now in that way. Now I know when it’s celebrated (the fourth Thursday of November) and know a little bit about the story behind it (even the controversial side-stories). And I’ve become an expert in the holiday’s rituals. Namely, feasting (which, come to think of it, I’ve always been an expert in) and being mindful of our blessings, which, really, is the point of the occasion.

It still is the point of the holiday. In really what is a touching homage to its origins (namely, the harvest traditions of North America: people held a feast to give thanks for a good harvest), people at Thanksgiving do take a moment to count their blessings and to be grateful. And to give.

On the front page of the Thanksgiving Day edition of the newspaper I helped put together, all news about crime or mayhem were set aside for Thanksgiving-related stories. On one side of the page was a story previewing “Black Friday,” the Friday right after Thanksgiving which traditionally has been marked as the start of the holiday shopping season, a day famous—or notorious (depending on how you see it)—for the insanely huge crowds at department stores and malls. 

But on the bottom of the page was a feature on a nonprofit organization that has, since 1987, been hosting a Thanksgiving party for homeless people and needy families. Well, this year, the nonprofit—called Mary’s Table—has been dealt a double blow: a severe shortfall in donations and a sharp increase in the number of people they’re serving. But despite that the organization was making do with what it has and its Thanksgiving program was on. The headline of the story, I thought, captured it all. It said: “They still give when it’s harder to get.”

The front page display was about a new restaurant that decided to give back to the community by giving free Thanksgiving dinners to low-income families.

But most touching on the page for me was the feature on the left side which was devoted to what the man—and woman—on the street was thankful for this Thanksgiving. Quotes from six people were featured. The reporter assigned to the story actually interviewed 10 people, but I couldn’t fit all the quotes when I was designing the page so I went with just six of them—three men and three women.

They said:

“I’m definitely thankful that I have a job, a roof over my head and a family to support me, because not everyone has that.”

“I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for being alive at 86 and for all the blessings of my life.”

“I’m thankful for health and strength, family and great friends. Just the mere fact that we’re alive, enjoying this beautiful Earth and being in California and the United States is just enough to be thankful for.”

“I’m thankful for having a full-time job again.”

“I’m thankful for my family coming together (today) for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I’m thankful that my friend is going to be together with me and that they’re all healthy.”

What I liked about these quotes is they show that Americans are just like you and me. If Pinoys had a Thanksgiving holiday, I imagine we would say essentially the same things and be thankful for our health, friends and family.

Noteworthy too is that two of the six were thankful for their jobs. It’s still a very trying time for America, with record unemployment rates and an economy that doesn’t seem to know where to go. People are mindful that a lot of people are living on unemployment benefits and suffering from perhaps the indignity of not being given the opportunity to earn a living. That for me is the tragedy of a recession. People don’t want a handout; they want a job, that’s all.

But, as this Thanksgiving has shown, it’s good to know that should anyone need a hand, there’s no shortage of people willing to give it. Not in America. And I’m pretty sure not anywhere.

A somber homecoming

                                                            Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher

Military personnel escort the flag-draped casket bearing the body of California
Army National Guard Sgt. Carlo Francisco Eugenio, of Rancho Cucamonga,
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at L.A./Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif.
Eugenio was killed on Oct. 29, 2011, while serving in Afghanistan.

Thursday was a sad day for Filipinos in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

The body of Sgt. Carlo Francisco Eugenio arrived, ending its journey from Afghanistan, where he was serving as a member of the U.S. National Guard and where he was killed on Oct. 29, 2011.

Eugenio, 29, was born in Manila and was a resident of this Southern California city which is home to a small but tight-knit Filipino community.

Eugenio was killed when the vehicle he was driving was struck by a roadside bomb. He was the first National Guardsman from California to be killed in Afghanistan, a grim milestone for the state.

Making the day even more poignant and somber was that it was the eve of Veterans Day, a day when the U.S. pays homage to its citizens who have served in the armed forces but which in reality is devoted by all to honor even those who are still on active duty, and especially those who have perished.

Eugenio’s body arrived at L.A./Ontario International Airport in Ontario, a city right next to Rancho Cucamonga. In a somber ceremony, his flag-draped casket was taken down from the aircraft by military pallbearers. A photo taken by a local photographer tells the story eloquently. The six pallbearers, perhaps members of Eugenio’s National Guard Unit, are all grim-faced, as another offers a salute. A crew member of the plane presses a palm over his chest.

A group of Eugenio's closest relatives (consisting of about 40 people, according to a report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the local newspaper) gathered at the airport to receive his body.

Eugenio was the bunso (youngest) of the family. Family members and friends quoted in the newspaper report remembered him as being fond of the outdoors and said he was “the life of the party.”

Many others were on hand to honor Eugenio. In all, about 150 people attended the ceremony at the airport. Among them were local firefighters and members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcyclists who attend the funeral of service men and women.

The motorcyclists then escorted the hearse carrying Eugenio’s casket as it began its journey from the airport. Military personnel in uniforms representing the different services lined the streets and saluted as the hearse passed.

Eugenio’s last homecoming took place on a day made even heavier by an overcast sky. But many perhaps will take comfort in that as he traveled his hometown’s streets for one last time, his loved ones were gathered, and countless others were on hand to honor his sacrifice.

A funeral mass for Sgt. Carlo Francisco Eugenio will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, at St. Paul Parish, 9135 Banyan St., Rancho Cucamonga. Graveside service will be at 12:30 p.m. at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside.

Tsibugan #13

Awesome calamares at Karilagan restaurant in South San Franciso, Tsibugan #13. Stopped by there when we were in Northern California in October. Also had the sinigang, which was good, too. It's places like this that makes one forget about one's diet. Oh well, we were on vacation ... so on to the next vacation and on to the next tsibugan!

One less Pinoy in America

Nestor is going home. You may have heard of him in these pages, but I referred to him as “N.”

He’s my co-worker, a fellow Pinoy, although he’s been with the company for much longer than I have, around 30 years. He’s one of the building maintenance specialists, and his job is to empty the wastebaskets to take the paper in for recycling. He fixes light fixtures when they’re broken, resolves plumbing issues, that sort of thing.

Well, he’s going home. He’s leaving America to go back home to his family in Iloilo after more than 30 years of the Pinoy-in-American life.

A Filipino summer

South Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay in July 2011. (Photo by Christian Thomas)

Pinoy in America was on the road again this summer. In July, my wife and I took our annual road trip—actually, it’s fast becoming more like a pilgrimage, given that we do it so religiously—to Northern California to see our friends and family there.

But this time we did something different. We camped out in the great outdoors for a couple of nights with my friends C., who brought along his cousin D., and J. and his two kids. It was at lovely South Lake Tahoe, so even if overnight temperatures dipped to the 30s and 40s—and I had only a 50-degree sleeping bag—it was all worth it. Just the view of the lake was enough to make the long drive all worth it.

Filipino authors light up Filipino American History Month event at Carson Public Library

From left, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Lorenzo Paran III, Samantha Sotto and
Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier smile for the camera after their authors reading program
at the Carson Public Library on Oct. 8, 2011. (Photo by Franz Tinio Lopez)

CARSON, Calif. — On Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, Filipino book lovers in the Carson, Calif., area received a special treat: four Filipino authors reading from their books.

The occasion was the latest in a series of “book talks” organized by the Philippine Expressions Bookshop. The online bookseller held the event, in cooperation with the Carson Public Library, to mark Filipino American History Month.

The four authors were Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Samantha Sotto, Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier and Lorenzo Paran III.

FilBookFest gathers, toasts Filipino ‘kindred spirits’

Clockwise from top left, Literacy Initiatives International
Foundation Executive Director Gemma Nemenzo, His Excellency
Former President Fidel V. Ramos, and the Philippines’ Butch
Dalisay and Neni Sta. Romana Cruz gather on stage during a
welcome reception for the participants of the Filipino American
International Book Festival. The program was held at the
Philippine Consulate in San Francisco on Sept. 30, 2011.

It’s long been believed that in the area of the arts a chasm exists between Filipinos in the Philippines and Filipinos in the U.S. That gap became a little narrower on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2, 2011, when writers and artists from both sides of the Pacific gathered in San Francisco for the Filipino American International Book Festival.

At a welcome reception hosted by the Philippine Consulate on Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, Gemma Nemenzo, executive director of the Literacy Initiatives International Foundation, which organized the two-day event, hailed the gathering of “kindred spirits” and recognized the presence of the writers from both sides of the Pacific who have gathered to promote their works and to take part in discussions on writing, publishing, Philippine history and the Filipino-American experience. The gathering was the largest of its kind, Nemenzo said.