I provided testimony on Tuesday in support of Associate Joint Resolution 65 at the California Assembly's Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media hearing. Also speaking was Ron Muriera on behalf of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and the Manilatown Heritage Foundation. While I was nervous, I knew it was important to do. When one is committed, they must be committed fully.

I am pleased to share that AJR 65 passed in committee with 7 "ayes" and no opposition. What this means is that it has been adopted by the appropriate committee and will now make its way to the next level of the legislative process. Today, Thursday, June 26, 2008, AJR 65 will be voted upon by the rest of the Assembly. Not only that, several members of the committee have asked to add their names as co-sponsors to the measure: Assembly Members Fiona Ma, Joe Coto, Sandre Swanson, Betty Karnette (Chair), Audra Strickland, and George Plescia. Each had very positive things to say about the contributions of Filipino Americans in their district and to California.

So what does his mean? It means that we can positively influence the vote by letting our representatives know that we want them to vote yes on AJR 65. One can find contact information on the Your Legislature Web page at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.

I know a lot of people say they hate politics. They say that their vote does not count. However, it does. When our representatives are aware of our opinions, their decisions are more likely to reflect our priorities and values. When we do not vote, our representatives can continue to ignore us and our concerns.

Assembly Member Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) authored Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 65, regarding Filipino communities. The text of it reads:

This measure would recognize the critical role that Filipinos, and the Filipino community as a whole, have played in the social, economic, and political development of California throughout the state’s history, and encourage all federal, state, and local organizations to promote the preservation of Filipino history and culture, including the preservation of Filipino communities.

 

WHEREAS, Filipinos and Filipino American communities have played critical roles in the social, economic, and political development of California throughout the state’s history; and

 

WHEREAS, The first recorded arrival of Filipinos in what is now Morro Bay, California was on October 18, 1587, as sailors and crewmen on the Spanish galleons of the Manila-Acapulco mercantile, and Filipinos assisted Father Junipero Serra establish the California mission system in the late 1700s and early 1800s; and

 

WHEREAS, San Francisco’s Presidio was the site from which soldiers headed to the Philippine-American War were deployed, and beginning immediately after the colonization of the Philippines and the Philippine-American war, Filipinos began immigrating to San Francisco, as military personnel and as workers in the service sector of San Francisco as bellhops, dishwashers, servants, and cooks, and by the 1920s established a thriving community around Kearny and Jackson Streets they called Manilatown, and in the post-World War II era, in large Filipino communities in the Fillmore, South of Market, and Excelsior districts; and

 

WHEREAS, In the first decades of the 20th century, thousands of Filipinos began working in the agricultural fields throughout California, in such cities and regions as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the central coast (Salinas, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Guadalupe), Imperial Valley, Orange County, the Inland Empire, Delano, Bakersfield, Coachella Valley, and the San Francisco Bay area, becoming a critical element in the growth and the political economy of the state, often enduring harsh labor conditions and poor wages, but creating a strong legacy of mutual support, militant strikes, and organizing for farm labor unionization; and

 

WHEREAS, These agricultural workers, led by Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, with their history of strong farm labor unions, would lead the 1965 Delano Grape Strike and partner with Mexican American workers in the creation of the United Farm Workers in Delano in 1967; and

 

WHEREAS, These agricultural workers also built Agbayani Village, a retirement facility for elderly Filipino farmworkers, called “manongs,” located at Forty Acres in Delano, Kern County; and

 

WHEREAS, At the turn of the century, Filipino students, farmworkers, and laborers in manufacturing and in the service sector began settling in the San Joaquin Delta area near and in Stockton, building a community that became the largest concentration of Filipinos outside of the Philippines through much of the 20th century, establishing a thriving six-block ethnic neighborhood they called “Little Manila” in downtown Stockton at the intersection of Lafayette and El Dorado Streets, which the Stockton City Council designated the “Little Manila Historical

Site” in 2000, the first such designation in the country; and

 

WHEREAS, In the 1920s, Filipinos worked as laborers in the shipyards in Vallejo, and by the time World War II began, thousands of Filipinos worked as shipbuilders, and established a  successful Filipino American community and business center in Vallejo; and

 

WHEREAS, During World War II, thousands of Filipinos from California served in the First and Second Filipino Infantry Regiments and were trained at Salinas and at Ford Ord, California, and stationed at Camp Beale near Sacramento and Camp Cooke near Santa Maria; and

 

WHEREAS, After discharge from the United States Navy following World War II, many Filipinos settled in National City and elsewhere in the County of San Diego, as well as in the Cities of West Long Beach and Wilmington, where they worked in the Long Beach shipyards, Terminal Island canneries, and as nurses and medical workers in the harbor area, creating flourishing Filipino American communities numbering in the tens of thousands; and

 

WHEREAS, The Filipino Community Center of the Los Angeles Harbor area in the City of Wilmington continues to serve as a model organization, facilitating community events such as weddings, baptisms, pageants, and fiestas; and

 

WHEREAS, Numerous other community-based institutions that take responsibility for the services, advocacy, and civic engagement needs of the Filipino American community exist today throughout the state; and

 

WHEREAS, In 1968, Filipino student organizers were instrumental in the leadership of the Third World Liberation Front that led to the founding of the nation’s first College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, San Francisco, which was part of the larger effort to democratize higher education for all; and

 

WHEREAS, From 1972 to 1986, Filipino American activists organized massive educational and political campaigns to restore civil liberties in the Philippines during the period of Martial Law in that country, while creating dynamic local responses to international politics; and

 

WHEREAS, From 1968 to 1977, Filipino American activists and residents of San Francisco’s International Hotel challenged local authorities and private development in order to organize a multiracial and popular campaign to support affordable housing for Filipino and Chinese immigrants, placing people and the public good ahead of profit; and

 

WHEREAS, In 2002, the City of Los Angeles, home to over 120,000 Filipinos, designated a “Historic Filipinotown” district, the largest designation of this kind in the country; and

 

WHEREAS, From World War II to the present, federal, state and local redevelopment projects, freeway and highway construction, urban decay, demographic shifts, and poor city planning have destroyed a significant number of Filipino American historic sites and ethnic neighborhoods, and many of the remaining Filipino American communities and historic sites are in danger of being lost; and

 

WHEREAS, The Filipino American community in California numbers well over one million, nearly one-half of the total population of Filipinos in the United States; and

 

WHEREAS, Preserving our Filipino communities throughout California is critical to our state history and the preservation of Filipino culture, history, traditions, and other elements of this heritage; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature recognizes the critical role that Filipinos and Filipino American communities have played in the social, economic, and political development of California throughout the state’s history; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature encourages all federal, state, and local organizations to promote the preservation of Filipino history and culture, including the preservation of Filipino communities; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

Please write a letter of support for the resolution and send it to Assembly Member Furutani, by 12:00 noon on Monday, June 23, 2008, at the following address, fax, or e-mail address:
 
The Honorable Warren T. Furutani
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0055
Fax: 916-319-2155
E-mail: assemblymember.furutani@assembly.ca.gov 

Today is the birthday of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal. Born on June 19, 1861 and executed on December 30, 1896, he was integral in ending more than 300 years of oppression by Spain over the Philippines. A prolific student and author, he wrote two very well known novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Symbolism scattered the pages of the works, criticizing Spaniards, hispanized Filipinos, and Spanish friars for the atrocities they committed against Filipinos in the name of the Catholic church. Rizal's many writings, including poems, novels, essays, and dissertations, inspired the Filipino people to revolt against Spain. It also inspired the formation of the Katipunan and action by other revolutionary leaders.

He did this all through nonviolent means, his weapon of choice being his pen, his words, and his mind. The writings he left are all indicative of the type of life he led and the ideals that he lived to defend.

There are certain things in history that I believe should be included in the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. This is a great opportunity to really emphasize the importance of including the perspectives of ethnic Americans in our schools. The timeline for the update of the Framework can be found on the Timeline for History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/hssdrafttimeline.asp.

I am noting the Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee recruitment dates from March 20, 2008 - September 3, 2008, the field review dates in September - October 2009, and the December 2009 - January 2010 public review dates.

In particular, my interest includes the teaching of concepts like the importance of Filipinos and Filipino Americans to the development of California's agriculture industry during the 30s, the Filipino Repatriation Act of 1935, Filipino and Filipino American contributions to the World War II effort, and the labor union efforts of Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, and other Filipino labor leaders.

Currently, the fourth grade standards call for students to "Discuss the effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II on California" (standard 4.4.5). This would certainly coincide with the teaching about at least the first four of my proposals.

In 2007, Assembly Member Mervyn Dymally introduced legislation (Assembly Bill 72) to encourage the use of personal testimony in the teaching of Filipino involvement in World War II. It was the fourth year (AB 2512 in 2004, AB 15 in 2005, and AB 1076 in 2006) that a bill of its type had been introduced, and the fourth time that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los Angeles) vetoed it.

For all things to fall into place, we need to write our Assembly Members to push for a similar bill. No matter how many times that the Governor vetoes it, we can not let it die. Both representative Horton and Yee are not in office any longer, but there must be other brave representatives that would author the bill again. You can find contact information to your representative on the Your Legislature Web page at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.

We can not leave them any reason to ignore our voices. When they are aware of our concerns, their decisions are much more likely to represent our circumstances and priorities.

I met three of the four brothers of the Roy clan today, their wives, and children, as well as a distant relative. Today was the big day. It felt really good meeting my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, and other extended family. I had no hesitation about going to their home. I learned that I lived there during part of the first year of my life. They were very receptive, and I had not felt such a strong sense of belonging since hanging out with Vanessa in the Philippines. Sure, there were some unnatural moments, but I felt like all parties were eager to get to know one another. I met a total of six cousins, from high school age on up. These were first cousins too. I never thought that I had first cousins. They are all so educated, accomplished, and refined. I always felt that I did not know what I was missing as far as family. Now I have an idea. I would like to make up for all that lost time.

I brought an old photo album and they were able to identify some of the individuals in the album. After so many years of not being able to put names to those faces, and relationships to them both, it was quite a treasure to do so. I also took pictures with them, hoping to capture some of the magic in some digital images.

They are a beautiful family, and I do not necessarily fit that mold. They are also very social, and I am more of an introvert. What we do have in common, however, is our intrigue for one another. The entire time I was there, I observed them, seeing how they treat one another, listened to their stories, and answered any questions they had for me. I also asked a lot of questions.

I hope I left a good first impression. It would be a pleasure to hang out with them again. Maybe, if the planets are aligned right, they can see lola and uncle too. That will take more research on my part, to see if there are still any hard feelings between the two sides of my family. My lola told me that she and my mom were kicked out of the very home that I visited today, so it would not surprise me if there were.

Afterwards, I went to the Filipino Graduation Celebration at Davis. It was a great ceremony with a lot of poignant moments. To top off my eventful day, I received an award. It is always an honor to be recognized by peers, and particularly by individuals whom I regard so highly. I look to them as exemplars of what I strive to be. One day, when all is said and done, I would like to ensure that there is no doubt that I truly earned it.

Given California's fiscal problems and their impact on school operations across the state, our schools need every bit of support we can give them. Accordingly, I encourage you to visit and to inform your schools about the DonorsChoose.org Web site, a fantastic way for individual citizens to help schools, teachers, and students right now. I would like to challenge everyone to go online to DonorsChoose.org and make a choice to help improve public education.

Imagine if each of the 33,871,648 people in California donated an average of $10 to public schools. that would be $338,716,480. I think that would help out a bit.

Speaking of help, I think my uncle is feeling unappreciated. He got really mad at me tonight, threw a bit of a fit, and stormed out of the house, calling me a liar about being married, accusing me of not helping him, telling me to shut up, that he would beat me in the Philippines, and that he would go to the Philippines and I will have to take care of lola by myself. I do not know what the second to last part is about, but I am sure that our language barrier has exacerbated the matter once again. I would have to admit I started it by telling him that I was going to the restroom when I was not. He was calling me to show me something for his retirement party tomorrow, but I was really laying down on the couch, waiting for lola to come back from the restroom. Still, to get the overreaction that I did, there must have been something else going on.

The entire time, I was puzzled, but calm. I asked him why he was mad, but he raised his voice even more, so I just let him go. There was no reason for me to get all worked up. I have learned that it is not what happens to us that matters. What matters is how we react to what happens to us. We can either let it impede us, or propel us forward. Every event has the potential to be a learning experience, and if we can find that potential and make it a reality, then we succeed.

I also have to admit that, while I am not panicking at the idea of him leaving, it does worry me. Having him around is helpful because he does do some things, like mowing the lawn, part of the cooking, and some maintenance work on the house and on my car, that I do not have to worry about because he is around. I probably need to tell him, "Thank you" more often. Maybe that will smooth some of the rough spots. He has been retired for ten whole work days, and the transition seems difficult for him.

On June 12, 1898, in the Philippines, General Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence of the Philippines from over 500 years of Spanish colonial rule. This was a watershed event towards the establishment of an independent, sovereign nation. Historians, however, know that the United States became the colonial master of the Philippines for over forty years, from 1902 to 1946. Some would argue that this is still the case.

The event was a public declaration of a concept and ideal that all people seek and desire. To not understand the significance of the event is to not understand what liberty and freedom is. This is why Filipinos in America and all over the world hold celebratory events for this significant day.

It is an idea that still inspires, and that is the significance of it. As long as we do not forget what freedom and liberty means, then this day in 1898 shall have served its purpose.

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." It is a very poignant observation that I can claim to have found as well. In particular, I would say that I certainly love my lola to the point that it hurts. I sacrifice a lot to take care of her, when others would recommend to me to send her to a care home. Yet, when I look back upon the memories I have with her, I recall the good ones, which reinforce the love I have for her.

It makes life worth it. At the moment, lola is my reason for being. She motivates me. It is such an amazing feeling to have that kind of knowledge. Everyone finds that sort of clarity in different times in their lives, and once a person finds it, they may not always maintain it. The ebb and flow of that energy has a tendency to occur at the right moment. There have been times when I have reached a relative low, and a small event, like a smile from my lola or a kind word from a friend, will completely reverse that feeling.

It's important to look for the good in life and I make a deliberate, conscious, concerted effort to do that. Whenever I find myself in a rut, I remind myself that there is so much to be happy for. I will listen to an inspirational tape, read an inspirational book, watch an inspirational documentary or movie, or conduct a sincere prayer, and that usually replenishes me. It really is nice to have that kind of control over your attitude and life.

Some people immerse themselves in work to avoid issues in their lives. I believe that my uncle has done that for quite some time now. When he retired last Friday, he lost a major distraction that he used to ignore issues. Four of the five days this work week, I noticed that he had drank himself to the point of stumbling.

I plan to intervene this weekend. It has only been one week and he is engaging in this self-destructive behavior. It is not only expensive, but damaging to one's health as well.

I do not necessarily enjoy having these crucial conversations, but they are an unavoidable part of life. We all face them. When opinions vary, stakes are high, and emotions run strong, then you may be dealing with a tough issue. That is when crucial conversations are needed the most. When you are dealing with tough issues.

I often tell people and have heard that communication is key to any good healthy relationship or organization structure. Having crucial conversations is all about that. Many times, we can communicate about good news. It is easy to talk about good news. The hard news is much tougher to deal with. However, one knows when they are communicating well because they can talk about anything to one another, good or bad.

For example, when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, she was not able to tell me herself. I do not know how long she had known, but from what I have been able to gather, it was before our planned trip to the Philippines in 2000. When her health became worse, and her doctor urged her not to go, she got a refund of her ticket. Lola and I continued with our trip. During the month that I was there, I can only imagine the stress that my mom went through in dealing with this illness by herself. Sure, my uncle was around, but I do not think he was much help at all.

She had an appointment the morning after lola and I landed back in San Francisco. She woke me up, asking me to drive her to the hospital. Although I was jetlagged, I noticed the worry on her face and bit my tongue before my frustration had manifested itself in an outwardly negative manner. I drove toward the University of California, Medical Center, thinking it was a kidney issue, as she had a kidney transplant fourteen years prior. However, I was incredulous when she asked me to turn into the cancer center.

We went in, and the doctor told me of her diagnosis. At the time, I thought we were learning this together. After her funeral, I found out that she had known, and that she did not have the heart to tell me.

To this day, eight years later, it hurts to know that she went through so much by herself. It also hurts to know that I could have been a better son to her. I wonder, if she had been able to engage in this crucial confrontation together, and hold me accountable for my actions, that we would have had more quality time together.

It is an exciting time in my life right now. Prior to this weekend, I had only been in contact with one family member on my dad's side, my cousin Cathleen from the Philippines. She had e-mailed me after my appearance on Speak Out. We have kept in touch and she indicated that my Uncle Roland wanted me to e-mail him. I did, and had a chance to speak with him on the phone on Sunday. We talked about his family, when he came to America, but did not really talk about my dad. I did manage to ask him if he thought my dad would want to meet me. He was not sure, because my dad has since remarried and has four children.

Today I received a call from Uncle Rogelio, the eldest brother. Again, I asked him to tell me about when he came to America, and under what circumstances. It turns out that he joined the Navy and came in 1967. He has two children, both very accomplished. He even mentioned that I had lived in their home during my first year of life and that my Auntie Lette was the one who recommended the name Bobby. I tried calling her, but she did not answer. I did leave a message, saying thank you for the name. Hopefully I will get to speak with her at some point. After that, their son called me and we talked for a little bit. He mentioned that he remembered me from when I lived with his family, as he is older than me.

So far, I have heard that my dad's brothers want to meet me, but have not heard much regarding my dad. They have told me about my grandparents and how my lolo was a veterano and how my lola passed away in the Philippines in 2001. They mentioned their prominence in Pangasinan, and I am very impressed with my cousins, who all seem very accomplished in engineering, management, and fitness. My sense of family has multiplied over the last few days. I only hope that it continues to grow stronger and that I can meet them all soon.

I can not help but wonder if my dad wants anything to do with me, although I have proven that I do not need him. It would just be nice to meet my half-siblings. However, I also wonder if I would be the Rebecca Harper character in the show Brothers and Sisters. I do not want to complicate matters for his family.

In other news, at this time the race for Assembly District 8 between Christopher Cabaldon and Mariko Yamada is still in the air, with Yamada having a slight lead of 51 to 48 of the vote. I hope it changes.

I also congratulate Barack Obama. While I favored Hillary Clinton more, I will play the hand that I have been dealt. We have a White House to take back.