EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS POST IS CONSTANTLY BEING UPDATED TO THE PRESENT
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"POSITIVELY NO FILIPINOS ALLOWED" said the sign in a Stockton hotel. |
I'm a product of the American public school system and I learned a tremendous amount but it wasn't until college did I realize how much was left out of my education.
Even though I was learning about MY history about MY country, at the same time, sometimes I felt like an outsider looking in.
Where did I fit in? Where were my people? Was everything good about the world, and more specifically, the United States, because of a bunch of white guys (emphasize "guys”)?
Asians didn't merit any mention in history class until we studied World War II. Even then it was a fleeting mention. The main fighting, we were told; the important battles, so we were told, was happening in Europe. Again -- white guys fighting white guys. “Oh, and by the way, we dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan.”
In the few years I have been writing Views From the Edge, I've written several articles pertaining to Filipino American history, hopefully filling in the void for some of you, dear readers, or at least, pique your interest. For Filipino American History Month, this October, I've gathered them together - in no particular order - so that new readers who are interested can easily link to those past articles.
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Filipinos on display at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Looking over the list, it was a surprise to me at how many articles there are. Hmm, maybe I should put them together as a book? Despite the number, there's so much more to write about and this list shouldn't be interpreted as the sum total of Filipino American history. I hope readers might find something that piques your interest. Keeping in mind this year's theme of "Social Activism," I've separated the posts I felt might fit into that category for easy access for readers.
It appears that social activism is part of the Filipino DNA. I don't know where the quiet and subservient stereotype of Asian Americans came from. I suspect it is the way those influential Americans wish we were and tried to drum that image into our psyche as a way to keep us in line.
One of the difficulties in gathering all this stories into one post is that Filipino American history is continuing to be made because the community and individuals keep making new history. As a result, the list continueds to change and grow each year Although I tried to categorize them into four main categories, the subjects are loosely defined sometims. Nevertheless, maybe there's something here that will capture your interest, or you'll learn sometihng you never knew before, or ... you'll realize that you're not alone and that being Filipino American history is part of the American story and something you can be proud of. Filipino Americans have always been part of the American tapestry and continue to weave their stories in this country's history. Enjoy! FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY
HEROES & LEGENDS
The 2022 Grammy Awards was one for the history books.
MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT & SOCIAL IMPACT
A HISTORY OF ACTIVISM
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