Oscar Peñaranda was born in Barugo, Leyte , in 1944. He attended the Philippine Normal School in Manila . At 12, his family moved to Canada , and later relocated to San Francisco , California . At San Francisco State University , Oscar graduated with a B.A. in Literature and an M.A. in Creative Writing. After graduating, he became an activist whose involvement has included participation in the longest-running student strike, which lasted from 1968 to 1969. Since then, he has spent many years teaching in northern California , including Everett Middle School and, more recently, James Logan High School in Union City , California . However, his expertise is not limited to creative writing and English composition, as his curriculum has included the teaching of Tagalog to second-generation Filipinos. Beyond the classroom, his studies in Ethnic and Filipino Heritage has spurred him to lead organizations such as the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and the Filipino American Educators Association of California (FAEAC). Currently, Oscar has two published works, voicing his passion and life stories called Seasons by the Bay and Full Deck.
The workshop will consist of Mr. Penaranda explaining some very misunderstood values and concepts ascribed to filipinos or "philipine culture", deconstructing these concepts as tools of colonialism and subordination. He will also tell a folklore story, many meanings of which still obtain today. Finally, he will relate that story with its variuos meanings and how they fit the conference theme of "awakening".
Peter Jamero
Combining Community Activism with Career: One Filipino American's Experience
Description
Peter Jamero had thirty years of top-level executive experience as director of health and human service departments for federal, state, and local governments; as a faculty member of a prestigious medical school; as vice-president of a metropolitan United Way, and as executive director for a community based non-profit agency serving Filipinos and other Asians. During these thirty years, he was also able to successfully advocate for the
Filipino/Asian American community. In this workshop he will share his experiences as a community activist -- how he became involved, the methods that worked for him, and the benefits to his community that resulted from his efforts. Since his retirement from full-time employment, Jamero has kept active as a management consultant for non-profit agencies and for the University of California at Davis .
The workshop will also cover Jamero's formative years growing up in a farm labor camp consisting of 80-100 Filipino farm workers in Central California during the Great Depression. He will share how these experiences shaped him as a Filipino American.
Jamero's experiences as a community activist and government official are discussed in his recently published life story, “Growing Up Brown: Memoirs of a Filipino American” ( University of Washington Press , 2006). Books are available for purchase at the FACT Conference.
Biography
Peter Jamero, born in Oakdale CA in 1930 and raised on a farm labor camp in Livingston CA , is the eldest son of Filipino immigrants from Bohol , Philippines . Retired since 1995, he had thirty years of executive experience directing public and private social/health service departments with budgets of up to $42 million -- all Filipino American "Firsts". Among his positions were department head appointments by the Washington State governor, the county executive of Seattle/King County, and the mayor of the City and County of San Francisco . Jamero also served as Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington . He is published in scholarly journals and books and in Filipino American literature. His life story, "Growing Up Brown: Memoirs of a Filipino American", was published in June 2006 by the University of Washington Press . He is Founding Vice-President of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). While pleased with his professional accomplishments, Jamero is particularly proud of his years of involvement as a community and political activist working on behalf of social justice and minority causes.
E.J. David, M.A. UIUC Department of Psychology
The Filipin@ Mind = Historical Colonialism + Contemporary Oppression
Description
Do you want to know a little bit about how the Filipino mind works? Do
you or someone you know feel ashamed, embarrassed, or inferior for
being Filipino? Do you or someone you know make fun of FOBs? Do you or
someone you know wish you were more light-skinned than you are? Do you
or someone you know seem to not care too much about or stand-up against
racism, discrimination, unfairness, or injustice? Do you or someone you
know reject almost anything Filipino and prefer almost anything
American? Do you or someone you know deny feeling these things even
though it's true? Have you or someone you know experienced some form or
depression – or worse, thought about suicide? If you want to better
understand why you or other Filipino Americans think, feel, and behave
the way they do, this workshop is for you. It is the intention of this
workshop to spark the eradication of the self-hating, self-denigrating,
and self-blaming minds of many Filipino Americans by presenting
astonishing and troubling findings about the Filipino American
population. Cutting-edge research suggesting that many Filipinos' minds
have been altered by centuries of oppression and how this, in turn, may
lead to self-hate and depression symptoms, will be presented. Are you
ready to be aware?
Biography
E.J.R. David was born and raised in the Philippines . He moved to the United States when he was 14, which marked the beginning of his multicultural life journey. As he was exposed to drastically different ways of living and thinking about the world, as well as to power inequalities between various cultural groups, E.J. began to make connections between societal events and how he feels toward his Filipino self, American self, and others like him. Consequently, he has dedicated his young life to helping Filipino Americans develop a more critical understanding of their experiences with and within the United States . E.J. David obtained his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage , his Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is currently a Doctoral student in Clinical-Community Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has published scientific papers on the topics of Filipino American, Asian American, and Ethnic Minority Psychology, including "Colonial Mentality: A Review and Recommendation for Filipino American Psychology" and "The Colonial Mentality Scale for Filipino Americans: Scale Construction and Psychological Implications." He has been an invited speaker on such topics for various professional, community, and student organizations. (website: www.colonialmentality.com )
Gawad Kalinga
GK 1MB - Isang Milyong Bayani: the call for one million heroes!
Description
Just as Filipinos in the past were "awakened" and "ignited" to move forward in freeing themselves from Spanish oppression, many Filipinos today continue to fight with that fire to free their country from poverty! Join us in the cry of GK1MB - "Isang Milyong Bayani" (One Million Heroes). Be a part of the miracle in ending poverty and giving back life to the Philippines! This workshop will give better direction on how students and young professionals alike can work together to help the poor in third world countries around the world. We will continue to encourage the mission of the midwestern universities in building their own village in the Philippines by communicating new initiatives practiced nationwide among other college campuses.
About GK
Gawad Kalinga (GK), translated in English means “to give care,” and it is an alternative solution to the blatant problem of poverty not just in the Philippines but the world. Its approach is integrated, holistic and sustainable – a concrete action plan to rebuild this nation by harnessing the best of the Filipino – our faith and our patriotism.
What started barely five years ago in the Philippines as a simple but daring initiative by Couples for Christ has now become a growing multi-sectoral partnership driven by a vision of a new Philippines with NO MORE SLUMS. Together with its partners, Gawad Kalinga is now in the process of transforming poverty-stricken areas, many of them now empowered to further improve their quality of life! And the hard works of GK volunteers is evident in the beautiful colors of the GK homes that have been built for and with the poorest of the poor Filipino families nationwide.
Gawad Kalinga's achievements are a reflection of the sharing among different classes in society, and the partnership involving all sectors of society – bridging the gaps that divide us as a people. We are also building International Villages, showing that poverty can be addressed if rich and poor nations learn to share resources to create a better world for all.
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Pintig meaning pulse in Pilipino, was founded in April 1991, with a mission to serve as a voice of the Filipino American community by engaging in active cultural work - using art as a means to celebrate the community's rich history and culture. Art serves as a common language that links community members to each other and to those communities with whom similar experiences are shared. In doing so, art empowers the community and renders it a potent force for social change. Pintig believes that a strong voice for the community can be developed through the cultural arts - powerful art with a progressive agenda. We develop plays in which we interpret our own history and experiences, conduct educational and identity workshops for the community, and engage community members to challenge injustice rather than stand silent. Pintig has produced 14 productions since 1991, all of which are original works from Pintig writers and commissioned artists. It has also conducted various theater workshops with different student organizations at several universities in Chicago and professional groups within the Filipino American community. Pintig's membership has grown from a founding core of five cultural organizers to more than 50 active members, all of whom are volunteers. In addition to Chicago-area performances, Pintig has also performed in several cities across the country including San Francisco , Minneapolis , St. Louis , and Detroit . In addition to US tours, Pintig has performed internationally in Canada , Mexico , and the Philippines.
Pinoy Teach
Pinoy Teach and the Smithsonian Filipino American Curriculum
Pinoy Teach defies conventional content and pedagogy by merging multicultural education, teacher education, social action, and Filipino history and culture. In 1996, Dr. Patricia Halagao and community activist Tim Cordova developed Pinoy Teach to address the absence of curriculum about Filipino Americans in schools.
10 years later, for the commemoration of the centennial of the arrival of Filipinos to the United States, yet another curriculum has been developed by a team led by Halagao – this time, for online access by any teacher interested in the perspective of Filipino Americans themselves. “A Century of Challenge and Change: The Filipino American Story”, sponsored by the Smithsonian, addresses historical and current issues relevant to the Filipino youth of America.
This interactive presentation, conducted by Farzana Nayani, a Smithsonian curriculum team member and educational consultant, will be a hands-on introduction to the methodology, development, and application of these curricula in a variety of school and community settings.
Attendees will be introduced to facets of both Pinoy Teach and the Smithsonian Filipino American curriculum, including their content, design, resource materials, and call to action for the awareness of and challenge to issues of today.
A final note – these curriculum materials are not only about Filipinos! They’re about you, me, our voices, the multicultural world we live in, and honoring each person’s perspective, culture, and story.
Jump aboard on this journey of learning - HOY!
More Information
Filipino Americans make up the 2 nd largest Asian American ethnic group in the nation. Despite our large numbers and historical relationship with the US , the histories and contributions of Filipino Americans are virtually absent from mainstream social studies curriculum.
To address this void, Dr. Patricia Espiritu Halagao and community activist Timoteo Cordova developed “ Pinoy Teach ,” the nation's only multicultural curriculum focused on Filipino history and culture. Since its inception in 1996, Pinoy Teach has grown from a school-based partnership program to a nationally recognized professional development program for teachers.
10 years later to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the first Filipinos to America, Dr. Halagao and a team of Filipino American consultants have developed the first online multimedia Filipino American curriculum entitled, “A Century of Challenge and Change: The Filipino American Story.” Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, teachers and students are taken on a journey through Filipino history and culture and given the tools to integrate Filipino American subject into curriculum.
In this interactive presentation, Farzana Nayani , an educational consultant and member of the Smithsonian curriculum design team, will introduce participants to the development and application of these curricula. Nayani will share facets of both curriculums, including content, pedagogy, resource materials, and call to action for the awareness of and challenge to issues of today.
A final note – these curriculum materials are not only about Filipinos. They're about you, me, our voices, the multicultural world we live in, and honoring each person's perspective, culture, and story. HOY! Jump aboard on this journey of learning.
Biography
FARZANA NAYANI
Consultant / Researcher
Program Coordinator, LEAP, Inc.
Formerly an educator from Vancouver, Canada, Farzana has an extensive background in multicultural education and intercultural communication. She is an alumna of the University of British Columbia, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and the East-West Center. Her most recent research focuses on the ethnic identity development of multiethnic Filipino Americans in Hawai'i. Farzana has been trained in the concepts of Pinoy Teach and is a core member of the curriculum design team for the Filipino American Curriculum project sponsored by the Smithsonian.
In her current position at Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) - an organization dedicated to achieve full participation and equality for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy - she is involved with the coordination of programs and internships dedicated to the leadership development of professionals in higher education and college students seeking hands-on experience in the community sector (http://www.leap.org/).
Farzana has played an extremely active role in the organization of events for the centennial of Filipinos in Hawai'i, and has presented her research at venues and events across the country. She will be featured in the photography & video exhibit “I am Today’s Filipino” commemorating notable contributions by Filipinos in the California area. (http://www.iamtodaysfilipino.com/). Farzana is presently based in Los Angeles, CA.
The conference within a conference: The state of the Midwest organizations
Every college has their fair share of student organizations, with politics, sports, or hobbies as a bond. But our Filipino-American orgs aren't just gatherings of people with similar backgrounds or interests. They are ones with presence on our campuses, ones with reputations outside our own schools, and ones with the ability to make lasting changes and real differences.
For the first time ever, FACT will be holding a workshop specifically for the current and future leaders of these groups. We will go over networking, building a Midwest Filipino identity, setting goals for ourselves, and being organizations that evolve. We will figure out how to bridge the gap between large and small, old and new, students and graduates. Since this is the first time this is being tried, please come in with open minds and prepare to put some work into this workshop.
Note: The primary participants for this workshop should be at least the presidents of each organization and others who feel they are ready to take their org to the next level, and this year should not be their first time attending a Fil-Am conference.
Biographies
“Daryl Blanco is a 22 year-old first generation Filipino-American from Bartlett, Illinois. Within the past year, he graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and received a B.S. in Marketing and Management. During his four years at UIC, he was actively involved with the student organization, Filipinos in Alliance, through leadership roles as a former webmaster, co-vice president, and most recently president. After graduation, he wanted to continue to make contributions and remain involved with the Filipino-American community, which has ultimately led to this attempt at a first ever workshop targeting the current and future leaders of our student organizations.”
"Ryne Dionisio is a recent graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in Computer Engineering. He was very active in both the Asian-American community on campus and the Filipino-American community in the Midwest. Once a former president of the Philippine Student Association and former co-head coordinator for the FACT conference, he now hopes to use the lessons he learned to change the way college Fil-Ams are viewed by the "real world". He currently works with the Midwest section of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) in keeping them updated of what issues are relevant to the young professional Fil-Ams of the area."
Hon. Israel Abaya Desierto
Political Empowerment: Keep the Fire Burning
Description
Hon. Israel Abaya Desierto, will lead a discussion on the involvement of Asian-Americans in the world of politics. After a brief lecture on the need of Filipino Americans and other Asian Pacific Americans to gain political empowerment, there will be a discussion on strategies to achieve these goals. These goals include voter registration, building bridges with other communities, as well as targeting and supporting candidates.
Biography
After graduating in 1990 from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, Israel Abaya Desierto worked for the Cook County State 's Attorney's Office. Hon. Desierto practiced in both the Civil and Criminal areas of the law. As a civil litigator, he practiced in the area of medical malpractice defense. He defended doctors and other health professionals in a number of multimillion dollar cases. As a criminal prosecutor, he tried primarily gang-related murder cases. In a gang-related murder trial, he tried one of the few triple juries heard in Cook County wherein three juries sat simultaneously to hear evidence regarding three separate defendants. He has tried over 70 juries to verdict and hundreds of bench trials.
On June 1, 2005 , Israel A. Desierto was sworn in as an associate judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County , State of Illinois . Hon. Desierto continues to be active in the community. He continues to be involved with the Asian American Bar Association and Filipino American Bar Association. He continues working with both the Supreme Court Committee on Professionalism and the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. He has become active with the Illinois Judges Association and the Illinois Judicial Council. He continues to teach as an adjunct professor at IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law where he teaches Trial Advocacy and an adjunct professor at Triton College where he teaches Criminal Law and Procedure.
Dr. Joan May T. Cordova
JMT's PINAYPOWER workshop on Filipina American women
Dr. Joan May Timtiman Cordova, originally from Stockton 's (CA) historic “Little Manila” community, is National Vice President of FANHS, the Filipino American National Historical Society as well as Board Chair for Filipino Oral History Project, Inc. Awarded a merit based doctoral fellowship from Harvard University where she completed her doctorate in education, her research focused on educational experiences of second generation Filipinos (a topic her Filipino immigrant mother coincidentally chose for her proposed Master's thesis at the University of the Pacific in 1953). Previously a Title VII fellow, Joan May earned a Filipino bilingual credential and M.A. in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco . A teacher for more than 20 years, she has worked with pre-school through graduate students. She's currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Education of Drexel University in Philadelphia .
Joan May has been a professional consultant to the National Coalition of Advocates for Students & National Center of Immigrant Students, National Educators for Social Responsibility, Harvard University's Institute for International Development, and other organizations. Awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, she co-directed the nation's first NEH Masterwork Study Project to teach Asian American literature to teachers. She's a co-editor/writer of: _In Our Aunties' Words_ (2004), _Voices: A Filipino American Oral History (2000, 1984), _Unfamiliar Partners: Asian Parents in U.S. Schools_ (1997), and _Pinoy Know Yourself_ (1975). She has also published nationally distributed curriculum, research on language issues, colonial education, and conflict resolution. Joan May has given presentations and workshops throughout the U.S. as well as Canada , the Philippines , and England .
Joan May is an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church and a past board member of the Center for Peaceable Schools (Cambridge), Pacific/Asian Center for Theology & Strategies (Berkeley), and Asian Pacific Community Counseling (Sacramento). She serves on the editorial board for the 2006 Smithsonian Centennial magazine on Filipino Americans.
Rudy Pamintuan
Appointed Chairman of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
As President of Sherman Consulting, Inc., Rudy was appointed by President Bush as the Chairman of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. His work in philanthropic and non-profit communities has made him an active volunteer and member of various charities and civic organizations throughout the Chicagoland area. He is also serving on the Asian American Advisory Council to Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.
Katrina Impelido, President of Filipino Student Association at St. Louis University
Katrina Impelido is a 2006 Fellow of Ayala Foundation USA's Filipino American Youth Leaders Fellowship Program. She spent two months this past summer working for a non-profit organization in Antipolo City, Rizal. Although she had been to the Philippines twice before, this was the first time she took the opportunity to analyze the implications of the country's socio-economic and political situation on its people. She is a Senior at Saint Louis University studying Secondary Education and Mathematics and the president of their Filipino Student Association. For more information about the fellowship program, please visit:
http://www.af-usa.org/filam.asp
Lumpia-making Workshop / “Rice, Chopsticks & The Melting Pot: Asian American Restaurants in Chicago ”
The history of Asian restaurants in Chicago is really the classic story of pursuing the American dream. It represents the journey, often times from rags-to-riches, of generations of Asian immigrants willing to invest their culture and financial resources to open such regular eating destinations from the small neighborhood take-out to mom-and-pop dining establishments under the stress of long hours, low wages, minimum profit margins, and unfair discrimination with the hope of a better life and prosperity in their new homeland.
Yet, simply serving up an ethnic cuisine required winning the hearts, souls and stomachs of an American public accustomed to standard meat-and-potatoes fare first. To combat various food taboos, Asian restaurants adjusted and even adapted their cooking from Americanizing authentic dishes to providing extra bonuses and gimmicks which prompted unbeatable cheap eats that stereotyped themselves to fit customer expectations of the exotic that extended into entertainment and even chopstick lessons. Eventually, American taste buds gave in.
This exhibit is organized by the Center for Asian Arts and Media and would not have been possible without the support of Columbia College Chicago and the C-Space Galleries, the Eugene C. and Gail V. Sit Foundation, Harris, the Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, the NIB Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. not have been possible without the support of Columbia College Chicago and the C-Space Galleries, the Eugene C. and Gail V. Sit Foundation, Harris, the Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, the NIB Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
Yuchia Chang oversaw all research including the curatorial and editorial process of the exhibit. Her efforts included sorting through raw oral interview, research notes and loan materials, resulting in the exhibit that we now have the privilege of displaying for the FACT Conference.
Freshman Outreach Workshop
Brown Out
An interactive workshop designed for freshman, non-Filipinos, and any others who may be new to the Filipino American experience, particularly on college campuses. You will learn something new about Filipino American culture, history, and identity, as well as figuring out where you fit into that equation. Come prepared with an open mind ready to think and perform creatively.
Biography
Justin Capadocia. In short, I am a nineteen-year-old kid born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. As a Filipino, I was a flat-nosed, rhythmically inclined, son of a nurse. Throughout my years of high school and college I have come to appreciate my culture in a different light and am learning to embrace myself as both a Filipino and an American. I guess you could call me a golden blend of intricately, inter weaved cultures. Hopefully I can help you find your place as a unique Filipino-American individual.
Cathy Suh is a junior in Community Health at the University of
Illinois Urbana-Champaign and plans to apply into a nursing program post-graduation. She has been a member of the Philippine Student Association(PSA) since freshman year and was co-chair publicity and a FACT teacher's assistant her sophomore year. For her junior year, she did not run for a position but is still active in PSA. Cathy chose to help with the workshop because as a 100% Korean-American, she believes that any culture is worth exploring.
Rubie B. Ruivivar is currently a Senior in Advertising at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been involved in FACT since her Freshman year as a v-show performer (PSA Cultural and Spoken Word poetry), registration and workshop assistant, small group leader, and co-head coordinator for FACT 2004. A veteran YAWP!er, she facilitated a workshop with fellow YAWP! (Young Asians With Power) members at MAFA 2005. As last year's PSA Awareness Chair, she initiated a weekly Filipino language class, as well as biweekly forums to discuss Filipino American issues. She is the present co-director for the Asian Pacific American Coalition, the umbrella organization for APA organizations on the UIUC campus, which promotes political activism and social and institutional change.
Eric Lachica, American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc.
"Organizing 101: The Campaign for Veterans Equity"
Description
It has been more than 60 years since Filipino soldiers served in the U.S. Army in World War II. Today, they are still fighting to win justice, honor and full equitable VA benefits. They need their sons and daughters need to join them in the USA before they die. Eric Lachica, the executive director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc., an advocacy organization based in Washington DC with 4,000 members, will present an overview of their national campaign and the grassroots organizing necessary in MidWest states to pass their historic legislation. Listen, learn and take action."
Biography (http://mysite.verizon.net/us.filvets/)
Eric Lachica, son of a Filipino American WW II veteran, is an advocate for Filipino Veterans Equity. His father fell victim to the 1946 Rescission Act, which denied citizenship to the Filipino soldiers that fought alongside American troops during the Second World War. He saw, first hand, the injustice that was felt by 200,000 other Filipino soldiers who sought to immigrate to the United States . Now, as the Executive Director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc., he is an activist who continues to fight for what his father, as well as the fathers of so many others, have earned and deserved. His Coalition has worked with the VFW and the American Legion, as well as having been backed by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Congressman Benjamin Gilman of New York , both of whom were decorated WW II veterans, in order to help all Filipino soldiers receive their due.
Pintig