Corporeal Economy #ucifilam2015

Hi everyone! This blog is here to illuminate Filipino-American labor history and make connections to our contemporary society. We hope that through this blog you feel educated and fulfilled. Have an awesome day!

[corpseecon]

The Price of Nice Nails

“Some bosses deliberately prey on the desperation of Hispanic manicurists, who are often drowning under large debts owed to “coyotes” who smuggled them across the border, workers and advocates say.“

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/nyregion/at-nail-salons-in-nyc-manicurists-are-underpaid-and-unprotected.html?_r=1

Immigrant manicurists are often exploited in ways comparable to human trafficking, a modern form of slavery. Labor unions fight against such conditions, but a larger economy of unjust labor exists and is often even harder to combat.

Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html

Each year the United States sees over 18,000 women come into the country as slaves. Exact numbers and statistics are unknown as the slave economy is an unregulated black market internationally. Even when identified, the U.S. legal system requires proof of crimes based on a subjective definition like the one above. Often charges are not pressed as many value the re-institution of their human rights like returning to their homes rather than justice or vengeance.

Human trafficking often conjures up images of picture brides and kidnapped teenagers, even more common are those lured by financial means. Poverty is routinely capitalized upon to bring migrant labor over national boundaries. Modern day slavery is actualized when these people are not given legitimate jobs or salaries and are forcibly made to labor. Human trafficking is an economy of unjust labor, an extreme of the unjust conditions labor unions fight against.

Often slippery to legally and statistically evaluate, a human sensibility needs to supplement theoretical framework--check out these orgs for info, help, and ways to get involved!

AF3IRM: Purple Rose Campaign

http://www.af3irm.org/af3irm/category/campaign/purple-rose/

Mentari

http://www.mentariusa.org/

UNDOC

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html?ref=menutop

Further Reading:

http://www.af3irm.org/af3irm/2015/02/purple-rose-day-2015-womens-resistance-key-to-our-existence/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/22/opinions/human-trafficking-laws-u-s-/

[corpseecon]

Unpaid Labor

In October of 2015, Filipino American Labor leader, Larry Itliong will be recognized for his action and leadership during the farm labor movement by having his own National Day, October 25. This bill had been signed by the governor of California, Jerry Brown. It has been nearly 40 years since he passed away from Lou Gehrig’s Disease and in honor of the legacy that he left, the Larry Itliong Day Parade and the LA Filipino Mural 20 year celebration happened on October 24th, 2015.

Many issues were brought back and rose from the parade, such as the Delano Grape Strike. The Delano Grape strike began because of the unfair wages that was going on between the farm workers and the grape owners. This was seen as act of unpaid labor. Another issue that is seen as an act of unpaid labor is the growing issues of human sex trafficking. Human sex trafficking has gained global attention and is an act of slavery.

For More Info:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/larry-itliong-day-celebrated-honor-filipino-american-laborer-leader-n450046

https://umapilipinas.wordpress.com/tag/larry-itliong/

Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/592409947565166/

[corpseecon]

"A woman’s place is at the head of struggle”

"AF3IRM." AF3IRM. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.We must certainly recognize that Filipino communities have been organizing against issues that have been oppressing our people throughout history. To name a few we have Filipino labor organization in the 1920′s, the Delano Grape Strike, JFAV - and more. 

What about the ones that affect our women presently?

The organization called AF3IRM (Association of Filipinas, Feminists Fighting Imperialism, Re-feudalization, and Marginalization) is a feminist organization that supports anti-capitalist activism. 

They focus on issues that affect women of color like human trafficking and exploited labor. Human trafficking is still a huge yet invisible problem which victimizes women AND children. 

AF3IRM is currently in it’s 16th year of hosting the Purple Rose Campaign which rallies against human trafficking and sexual violence. They host educational discussions that surround these issues in the United States. If you would like to know more, please visit - 

http://www.af3irm.org/af3irm/

Sources:

"AF3IRM." AF3IRM. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.

Af3irm: A Transational Feminist Organization. N.d. Facebook. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.<https://www.facebook.com/Af3irmSanDiegosEducationalDiscussion/>.

[afp-photo]

PHILIPPINES, Manila : Filipino laborers clash with police personnel in Makati City, November 16, 2015. Many workers are protesting the policies of large businesses and corporations which includes low salary, contractualization, environmental degradation and other issues to press world leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Manila, Philippines. / AFP / JOSEPH AGCAOILI                        

[whitemansburdenzine]

It’s finally here!!!

White Man’s Burden, Issue #1 is an intro zine to a world of topics and issues needed to be discussed by the pilipinx* community. In this issue, we cover our cultural food, our diasporic feelings, our relationship with our pinxy* family, our lost history, and more. We delve deep into our subjective thought processes and feelings to evoke a collective, conscious pilipinx identity. We have been silent for too long, forced to be complacent. This zine seeks to rectify and decolonize ourselves through sharing our experiences in writing and artwork. Maraming salamat / Agyamanac unay / Dakal a salamat / Salamat kaayo / Dios mabalos !!!

Read the zine

[consolation-deactivated20161214]

hey i’m in this :)

[cjdesilva]

Pasensya na’t late ito. Ang haba ng araw mo, pero ngayon ko lang nagawa. Dinalaw ko kasi ang lola ko. Pero para sa akin, may kabuluhan pa rin ito. Kahit maliit na bagay, simpleng illustration. ***

Maligayang kaarawan, Andres Bonifacio. Sa lahat ng mga bayani, ikaw ang pinakamalapit sa puso ko. Hindi naman kasi ako Illustradong may pribileheyong makapag-aral sa ibang bansa. Tulad mo, hanggang basa lang ako ng mga libro. Sana mas maraming tao (lalo na'ng mga kabataan) ang makaalam na hindi ka naman basta basta passionate lang o mapanghimagsik. Well-informed ka naman at may pinanggagalingan ang paghihimagsik mo.

Napakarami mong aklat na nabasa - History of the French Revolution (na paborito mo raw), Lives of the Presidents of the United States, Internationa Law, Civil Vode, Penal Code, The Bible, Les Miserables ni Victor Hugo, The Wandering Jew ni Eugene Sue at Ruinas de Palmyra. Well-versed ka sa politics at excellent kang military strategist. Maling mali nga lang na nagtiwala ka kay Aguinaldo (nakow, magagalit nanay kong Caviteña). Sana mahanap na nila ang mga labi mo. May utang kaming maayos na paglibing sa iyo. Utang rin naming ayus-ayusin ang paligid ng iyong monumento. Sana nga, di na ito paligiran ng malls o ikutan pa ng mga sasakyan. Sana dalawin ka ng mga tao at magpapicture rin sa iyong tabi.

Pero ayun, ikaw ang personal kong bayani. Huwag kang magagalit, pero pinangalan ko ang una kong pet sa iyo, kasi gusto ko siyang maging matapang at mapagmahal.

#AndresBonifacio #Bayani #Filipino #Philippines #Illustration #CjDrawsDay

[corpseecon]

The Filipino is Made Up

The Filipino as an ethnicity is a recent idea. Las islas Filipinas that Ruy Lopez de Villalobos claimed for the Spanish throne in the 16th century were a conceptual category. The various peoples and cultures of the Philippine archipelago were subsumed by the Spanish colony. While today the Philippines celebrates its multitude of cultures, the concept of a Filipino historically has not been as diverse. Stereotypes made and perpetuated by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition–a zoo of American “protectorates”–and racial segregation throughout the first half of the 20th century has created a pan-ethnicity which proves to be both a boon and burden socio-economically and politically. Filipino Organizing in the U.S. often relies on the culture of Filipino immigrants more than the cultures in the motherland.

People of Mindanao

People of Ifugao (Banaue Rice Terraces)

People from Ilocos

Situated in Asian American Studies, Filipino identity and other south and south east Asian identities are subsumed by a Pan-Asian identity dominated by immigrants from the northeast. The Pan-Asian identity in much of Asian American studies is not unrelated to the stereotypical notion that all Asians in America are the same. Like Filipino Organizing in the U.S. Asian American organization often focuses of the shared experience of immigration. Differences in culture and history are connected by the Pan-Asian perspective America has of Asian immigrants. Similarities are identified and recognized, their categories made in the process, to replace the dissonance between people--something equally as made up.

Further Reading:

Vicente Rafael, “Episodic Histories” in White Love and Other Events in Filipino History

Reynaldo Ileto, “Philippine Wars and the Politics of Remembering”

[corpseecon]

Makibaka! Huwag Matakot!!

My Filipin@ brothers and sisters, we come from a long line of brown people who have fought for their rights for better working conditions, wages, a working environment, and most importantly to be treated as people. 

Community organization for equal rights was not limited to the farm workers (i.e. Larry Itliong and the Delano Grape Strike). During WWII, our Lolos were denied compensation and equity that they were promised for fighting as Americans. As a result, “Justice for Filipino American Veterans” was formed. Their energy, labor, and identity became invisible to the United States. 

Our Lolos have not been alone in this fight. College students from Southern California rally and march together every year in Los Angeles, standing by our Lolos for equity and rights. 

In essence the JFAV march has bridged two generations together - the Lolos who are a part of history [but are made invisible], and the younger generation [students who continue the Lolos’ struggle and are still fighting to make them visible]. Community organizing for our rights as Filipinos is so embedded in our history. We have fought and will continue to fight. 

Makibaka, Huwag Matakot!  “Recognize that we struggle together, but be not afraid.”

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/jfavla/

http://peoplescore.net/blog/14th-annual-justice-for-filipino-american-veterans-jfav-veterans-day-march/

Picture source:

https://www.facebook.com/kababayan.uci?fref=ts

[awwkino-blog]

Fil-Am America

Filipino-American Organizations have become a cornerstone for Filipino Americans to learn more about and grow within their Filipino culture. Like many first generation Filipino-Americans, including myself, the only sense of Filipino culture I was learning about at home was food, the shows on TFC and GMA, and the constant Tagalog phrases my mom would be talking about at home. I am a Filipino American, yet I had little to connect with or draw from when asked about my cultural background.

Fil-Am communities grew as soon as the first generation of Filipino Americans began to go to college in the 1980s. They were very active in serving the Filipino community at the time by raising awareness for things such as the demolition of the International Hotel in 1981 and creating an identity for themselves in its early years. To this day, Fil-Am organizations continue to grow in many college and high school campuses.

This allows for Filipinos to gather together, create lasting relationships, and develop their identity on what it means to be Filipino. This sense of community allows for a group of people that share the same interests and background to come together and discuss things such as Filipino culture (PCNS, Filipino-American History Month), recent events and issues going on in the Philippines (Typhoon Haiyan, JFAV), and offers just a comfortable place to make friends.

Kababayan at UCI has been a Filipino Organization on campus that has been serving the UCI community since 1974. It has done so much to educate its members on Filipino culture and allowed for people to come together to have fun. Along with that it has served its outside community by participating in rallies such as JFAV (Justice for Filipino American Veterans) and helping donate money to those in need during the Typhoon Haiyan natural disaster. It spreads its Filipino roots by having the largest cultural night production at UCI through its PACN (Pilipino American Cultural Night). By being one of the largest organization on campus, Kababayan looks  to continue to do more for not only its members, not just UCI, but for the overall Filipino community.

[corpseecon]

Will the Philippines find its Independence?

In the eyes of America, The Spanish-American War was considered a “little war”; however, the historical consequences served a huge setback to the Philippines. America was seen as protecting and freeing their “smaller brown brothers”, from the hands of Spain. People tend to forget that the Philippines was NOT weak to begin with and that they were fighting for their independence long before American stepped in. The role they played in the Spanish-American has been undermined and diminished as history has progressed. By helping the Philippines, America was able to have a foothold within the Philippine’s economics, politics, and military. The Philippines location wise, served as a stepping stone towards the rest of Asia.

The Fil-Am War was the Philippine’s stand to free themselves from America. I feel that the country was really split on what to do. To this day I get mixed opinion whether or not America’s involvement in the Philippines was a good thing or a bad thing to the country. This war was seen as a continuation of the Philippine’s struggle for their own independence. Even after the war officially ended, rebel groups continued to fight for independence.   

America’s power over in the Philippines is still an issue today. There is many controversy going on between the productions of military bases in the Philippines. As a Filipino-American, the rights and independence of my country is very crucial.

[corpseecon]

American Nationals, Subjects, Colonies

If you went to school in American sometime in the last century, you would’ve heard of child labor and gruesome working conditions in the factories of Victorian England. You would be bombarded with the atrocities that the same books and teachers would have assured you were long past.

These conditions still exist throughout the world, in fact decades after the turn of the century people were still being forced into dangerous work situations to survive. The canneries of Washington and Alaska down to the grape fields of Southern California provided such Victorian conditions as the loss of fingers in machinery, the necessity of full time work and young and younger ages, and the inhumane profiteering that condones the entire system.

In the 1920s, and well into the ‘60s when the Delano Grape Strike would occur, many Filipino immigrants worked in unskilled agricultural and manufacturing jobs. In a time of labor unrest in mainstream America as well, extreme poverty(despite the qualifications they may have had in the Philippines) would drive Filipino immigrants into migratory labor patterns along the West coast.

The Delano Grape Strike was an organized Filipino assertion of political power. The “little brown brother“ from the Southeast that was debate-ably American or an American subject or pawn would assert his own visibility and agency in a disruptive manner. Something social activism speaks about today.

Further Reading:

Who gets to be American and he Colonized, Insular cases:

http://www.pr51st.com/what-are-the-insular-cases/

Transnational Labor Migration:

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/philippines-culture-migration

Filipino Labor Migration:

https://books.google.com/books?id=cHvZKzlznvUC&dq=fujita+rony&source=gbs_navlinks_s

[corpseecon]

Labor Organizing? It’s been in our Filipino blood since the beginning...

To be real, like most people of color - Filipin@s have had it pretty rough when they first moved to the U.S. Our brown ancestors suffered horrible working conditions and were paid incredibly low wages when many of them first immigrated to work on sugar plantations in hopes of fulfilling their “American Dream.” 

Pablo Manlapit was a Tagalog immigrant who led 2 strikes in Hawaii the 1920′s in response to the poor conditions. Unfortunately, both of the strikes failed which led to Filipin@ evictions and blacklisting of labor union members. Manlapit was then deported since he was considered a “threat.” He then traveled back to the U.S., particularly to California in the late 1920′s to help exploited Filipin@ asparagus workers organize because of their harsh working conditions. This man is only one example of the many Filipinos who demanded respect and better wages. 

The Delano Grape strike isn’t the first instance in which Filipinos have organized because the people who led it, like Larry Itliong, were inspired by their brothers and sisters who came before them.

Source:

Mabalon, Dawn Bohulano. "Little Manila Is in the Heart." Little Manila Is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California. N.p.: Duke UP, 2013. N. pag. Print.

Picture sources:

http://hamakuatimes.com/filipino-labor-leader-featured-p317.htm

http://ucifilam.blogspot.com/2009/11/hawaiian-sugar-plantation-association.html

[corpseecon]

The Delano Grape Strike

The Delano Grape Strike was a strike in California that began in September 8, 1965. It started as a protest to fight against the grape growers that plagued the workers with terrible working conditions and pay. Agriculture labor unions were formed in order to stand up and rise to fight for better conditions. The Filipino American grape workers, who were members of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, and the Latino farm workers, members of the National Farm Workers Associations, joined the strike and demanded for better wages. These two groups formed together to create the United Farm Workers of America which consisted of over two thousand workers.

Through their efforts, boycotts, marches, and nonviolent resistance, their rising up to the grape growers acquired them national attention. According to the leaders of this movement: Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, Benjamin Gines, Pete Velasco, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Richard Chavez, their greatest weapon was the fact that they were able to persevere through all the odds despite all the time they sacrificed fighting for their rights.

[corpseecon]

“I am going to educate [people that] Filipinos were involved. We were taught Chavez did it all,” Johnny Itliong.

The Delano Grape Strike is definitely a significant event in history for both the Mexican-American and Filipino-American people. It really shows that they are able to foster a deep sense of connection in the face of adversity. However my friends, a lot of us are taught that Cesar Chavez organized the strike all by himself. Where are my fellow Filipin@s at?

Have ya’ll ever seen the Cesar Chavez movie? I have, in high school. And the entire time I watched it, I waited for any Filipinos to be brought up. I noticed that they were basically portrayed as bystanders rather than actively participating in the strike. To be honest in that early moment I realized that the Filipino’s role (specifically our honored Larry Itliong) is tremendously overlooked in history. 

Other labor activists who were also heavily involved like Pete Velasco, Philip Vera Cruz, Ben Gines and Andy Imutan are completely absent from the movie.

Overall we must not forget, and give credit to where credit is due. Larry Itliong and the Filipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee were very smart in aligning themselves with Chavez the National Farm Workers Association. Had they not done so, would they have a big impact on history? 

Sources:

Adarlo, Sharon. "In Cesar Chavez Biopic, Filipinos’ Role in Union ‘overlooked’." In Cesar Chavez Biopic, Filipinos’ Role in Union ‘overlooked’. N.p., 4 Apr. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Picture sources:

http://www.flpno.com/2014/03/26/larry-itliong-cesar-chavezs-forgotten-filipino-counterpart/

http://www.ccclarion.com/2014/04/01/cesar-chavez-film-review/

[corpseecon]

The Filipinos Behind Delano

Soical justice has become a buzzword in recent years--those invested in this idea owe it to the movement to appreciate its history. How will you know you've made progress if you don't understand where you started?

While you may have read of about Ceasar Chavez and the United Farm Workers union, foundational to Chavez's visibility is the Filipino activist Larry Itliong--now recognized on October 25 by Larry Itliong Day. Before the progress of the Civil Rights movement and agricultural unionist victories, Itliong and an earlier generation of immigrant workers struggled for safe conditions and fair pay. Filipino farm workers lead much of the unionist efforts in the 1930s and '40s. Itliong participated in his first strike in 1930 at the age of 15 and would have a hand in labor organization in Alaska, Washington and most famously California. The AFL-CIO striking against the Delano grape growers, was lead by Itliong in 1965. In fact, Itliong and the Filipino unionists strategically reached out to Chavez and the NFWA because of their important place in agriculture labor communities and numbers. Itliong would be laid to rest nearly two decades before Chavez received popular recognition for his activism in the 1990s.

In the recognition and celebration of the progress of civil liberties and social activism, remember Larry Itliong and Filipino activism as an indispensable part of the world's history!

Further Reading:

Filipino American History Month and Larry Itliong

Chavez and Itliong

[thesundayjump]

Today is officially Larry Itliong Day in California! Steady (Stephanie and Eddy) will be performing spoken word at the Larry Itliong Day Celebration at SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles from 12:30 - 4 pm. Delano Manongs will be screened for the public. Panelists include the film’s director Marissa Aroy (@marissaaroy), son of Larry Itliong, Johnny Itliong, and Professor Pauline Agbayani. There will be cultural performances as well as special appearances by Los Angeles artists. LINK IN BIO. #HistoricFilipinotown #LosAngeles #LA #LarryItliongDay #Filipino #FilAm #Pinoy #Pinay #WriteSteady #SpokenWord #Poetry #UFW #KnowHistory #FAHM2015 #PAHM2015 #SIPA #Community #Solidarity #Weekend #OurPeople #Farmworkers #Workers #WorkersRights #DelanoManongs #LarryItliong (at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA))