REGIONALISM and THE COLONIAL MENTALITY WILL DESTROY OUR CULTURE

F.L.I.P. is an acronym! It stands for FUCKING LITTLE ISLAND PEOPLE. It also stands for a Filipino who is ignorant to his or her culture according to a Filipino Connect Member in the northern bay area.

COMMENTS WITH THE WORD FLIP WILL NOT BE POSTED, PLEASE BE COURTEOUS TO THOSE THAT ARE DEEPLY OFFENDED BY THAT RACIAL SLUR

Respect Yourself, Your Culture, Your Heritage, and Our Brothers and Sisters

History of Filipino Americans

By Ernie De Paz, Philippine History Instructor of Solano Community College

1587- First Filipinos (“Luzonians”) to set foot in North America arrive in Moror Bay, California on board the Manila-built galleon ship Nuestra Senora de Esperanza under the command of Spanish Captain Pedro de Unamuno.

1720- Gaspar Molina, a Filipino from Pampanga province, oversees the construction of El Triunfo dela Cruz, the first ship built in California.

1763- Filipinos in Acapulco cross the Gulf of Mexico to Barataria Bay in Louisiana to establish 7 Philippine-style fishing villages. The “mahogany-colored Manilamen of Louisiana” pioneer the dried shrimp industry in America (40 years [before the 1803] Louisiana Purchase).

1781- Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, also known as “Chino,” a native of Manila, is one of 44 founders of the “Pueblo de Nuestra Senora reina de los Angeles,” now known as the city of Los Angeles. (California became a state in 1850.)

1796- The first American trading ship to reach Manila, the Astrea, was commanded by Captain Henry Prince with Nathaniel Bowditch [on October 3 rd , marking the beginning of American-Philippine trade intercourse.

1870- Filipinos studying in New Orleans form the first Filipino Association in the United States, the “Sociedad de Beneficencia de los Hispanos Filipinos.”

1888- Dr. Jose Rizal visits the United States and predicts that the Philippines will one day be [a United States] colony.

1898- The Philippines declares its independence (June 12, Kawit, Cavite) only to be ceded to the United States by Spain for $20 million.

1899- The war between the Filipinos and the Americans breaks out ending with the surrender of Gen. Miguel Malvar on April 16, 1902. (Results of the War: America crosses 7,000 miles of ocean, using 126,468 men, of whom 4,234 died, spend[ing] $600,000,000.00 and engaging in

2, 811 recorded fights. Filipinos suffer losses: 16,000 died in action, 200,000 civilians perish owing to famine and pestilence, and untold millions of pesos worth of property destroyed.)

1902- Cooper Act passed by the U.S. Congress makes it illegal for Filipinos to own property, vote, operate a business, live in an American residential neighborhood, hold public office and become a naturalized American citizen.

1906- About 200 Filipino “pensionados” are brought to the U.S. to get an American education.

1906-1935- More than 125,000 Filipino “sacadas” are brought to Hawaii to working the sugar cane plantations.

1924- Filipino Workers’ Union (FLU) shuts down 16 of 25 sugar plantations.

1926- California’s Anti-Miscigenation Law is amended to include Filipinos (Members of the Malay race) as among those who cannot marry whites.

1929-Anti-Filipino riots break out in Watsonville and other California rural communities.

1932- The U.S. Congress passes the Tidings-Mcduffe Act, known as the Philippine Independence Act, [it] is also known as the Filipino Exclusion Act as it limits Filipino immigration to the U.S. to 50 persons a year.

1942-After the fall of Bataan and Coregidor to the Japanese, the US Congress passes a law which grants US citizenship to Filipinos and other aliens who served under the U.S. Armed Forces.

1943- First and Second Filipino Regiments formed in the U.S. composed of Filipino agricultural workers.

1946- U.S. [grants] Philippine Independence. U.S. Congress passes Rescission Act declaring that “service in the USAFFE is not considered service in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes of military benefits.”

1948- Celestino Alfafara wins California Supreme Court decision allowing aliens the ight to own real property; California courts finally overturn Anti-Miscegenation Laws so Filipinos and other minorities could now legally marry whites.

1965- Filipino farm workers under the leadership of Larry Itliong go on strike in Delano and win Cesar Chavez joins Itliong to from the United Farm Workers Union. Filipino American Political Association (FAPA) is formed with chapters in 30 California cities. Immigration Act of 1965 raises quota of Filipinos and other nationalities from 100 to 20,000 a year.

[1967- The Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE) founded by Pilipino American students at San Francisco State College.]

1968- San Francisco State students, [Led by the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), of which PACE is a part of) go on a five month long strike, the longest student strike in American higher education.

1969- The San Francisco State Student Strike ends resulting in the creation of the first and only Ethnic Studies [School] in the nation which includes a Filipino Studies Program and an Asian American Studies Department.

1977- Students various colleges and universities such as San Francisco State College and the University of California Berkeley, participate in all out strike against the demolition of the International Hotel, a hotel situated in a former "Manilatown" area of San Francisco, that provided low income housing for the elderly. At least, 41 Manongs (Filipino elders) were evicted from the hotel.

1990- Immigration reform Act of 1990 is passed by the U.S. Congress granting U.S. citizenship to Filipino WWII veterans resulting in 20,000 Filipino veterans take oath of citizenship.

EVOLUTION of THE PHILIPPINE FLAG

ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES:

GEOGRAPHY

The Philippine archipelago is geographically located between latitude 4023'N and 21025'N and longitude 1160E and 1270E. It is composed of 7,107 islands, with a land area of 299,764 sq.kilometers. Its length measures 1,850 kilometers, starting from the point near the southern tip of Taiwan and ending close to northern Borneo. Its breadth is about 965 kilometers. The Philippine coastline adds up to 17,500 km. Three prominent bodies of water surround the archipelago: the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the west and north, and the Celebes Sea on the south. This position accounts for much of the variations in geographic, climatic and vegetational conditions in the country.

The topography of the bigger islands - particularly Luzon and Mindanao - is characterized by alluvial plains, narrow valleys, rolling hills and high mountains. The highest mountains are found in Mindanao and Luzon, with the altitudes varying from 1,790 to 3,144 meters. Most of the smaller islands are mountainous in the interior, surrounded by narrow strips of discontinuous flat lowlands which constitute the coastal rims. The shorelines of both large and small islands are irregular.

The Philippines' fertile land accounts for the more than 900 species of orchids representing 100 genera that have been found. The sampaguita is the national flower. Among the country's fauna are some endangered species like the Philippine Eagle, the tarsier, and the mouse deer.

Metro Manila is strategically located in the middle of Luzon, on the eastern coast of Manila Bay and at the mouth of the Pasig River, sprawled over an area of 626 sq.km. Manila sits in the middle of a swampy deltaic plain formed by accumulated sedimentary deposits from the Pasig River and other streams.

The city is between the bay to the west, the highlands to the east, and Laguna de Bay to the southeast. Most of its densely populated areas are found along the Pasig River running across the metropolis dividing it into two sections - the north and the south.

TIME ZONE:

GMT + 8 hours. Check out the Philippine Standard Time

CAPSULE HISTORY

Before the Spanish conquistadores came, a thriving community flourished on the banks of the Pasig River. It was called "Maynilad", after the nilad plant whose star-shaped flowers clustered in abundance along the low-lying river banks.

The lord of the riverside kingdom was Raha Sulayman who held court on the south side of the river while his uncle, Lakandula, ruled on the north side. The Spaniards were set on conquering this community. After the savage Battle of Bangkusay, where they overtook the natives with their awesome firepower, the Spaniards conquered Manila. In this Battle, Sulayman was killed.

Realizing its strategic position as a trading center and military outpost, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, head of the Spanish expedition, promptly declared Manila the capital of the new colonies won by Spain. On June 24, 1571, Manila was declared the capital of the entire achipelago. Delighted by this conquest, the King of Spain awarded the city a coat of arms and the grandiose title: "The Noble and Ever Loyal City". Soon, Manila became a replica of a European medieval city. There were churches, palaces and city halls built in the Spanish baroque style. Work began on building a wall around the city to keep the pirates and Moros at bay. It took 150 years to finish this wall. The end result was an astounding eight foot-thick, three mile-long wall, with two forts and a bastion, 370 guns in place, manned by a force of 5,000 men and 10,000 reserves. This walled city became known as Intramuros.

Beautiful as it was, Intramuros stood as a perfect illustration of the discrimination at that time against the natives called Indios. Although it was built by Indio workers and Chinese artisans, Intramuros was meant only for the clergy and the Spanish nobility. The natives could not enter except to work as servants. Outside the walls, in the arabales or suburbs, lived the Jndios, the Chinese and other foreigners. The diversity of trade and culture in the suburbs made it alive and interesting. Tondo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo bustled with commerce. These places were home to the merchants, carpenters, blacksmiths, carriage makers, masons and other artisans.

Over the centuries, the Spanish rule was occasionally threatened by attacks from the sea and by internal uprisings. The Chinese, Dutch, and British all tried to lay siege on Manila but were unsuccessful. But the 1880's saw the birth of a reform movement led by Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Lopez Jaena and Jose Rizal (the national hero). This reform movement ultimately led to a revolution and by 1898, the days of the Castilian rule were numbered. The most lasting legacy of the Spanish rule was the Catholic religion which makes the Philippines the only Christian nation in Asia.

But as soon as the Spaniards left, the Americans took over. 1902 was the beginning of the American era, a period characterized by the expansion of public education, advances in health care and the introduction of democratic government. The outbreak of war in the Pacific in 1941 disrupted American rule. Manila was declared an open city and the Americans withdrew their defenses. For three years, Manila was occupied by the Japanese imperial forces. Life at that time was made difficult by strict Japanese military rule. When the American troops entered Manila to liberate it, they had to bomb the city to dislodge the tenacious Japanese. Manila was devastated.

On July 4, 1946, a year after the end of the war, the Philippine flag was hoisted signalling the recognition of Philippine independence.

THE PEOPLE

The Filipino is basically of Malay stock with a sprinkling of Chinese, American, Spanish and Arab blood. The Philippines has a population of 76.5 million as of May 2000 , and it is hard to distinguish accurately the lines between stocks. From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture.

The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today. Pilipino is the official national language, with English considered as the country's unofficial one.

The Filipinos are divided geographically and culturally into regions, and each regional group is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects - the sturdy and frugal llocanos of the north, the industrious Tagalogs of the central plains, the carefree Visayans from the central islands and the colorful tribesmen and religious Moslems of Mindanao. Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines has more than 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups.

Some 80 percent of the population is Catholic, Spain's lasting legacy. About 15 percent is Moslem and these people can be found basically in Mindanao. The rest of the population is made up mostly of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhist.

The country is marked by a true blend of cultures; truly in the Philippines, East meets West. The background of the people is Indonesian and Malay. There are Chinese and Spanish elements as well. The history of American rule and contact with merchants and traders culminated in a unique blend of East and West, both in the appearance and culture of the people of the Filipinos, or people of the Philippines.

Hospitality, a trait displayed by every Filipino, makes these people legendary in Southeast Asia. Seldom can you find such hospitable people who enjoy the company of their Western visitors. Perhaps due to their long association with Spain, Filipinos are emotional and passionate about life in a way that seems more Latin than Asian.

The Spaniards introduced Christianity (the Roman Catholic faith) and succeeded in converting the overwhelming majority of Filipinos. At least 80% of the total population belongs to the Roman Catholic faith.

The American occupation was responsible for teaching the Filipino people the English language. The Philippines is currently the third-largest English speaking country in the world.

RELIGION
Historically, the Filipinos have embraced two of the great religions of the world - Islam and Christianity. Islam was introduced during the 14th century shortly after the expansion of Arab commercial ventures in Southeast Asia. Today, it is limited to the southern region of the country.

Christianity was introduced as early as the 16th century with the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

Protestantism was introduced by the first Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries who arrived with the American soldiers in 1899.

Two Filipino independent churches were organized at the turn of the century and are prominent today. These are the Aglipay (Philippine Independent Church) and the Iglesia Ni Kristo (Church of Christ) founded in 1902 and 1914, respectively. Recently the Aglipay signed a covenant with the Anglican Church. The Iglesia ni Kristo has expanded its membership considerably. Its churches, with their unique towering architecture are landmarks in almost all important towns, provincial capitals and major cities.