Category: People Power
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The Power of the Collective
During these days of social isolation, I’ve been at awe at the power of collective support and solidarity. The photo here is of my chosen family, people whom I love and share a flat with in the Bay Area. Usually, we’re all busy bodies, ships in the night. But since “shelter in place”, we have…
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Diwang Pinay for academics
In 2009, I had the privilege of being part of a dynamic group of people that did research, wrote and acted in a play and built very strong basis for community-building and migrant worker organizing in New York City. That year, Diwang Pinay as a theatrical production was the first and most impactful way we…
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Why May 1 Matters
What is May 1? Four days before Cinco de Mayo. The day after April 30. AND, International Workers Day all over the globe. Whatever you need to do to remember it, do it. In the US, May 1 has also doubled for Immigrants/Workers Day. A kasama once said, “It’s like Christmas for workers.” Its the…
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CARE Project Launch
SAVE THE DATE!!! Caregiver Research (CARE) Project Launch Wednesday APRIL 4, 2012 6pm-8pm 35 San Juan Ave. SF CA 94112 (Old FCC Space) Join the Filipino Community Center (FCC) to launch The CARE Project! Filipino caregivers, youth, students and community members have completed an intensive research training to conduct research on the conditions of Filipino…
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To Be A Woman in the Philippines
This picture is from a mobilization for International Women’s Day in the Philippines. The yellow sign says, “Fight (President) Aquino’s Oil Cartel Conspiracy!” and another sign says, “Decrease the Prices of Oil!” The women are hurling paint balls at the US embassy in this picture as a militant protest to the collusion of the US…
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Kiskisan
The morning before the International Women’s Alliance conference in Manila, delegates from Gabriela USA were invited to participate in the Philippine-American “friendship” day, to protest the unequal relations between the US and the Philippines. We decided that it was important to participate in a mobilization to the US embassy, or “emba” as the kasamas here…
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Contradictions
I love the contradictions of the Philippines. Jeeps and ignored traffic lanes Mobilization and repression Malls and poverty Drainage and floods — Just two days ago, my FiRE sisters and i went to Barangay Damayan Lagi, a shanty town next to the San Juan river in Quezon City. Most of the residents have lived in that…
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Nawal El-Saadawi
In about half an hour, I’ll be going to hear a long-time Egyptian feminist, activist, sociologist, medical doctor, Nawal El-Saadawi, speak at the Graduate Center. She was present at the recent uprising in Tahrir Square and will share her reflections on women, Egypt and the revolution. I wanted to make available the readings that were…
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International Working Women’s Day
100 years ago, Clara Zetkin proposed to second International Conference of Working Women in 1910 that there should be a day dedicated to the international struggle of working women. The day was adopted by this historic conference attended by over 100 working women from unions, socialist parties and working women’s clubs, representing 15 or more countries…
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Epifanio De Los Santos
Context: I just got back from the Philippines. Like. Yesterday. All of us climbed into a van headed to Quezon City, all 12 of us. As we passed by “Our Lady of Peace” and made a right onto Edsa, my sister, Alexie, asked our aunt, MamaNes, “What is that?” She began to tell us the…
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