The 20th Century marked the beginning of U.S. Philippine relations. Filipinos had declared independence from Spain and established the Republic of the Philippines, only to be re-colonized by the U.S. at the end of the Spanish American War in 1898. The status of Filipinos, first as nationals, then as aliens, and finally as U.S. citizens after World War II is a history not well examined nor cited in social studies textbooks.
In 1994, activists in the SF Bay Area created a 100-year timeline about the civil rights of Filipinos and their efforts over the decades to assert these rights. That timeline will be on display at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, October through December 2012, providing a visual account of Filipino resistance to discrimination and a chronology of the community’s struggle for equality. In addition to the timeline a display of photos, artifacts, and news articles will be on exhibit for October Filipino American History Month.
(Photo courtesy of Stockton FANHS, Bombed Headquarters of the Filipino Federation of America, Jan 29, 1930.)
Your tax deductible donations will help volunteers curate this exhibit. Click here to donate and identify your donation to the timeline by adding “timeline” to the Address 2 box under billing information.
You can also send checks directly and payable to Filipino Advocates for Justice with “We Are America” in the memo section. Mail to: 310 8th Street, Suite 308, Oakland, CA 94607.
This project is a collaboration with Filipino Advocates for Justice and Oakland Asian Cultural Center. For more information, contact Terry Bautista at 510-213-9737 or tcb_consultant (at) hotmail.com.
