History of Filipino-Americans in South Bay still being written

The Long Beach Press-Telegram ^ | 07/24/2015 | Sandy Mazza

[CW_Conservative]

Ibanez and his wife, Roselyn Estepa Ibanez, are the authors of “Filipinos in Carson and the South Bay,” a collection of about 250 family photos, U.S. Army registration cards, immigration records, school yearbook pictures, newspaper articles, and fliers for festivals, dances and music events produced by local Filipinos in the past 100 years.

As they share their life stories and research at presentations around the country, the Ibanezes are pushing for a national holiday in October recognizing Filipino-Americans.

Early immigrants were almost exclusively young men looking for work and, since interracial marriage was illegal, they had a difficult time dating in this country. That pressure was exacerbated by prejudice.

“Part of the discrimination of Filipino men was they were always single — they were teenagers, basically,” Ibanez said. “They were very handsome and muscular from working the fields. Whites complained the ‘monkey boys are taking our women.’ ”

Since then, Filipinos have made major strides toward assimilation. Carson celebrates Filipino independence from the U.S., achieved in 1946 after the Filipino American War, each June with a daylong festival.

[CW_Conservative]

In Carson, the home of one of the Goodyear blimps and maybe a NFL football team or two, they celebrate Filipino Independence Day... from the United States. Carson is still a city in the United States last time I checked.

I have to admit I do love the line, ‘the monkey boys are taking our women.’ ”

[elhombrelibre]

No pictures of Filipinas for the thread?

[Neidermeyer]

I prefer the more "pure Filipina" look myself but the pageant winners are always the ones with Americanized/European facial features , especially the nose,, always long and straight.

[Ben Ficklin]

America's most popular and well known Filipino, Bruno Mars.

Uptown Funk

[Mark17]

No pictures of Filipinas for the thread?

I have a rather nice looking one. 😂😇😎

[elhombrelibre]

Okay, but I said Filipinas, not Filipino.

[knarf]

as do I ... heh heh heh

[elhombrelibre]

Lovely!

[Old Teufel Hunden]

I don’t see a problem with them celebrating independence from the U.S. Isn’t that what we should all want? For a country to be set up well enough that it no longer needs us? We are not an imperialist country as the left claims. I wish we could celebrate Iraq’s independence from the U.S. but with ISIS over there lopping heads off, it’s going to be a while....

[CW_Conservative]

I don’t see a problem with them celebrating independence from the U.S. Isn’t that what we should all want?

Imagine an american having to move to London for want of a better life and then celebrating their freedom from England on July 4th.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Imagine an american having to move to London for want of a better life and then celebrating their freedom from England on July 4th."

It's a big difference. We fought a war to get our independence from England. They were an imperialist country ruling over us. From very early on we never had designs to keep the Phillipines as an American possesion. At the conclusion of the Spainish American war, there were factions that wanted nothing to do with owning the Phillipines, most just wanted a harbor there for our U.S. Naval ships use. Most knew that if we gave it up another European imperial power such as Germany would just take it over so we kept it with the mind all along to give the country it's independence once it could govern itself. I believe sometime in the 20s is when we negotiated that we would be giving the Phillipines it's independence from America in 1946. It was purely coincidence that it coincided with the end of WWII.

The point is, we were never set up to be like those countries in Europe who built an empire. Before the Spainish American War we took land always with the intention of it becoming a state and those people becoming full American citizens. As for Americans celebrating Independence Day in England, why not? It's a celebration of their American culture. Same as what the Fillipinos are doing.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Imagine an american having to move to London for want of a better life"

One last thing, what American wanting a better life would move to England for it? .... : ) Just kidding all of you Brits!