Issues and Social Justice
UUism and Fidel Castro
The last time I saw a church this packed, it was Midnight mass. A Catholic church with its pews filled with different shades of brown. Even though I didn’t consider myself officially a Catholic anymore, I felt like going–out of a mixture of obligation, habit and hope. Halfway through the sermon, the priest said something [...]
Education: A Vocation Rooted in Hopefulness (personal statement for CSULB’s Single Subject Credential Program)
My hope emerges from those places of struggle where I witness individuals positively transforming their lives and the world around them. As teachers, we believe that learning is possible, that nothing can keep an open mind from seeking after knowledge and finding a way to know. - bell hooks My parents immigrated from the Philippines [...]
Day 1, Session XXII: Cruising
Back on the cruise ship, they seat us at a table with seven strangers. Seven white folks. And us. Two Filipinos. Americans. Like all of them, but at the same time, not like any of them. We all bond over eggs benedict and boisenberry waffles. There’s Maggie from Laguna Beach on her 43rd cruise. She’s [...]
On Hunger: Some Thoughts on the Role of Fil-Ams in the Philippine ND Movement
A professor recently posed several questions to members of the progressive Filipino American youth organization I am part of, KmB (Kabataang maka-Bayan, Pro-People Youth), about the nature of and philosophies behind our educational and organizing work here in the United States. In particular, he wondered about the role of Jose Maria Sison (JoMa), the defacto [...]
Why I Won’t Spank My Kids
Violence against children comes in many forms, from child trafficking and sexual exploitation to female genital mutation to physical abuse resulting in broken bones and black eyes. This past year, on the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN called for adopting November 19 as a World Day for the [...]
Managing Relationships in “the Community”
Community is a funny thing. A very very funny thing. I mean, everyone’s pro-community right? For the community this. And for the community that. I have yet to hear of anyone this side of the political spectrum against a shared experience or space that inspires its members to create and build with, and even protect [...]
