S1: Welcome in San Diego. It's Andrew Bracken in for Jade Hyneman. Californians have a little over a week to vote on proposition 50. We check in on the debate over redistricting in the state. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. For Filipino American History Month , we are looking at local community organizing efforts and how they're meeting the current political moment. Amanda Solomon Amaral is the director of the Asian Asian-American Studies and Pacific Islander program here at UCSD , UC San Diego. Um , also , we're joined by Sol Salas. He's a member of Anak Bayan San Diego. That's a grassroots youth organization. And finally , Ian Swallow is here. He's an attorney in labor activist. So first off , I want to welcome you all to Midday Edition today. Professor , I wanted to start with you. I mean , activism can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. What does community organizing mean and look like for you ? Hi.
S2: Yeah , that is such a great question. And it's important to have that base understanding. So when I think of community organizing and community activism , I'm thinking from the bottom up , from the grassroots , right. Our communities know from their lived experience , from their day to day lives , the different systems and concerns and issues that are pressing on them. And so how our community comes together to really name those challenges of whether they're housing or , um , quality education or immigration status and the ways that we work together and have conversations to really determine for ourselves the best responses and the best solutions is really how I think of community organizing , community activism. It's really about self-determination. It's about collaboration and collectivity. Rather than necessarily looking for top down answers from outside of our community.
S1: Amanda , they're just , you know , talked about kind of some of some of what she feels like community organizing and soul and beyond. I know it's an organization with , you know , these grassroots connections to the Philippines , and it focuses on young people. Right. Empowering young people. Tell us about why you think that's important.
S3: Yeah , I think it's important , especially when we study Filipino history. We see that there is constantly youth that are fighting for revolutionary change in the Philippines. And so as people who are here in the US , we see that there are connections between the neglect and the corruption back home in the Philippines. But even here in the U.S. and so as the youth , we're really taking it upon ourselves to integrate and to get to know the most exploited class here in the U.S. , which is the Filipino working class. You know , our workers are really creating , like , our day by day things that we see that we use. And so we're really here to get to know our Filipino kapa , bayan , our Filipino migrants. And I agree with how Amanda is saying , like , work alongside of them to find the solutions. And so as in San Diego , we're really a fighting youth organization and really exposing the corruption that we see here and back home.
S1: Ian , you're you have roots in activism in both the Philippines and here in the US , right , in San Diego. That's right.
S4: What the Filipino community facing the Philippines is also similar to other issues here in the US , but there are some probably additional layer of of challenges here in the US because of , you know , other things like racism and the and and of course , the issue of immigrants of the undocumented community , which we don't. You know , when I was in the Philippines , I was focused on community organizing , organizing of labor unions , and also organizing of the urban poor , like , you know , the poor communities that are in big cities , um , that are common in , in , in big cities in the Philippines. So , so , yeah. So there the there are similarities when it comes to the , the struggle to fight for living wage for workers rights and , um , yeah. So those similarities , um , are , you know , makes me feel that the , the work that I did in the Philippines and the work that I am doing here in the US , it's like in , in one continuum. Um , you know , with additional layers , as you said.
S1: Uh , professor , I think , you know , the last time you were on , uh , midday Edition , you spoke about the Filipino farm workers movement of the 1960s. And that was when Filipino , along with Mexican laborers , they held strikes and organized to improve working conditions. I'm just curious , you know , we hear that kind of trope like history repeats itself or whatever , but what are you seeing about connections from from that time versus today ? Because obviously , you know , each of you have touched on issues of housing , of cost and of and of immigration struggles as well. Right ? Yeah.
S2: No , I unfortunately , yes , history does seem to repeat itself. And I think that's because what the system of the economy in the United States needed in the 1960s , it still needs now. Right. Um , for profit to be gained and accumulated for owners of capital and industry. They need to leverage the cheapest wages possible right for the worker. And one way of guaranteeing the cheapest wages possible possible is to ensure that the worker is experiencing oppressive conditions that force them to labor under unacceptable conditions. And so when we think about how immigrant labor is both vilified and dominant rhetoric , and yet absolutely necessary for the functioning of our economy , of the economy as it is right now. Um , that is history repeating itself , right ? So when we were talking about the moment in the 1960s when Filipino and Mexican migrant workers came together. It is because they recognized that if they allowed racial prejudice and racial stereotypes to keep them pitted against each other , separated from each other , competing with each other for these jobs , right , and lowering wages for one another , then none of them would be able to earn a decent living and ensure the dignity of themselves as workers in their community. And that lesson still maintains today. If workers are continuously pitted against each other because of this fear of race or this fear of lack of citizenship and criminality , then it's it's not workers who benefit from those prejudicial barriers. It's it's those who stand to gain profit. So I think that history repeats itself because this current system , this current economic system , is dependent on depressing the wages of of all workers by leveraging racial differences , differences of citizenship and language. And I know that Ian can talk more about this because , you know , I've admired for quite a while. The work that he's done in union and labor organizing and , and I know that Anna Bain has done a lot of work educating our youth and our young students so that they can see these intersections of the economy and of conceptions of race and of these insistence on on citizenship and the connection between citizenship and legality and illegality.
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S4: So , yeah , what Amanda is saying is , you know , I really agree with what she was asserting. And I think especially now , right now , um , we can see , you know , under this current administration , we can see how , you know , immigrants are vilified and the the undocumented community , not only the undocumented community , but the whole our communities are being subjected to this , um , you know , climate of fear and intimidation and , and many of you know , Filipino workers here , especially the undocumented , are in industries that are that make them vulnerable. Like , you know , health care , uh , like they are in a home care. They are in in low paying , low wage , low wage industries where they are more susceptible to , um , you know , threats , especially with what's happening right now. So , so , yeah , so what we do as advocates is to continue to organize and to educate these people on , you know , our communities and what their rights are because the they are the only ones who could stand up for their own self , for their own families. So , you know , being with them , organizing them , providing support is really important in our communities.
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S3: Like , not only is it important to support our Filipino migrants and to hear their stories , but I think it's also important to link and raise it to who is supposed to be protecting our migrants when they're abroad. Theba. It's important to note that there are actually set things in our system , such as the Department of Migrant Workers , that are supposed to be overseeing the wellness of our Filipino migrants here. One person being Macy McGlinchey , who is based in LA and was recently taken down from her position because she was discovered as the labor attaché that's supposed to be helping our Filipino migrants and protecting their welfare and their rights , that she was funneling money from the Ghost Flood Project money back in the Philippines. And so even connecting those Thais of the corruption we see here in the US for our migrants , and seeing that these are the same bureaucrat capitalists that are profiting from our people suffering back home. Meanwhile , our president , President Trump , is meeting with the president of the Philippines , Bongbong Marcos , to discuss economic deals , to discuss tariffs. And Bongbong Marcos even bragged lowering the tariffs from 20% down to 19%. And so what does that do for our Filipino migrants here ? Not only does it make it so much more expensive for them to buy goods and foods that remind us of the homeland , but it further exploits our Filipino capybara and back home that are creating these goods to begin with. And it makes it so much easier for these US products to enter the Philippines. And it doesn't address the neglect back home. It doesn't address the people that are dying in these floods , and it doesn't address the increased deportation of our Filipino migrants here. When , you know , we see that our Filipino people are suffering here , and there are so many people that , you know , see the corruption and it's so blatant in our faces. And so I think , you know , it's really important to really link and raise , like , who are the people responsible ? It's these bureaucratic capitalists that are pocketing the money of our people in the trillions. Like it's not billions , it's trillions of our money.
S1: And you know , we know we're kind of this we referenced the Trump administration. We know increased immigration enforcement's infecting , you know , is affecting lots of immigrant communities. Um , you're a long time advocate for for immigrant rights work in that space. Um , what have you been seeing ? You know , how are you supporting them and their families during the time that you're , you know , talking with families impacted by this ? Yeah.
S4: So , uh , so I am an immigration attorney. So. And also an employment law attorney. So but right now , because of what's happening in our country , a majority of my work is really removal defense. Like defending people from being deported or and representing people in their , uh , immigration relief claims with the immigration court or with the US Immigration Services. So , you know , I'm also , you know , as an activist , I am involved in different organizations that provide support to to this community. Like , you know , I'm with the Filipino Worker Center and we it's it's a nonprofit based in LA. And they also operate here in San Diego. And we provide support to immigrants , special undocumented. I'm also with the Asia Pacific American Labor Alliance. We organize and advocate for , for our communities , especially with , you know , for policies that are , uh , that are protective of , of them , of immigrant and refugee communities. Like , for example , last week we were able to successfully pass an ordinance help. We Help passed an ordinance that ensures due process and safety for our community here in San Diego. And the same is true with our efforts at the Board of Supervisors meeting. So we linked up , you know , Filipino organizations and AAPI organizations will link up with different groups to advocate for our communities and provide direct service to them as well , which is , as I said , as an attorney , I provide , you know , pro bono and low bono services to those who are in removal proceedings. So.
S1: Professor , you know , earlier , Sol was kind of talking about how what's happening in the US impacts Philippines and vice versa.
S2: Right. I mean , stemming back to the 1890s , when the United States had formal control of the Philippines after it , quote unquote , liberated it from Spanish colonization. So the Philippines , as soul was mentioning , the Philippines in the United States have had a deep relationship of trade , um , and preferential trade agreements and military agreements because the Philippines is so significant as a geographic point of entry right into the Asia-Pacific region for the United States's geopolitical interests. So the two of them are deeply tied. And , you know , this isn't my argument. This is actually Maria Rosa's argument. But in many ways , the the Philippine political landscape can predict the landscape of the United States , or you can track sort of the emergence of illiberal Liberal government in the Philippines. As you track the emergence of illiberal liberal government in the United States and , you know , the turn towards Trumpism in the US coincided as well with a turn towards more authoritarian forms of government in the Philippines , too. When you look at Duterte's first election to power and then now , as sole mentioned , you have the son of Ferdinand Marcos , you know , very infamous strongman , CIA backed dictator in the 70s and under which his regime , my own parents left the Philippines to come to the United States. And the fact that you do have Bongbong Marcos and Trump meeting to discuss , um , continuing , you know , economic , political , military relationships between the Philippines and the United States is is sort of par for the course , right , in terms of how those those nations have been deeply tied together. What I do take hope from is that in the same way that , you know , the Filipino people have a very profound history of rising up against more authoritarian leaning or just straight up authoritarian governments. You can also see that social change and social movement tracking onto US history as well. And so it's it'll be interesting to see , right , how the protests right now in the Philippines against the corruption against the , the the staff , the outright theft of climate change , um , funds right to , uh , alleviate the disastrous effects of climate change on the islands , how those popular uprisings are echoed in similar ways with with the social movements that we're seeing right now in the United States. Right. A couple of weeks ago , we just are not even a couple of weeks ago. Uh , last week we had the No Kings rally down here in the United States. So it's they provide really interesting comparisons and contrast. And I think it just sort of emblematic of how the political fate of the Philippines and the US have been entwined for a very long time.
S1: So I want to zoom out a little bit and talk a little bit more about your background. You grew up here in San Diego in Paradise Hills , I think , right ? So I'm just curious , how did your childhood experiences here in San Diego , you know , lead to the work you're doing today ? You know , both in the US and back in Philippines as well , right ? Yeah.
S5: So , um , yeah , I grew up here.
S3: In Paradise Hills , but.
S5: I was actually.
S3: Originally born in Japan because my mom had joined the military in search of , you know , better job opportunity and better education for her kids. And so I had always grown up very curious about the military here as well. And so growing up in a military town , a lot of things are normalized Is here for us , which really shouldn't be normalized. Like we see jets above our skies and we see , um , bases even like on 32nd Street. Um , and so , you know , really growing up and seeing how militarized our town was , it made me very curious to see what the impacts of our military was all over the world. And so I think that really gave me a head start of curiosity into organizing. And yeah , I had found out , like through organizing , that there are multiple US bases that are in the Philippines. And it it made me question a lot of things. And so after hearing that there are multiple educa sites or advanced Defense cooperation agreement sites there. Um , I had found out that. yeah , people from Anak Bayan had actually gone to go and get to know the people that live around these sites. And yeah , they had found out through interviewing them , seeing that our Filipinos back home would just wake up hearing bombs being dropped , hearing gun fires , um , upon waking up. And , you know , they're not being told what's going on like by the Filipino government. And so , you know , when I grew up hearing the narrative of the Philippines needs the US in order to stay protected. But when we're going to the people and we're hearing that back home , they're they're scared , they're mad , and they're being told they can't fish in their own waters because of military exercises happening. You know , it really it really brings the question , is the US protecting the Philippines or is the US using the Philippines as a launching pad for war due to its , you know , its closeness to China. And so I think growing up in a militarized town and in a military family , it made me so much more agitated to get to know the impacts of our military , not only here but worldwide. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. So in the few minutes we have left , I'm just curious if you can each kind of talk a little bit about what it means for you to build solidarity in this moment. We've kind of talked about the kind of context that , you know , things are happening. And professor , I'm wondering if you could take that.
S2: So in my specific context as a professor and I , you know , it's a privilege to work with , with students. And I particularly work with first year students. A lot of my effort and a lot of my teaching is is just around helping students , as a soul was saying , identify these larger systems and conditions in their life and really look at the historical patterns that have created what they're experiencing and what they're seeing , and helping them find the vocabulary and the language to name exploitative capitalism , to name the climate disaster , to name the military industrial complex so that they can then be able to have those conversations with each other and organize with each other to imagine different possibilities for their life and different ways to live in community with one another. And so that's that's really where I see my work focused , is , is creating those spaces of learning and those spaces of dialogue and the spaces of conversation so that then students can determine for themselves. Young folks can determine for themselves what self-determination looks like , what do they need to do ? Right ? To , um , honor the dignity of every person in their community.
S1: Ian , we have about about two minutes left. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. So , um , for me , you know , in my line of work as an activist , as an attorney , uh , as a human rights activist , you know , my my work really requires to be in solidarity with different organizations and different not only the Filipino based organizations , but also a different , um , um , racist , different sectors of our communities. So , uh , I also , uh , you know , do international international solidarity work. We my work involves linking up , uh , Filipino labor leaders with the labor leaders here in the US and be able to exchange ideas and experiences , uh , so that we , you know , we would be able to appreciate the issues , uh , you know , in each country at the same time , share , as to how we could go forward , how we could work together to , you know , in the face of all of this oppression , in the face of all of these policies hurting workers internationally. You know , we want to know and , and be able to to link up and and see how we could fight this , this together in a manner that empowers our communities.
S1: So I want to let you have the last word here in about 30s. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. So as Enoch.
S3: Bayan , um , we really stand in solidarity with all oppressed people around the world because when we really level it down , we have the same oppressors , you know , we have the same imperialist oppressors. And , um , like Ian and Amanda were saying , like different Filipino organizations , when we really level it down , like , we're really fighting for the same things. Um , one to not be forced out of our homeland , but to , you know really link and raise like all our issues together. And so yeah as unagi and San Diego we really encourage people to fight alongside of us to um , yeah , to educate one another and to join an organization , whether it's a Filipino organization or another organization. Because at the end of the day , we really are struggling in this together , and it's a collective fight.
S1: I want to thank you all for joining us today. I've been speaking with Amanda Solomon Amaral , the director of the Asian American Pacific Islander Studies program at UC San Diego , also been joined by Soul Solace , member of Anak Bayan San Diego , and finally , Ian Sarlo , attorney and labor activist. Here. I want to thanks again for all your time today.
S5: Thank you , thank you , thank you. Maraming salamat.
S1: Coming up , we hear about one of San Diego's longest running Filipino performing arts companies and how dance can be a connection for culture and community. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Andrew Bracken in for Jade Hindman. The Philippine performing arts scene is thriving in San Diego , and it has a rich history that's rooted in community. So for Filipino-American History Month , we're sitting down with a local arts leader with strong ties to that history here in San Diego. Ana Maria Lobo Sabato is the executive director of. It's one of San Diego's oldest Philippine performing arts companies , and she's here to tell us more about it. Anna , welcome to midday.
S6: Thank you for having me.
S1: Thanks for coming in. So , you know , you've said that you learned a lot about the history of the Philippines through dance.
S6: And so I made a connection there with the history of the Philippines through the dance , because the dances represent , you know , some 7100 islands in each geographic area is so unique. I mean , the Philippines is number one , diverse of diversity. So it's it's a lot to learn. But for me , Philippine dance was a door in which you can explore more by reading whatever history was available by reading whatever the cultural books may have said to.
S1: And you mentioned kind of diversity being at the core of sort of , you know , Philippine arts and music and dance. Can you talk more about that ? I mean , for somebody that may not be aware , I think you're right.
S6: Let me stand corrected. It should be languages because they're all distinct cultures and deserving to be called a distinct culture of the Philippines. And because of that , from the religiosity , from the surroundings of the of the various terrain , it really dictates It's the way you live an express life. And so they would take things that are close to the earth to be close to. Whether it's embracing the soil with your feet , with your bare feet , or imitating animals mimicking birds , there's a lot of dances that imitate birds. And so to say , what is the national dance of the Philippines ? You can't.
S1: It's impossible.
S6: It's impossible because , you know , everybody has a different nuance in their dances. And even the attire worn by each of those groupings is so distinct. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. That's really interesting.
S6: So I'm truly grateful for that. And they lived till the age of 96. So I think their service to community help with that , but it also inspired me. They were a role example of giving back to the community and all. What they wanted to do was to make sure that me and my sisters are aware of their culture because , as I think Doctor Jose Rizal had put to know history is to know yourself. But if there's no history , how can you know yourself ? Hmm.
S1: So it's peso is still going strong , but it's over 50 years old , right.
S6: Over 55 years old. And we have our own facility in National City , which still stands , even though in the past ten years we've been flooded out and we had to rip out our floors. But we continued with our our teaching and expanded our classes before the the flood of 2024. We had three classes. Now we have six classes because there is such a desire for second and third generations to send their children to , because it becomes a form of , of of knowing their Filipino heritage. And I remember there was someone in our group who was a counselor at a high school and said , enrolled her daughter at the age of six and said , I can't teach you everything about your culture and your history , so you're going to go to until you're in high school and you make a decision whether you want to stay or not. Oh , wow. So she was there for quite a long time.
S1: So can you talk about some of the classes and performances and what people can expect there ? Sure.
S6: Our classes are broken down into our young kids , where we teach them how to , um , have a movement on stage. And the typical movements of the the more popular dances in the central part of the Philippines. But as you get older , the classes are then taught. Dances from the ethnolinguistic groups from the northern part of the Philippines , in the Cordillera or in Mindanao from the Maranao and Maguindanao or Tausug regions of of the Philippines , and also the the mountain region of the um of Mindanao as well , and Visayan region. So they as they stay in Pasargad , they grow in their in the repertoire that they know. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. That's great. So you've also contributed to a few local history exhibits that includes Filipinos in South Bay exhibit , which is still up at the Civic Center Branch Library in Chula Vista. Right. So , you know , tell me about why it's important to for you to continue sharing and preserving these stories around building community.
S6: I think it's to recognize that there was there is the importance of community. Um , I , I remember Were talking to young people , second generation Filipinos , and seeing their posts on Facebook. And they're no longer involved in the community , and they're placing themselves and their parents who were involved in the community , and that they lack that. And so it's an example of the importance of connecting , because once you connect , instead of living on your own island , in your own house and not doing anything , how can you help push forward , you know , this unity that we want for one another ? Because back then , in the 50s , what I sensed there in the experiences shared was the essence of Capua. Capua is a Philippine value of viewing the each other , viewing each other as a source of God. Let the godliness in you bring the godliness in me. So together we evoke goodness in one another.
S1: So really emphasizing that community and that togetherness. So I mean , you mentioned , you know , young people today and I think it's a topic that comes up a lot in , you know , across all communities. Right. Talk to me about , you know , how have the young people that are , that are coming in studying that are performing ? How have you seen that shift in their connection to to their culture ? I mean , we kind of touched on it , but like Facebook and social media , we know it can be difficult to kind of break through in these real world spaces. But it sounds like , uh , you know , you've been doing it for decades , right ? Yeah.
S6: Well , you know , to witness the , the , the , I guess the wave of our dancers coming in. What , because we had a lull. It goes up and down with enrollment. But in the past 2 or 3 years , even after Covid , we had an increase. And I'm not sure if the world changes because of what's happening with the focus on self , but now it's to know who you are. And they have that strong desire to make sure that their children know their cultural heritage , or grandparents that bring them to to to know their cultural heritage.
S1: What are your hopes for the future of Osaka ? And , you know , just performing , you know , Filipino , Philippine performing arts more and more broadly , even in San Diego here. Oh.
S6: Oh. In San. Well , just I mean , there are there are about 250,000 Filipinos in San Diego , and we only have maybe about 50 or 60 students. Where are the rest of them that we can have ? You know , more people embrace the Philippine dance experience and coming into community to promote our dances , our beautiful dances that are so different from from other dances. But the other thing that we're doing is doing is collaborating. We're collaborating with groups like Dance Arts Folklorico Dance Group , in which we said we looked at each other's repertoire , how are we related ? And we presented this beautiful presentation of dances that shows the differences and the similarities. This weekend , our dancers are performing in Los Angeles at CSUN , and they're part of one where they're one of five groups that will be performing at Capua Kaleidoscope , featuring five Philippine dance companies.
S1:
S6: We have our annual Parol Festival , our Philippine Lantern Festival , which will be held the first Saturday of December , December 6th , I think , and that will be held at Eastlake High School from 2 to 6 p.m..
S1: Well , we'll kind of link to that on our website. We'll put a link up to that. I've been speaking with Anna Maria La Boca Bato , executive director of I Want To. Anna , thanks so much for joining us and happy Filipino American History Month.
S6: My pleasure.
S1: I'm Andrew Bracken. KPBS Midday Edition airs on KPBS FM weekdays at noon , again at 8 p.m.. You can find past episodes at KPBS or wherever you listen. Thanks again for listening. Have a great day.
