Filipino American Lives (Asian American History & Cultu) [Paperback]

Yen Espiritu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 1995 | Series: Asian American History & Cultu

Filipino Americans are now the second largest group of Asian Americans as well as the second largest immigrant group in the United States. As reflected in this collection, their lives represent the diversity of the immigrant experience and their narratives are a way to understand ethnic identity and Filipino American history. Men and women, old and young, middle and working class, first and second generation, all openly discuss their changing sense of identity, the effects of generational and cultural differences on their families, and the role of community involvement in their lives. Pre- and post-1965 immigrants share their experiences, from the working students who came before WWII, to the manongs in the field, to the stewards and officers in the U.S. Navy, to the 'brain drain' professionals, to the Filipinos born and raised in the United States. As Yen Le Espiritu writes in the Introduction, 'each of the narratives reveals ways in which Filipino American identity has been and continues to be shaped by a colonial history and a white-dominated culture. It is through recognizing how profoundly race has affected their lives that Filipino Americans forge their ethnic identities identities that challenge stereotypes and undermine practices of cultural domination.' Author note: Yen Le Espiritu is Associate Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, San Diego, and the author of "Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities" (Temple).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a useful means of understanding ethnic identity and Filipino American history." --The Diversity Factor "Filipino American Lives offers a collection of 13 life stories as told by the people who lived them... [F]rom these disparate backgrounds, a Filipino American identity emerges and Espiritu does an excellent job of letting the reader see its complexity." --Pacific Reader

From the Publisher

First person narratives by Filipino Americans reveal the range of their experiences—before and after immigration

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (March 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566393167
• ISBN-13: 978-1566393164
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,623,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth about Filipino Americas, March 17, 2001

By 

"ana-isa5" (San Diego, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Filipino American Lives (Asian American History & Cultu) (Paperback)

Filipino Americans have often fought to have their stories heard. The histories of their ancestors have been written from the perspectives of everyone but actual Filipino Americans. The book Filipino American Lives, by Yen Le Espiritu is just a stepping-stone toward developing the true history of Filipino Americans. The book tries to give an overview of Filipino American life, as the title reveals. The introduction is a brief outline of the main events that occurred throughout Filipino American history. Yen Le Espiritu is a well renowned author and professor. She teaches at the University of California, San Diego in the Department of Ethnic Studies. Her encounters with Filipino Americans and their hunger for information about their identities prompted her to begin a study on Filipino Americans. Espiritu's first intention was to understand the multiple facets of Filipino American identities, paying particular attention to regional, generational, gender, and class differences. She planned to use the life-history method as the main tool of research, tracing the connections between the life experiences of Filipino Americans and their changing sense of identities. It was during her interviews when she took a different approach toward writing this book. Espiritu realized the importance of presenting some of these accounts in full- not only because they are rich and compelling, but also because the narrators desire to see their life stories in print. And that is what this book as developed into. It is a book that brings to life the stories of many Filipino Americans from a span of three generations. Topics include family and immigration history, ethnic identity and practice, and community development among San Diego's Filipinos. These are the stories of those interviews. This is the history that is yet to be exposed to all of America. After reading some of the few books about Filipino Americans, I believe this book is a great book to have as a class textbook, as a leisure reading book, or even as a bedtime story to read to the children; our future Filipinos of America. It is very accurate, as accurate as first hand stories go. You cannot get any more accurate then this book shows. The best way to present, teach a history subject is by showing the first hand stories. These stories are what make history books into books of facts. What history books need to model is Espiritu's book because this book gives details that no one else could give unless they were right there at the same event at the same time. I feel this book could catch anyone's attention. It is the stories of these Filipino Americans that will stick in my mind. How can someone learn history and remember history by just reading the facts? Filipino American Lives gives narrative after narrative of different stories, similar stories. And these are the stories that will help me to remember what happened during the days of racism and anti-miscegenation laws, of Navy years and 2nd generation history. I recommend this book, and I hope that many people in the future pick up this book to read even if it is not for a class. These are one of the only Filipino American books that have been co-written by actual Filipino Americans. This is what history is all about, finding out the facts from the actual people who experience it. By reading this book, we are fighting the long battle that many Filipino Americans have. For once, our stories will be told and written. For once, the writer will not be a person with any relation to this ethnic group. The battle is not over yet, but Filipino American Lives is a great stepping-stone toward our goals for us and for our future generations.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on Individual Experiences and Group Identity, January 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Filipino American Lives (Asian American History & Cultu) (Paperback)

This book is a compilation of interviews with 13 Filipino Americans, and it is a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The individuals interviewed have a very wide diversity in age, education, economic status, and experience, and their individual stories are each very interesting in their own right. As you get further along into the book, however, you are struck by how similar many of their personal thoughts and experiences are despite their diverse backgrounds. The most interesting similarity is the experience of all of them in struggling to define their own identity: "Am I Filipino? American? Filipino/American? What do those terms mean? How do I fit in?" Among the younger interviewees this takes on the added dimension of "FOB" (Fresh Off the Boat) vs. "AB" (American-Born) Filipino Americans. There are also similarities in the thoughts of many of the interviewees on what they want and expect for their children in terms of Filipino and American values, traditions, and identity.

The author (a Professor of Asian-American Studies at UCSD) is, in my estimation, a very adept interviewer as he is able to spur very thoughtful, introspective commentaries from the interviewees. This book does not make any generalizations or force any conclusions about the Filipino American experience on you. Instead, it lets these interviews stand on their own and compels you to draw you own insights.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in thought-provoking material on Filipino-American experiences and identity.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why aren't Filipinos politically powerful in the US?, March 19, 2000

By 

Paul S.T. Balanon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Filipino American Lives (Asian American History & Cultu) (Paperback)

Several streams of thought are reflected within the oral histories compiled by Espiritu. None is more apparent than the lack of Filipino voices within the political establishment.

If you have ever wondered why the Filipino community is, paradoxically, a putatively cohesive ethnic group (with shared pasts and struggles in America) yet divided (along class/profession lines or along regional/province rifts), then this book is for you. The variety of stories presented- ranging from those who lived during the Spanish and American colonial periods to the American-born- present an overall picture of why Filipinos today are not politically powerful. The megalomania of community leaders, as expressed by some of the interviewees, who seek to further their personal interest rather than of the community as a whole speak much for the impotence of the Filipino voice in the realm of policy. Is it no wonder, then, that our grandfathers are still fighting for the rights due them for their World War II service? Is it not surprising that the younger generations are encouraged to adopt assmiliationist attitudes in this country? In essence, the younger Filipinos are taught not to appreciate their own heritage (this is apparent in the demeanor of at least two interviewees).

This book really does make you think. Whether you see the histories as representing what I feel ought to be addressed or whether you see them as an affirmation of shared pasts, Espiritu chose her subjects well. They were open and didn't leave much to chance with their responses.