{"id":13073,"date":"2022-07-17T03:25:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-17T13:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/?p=13073"},"modified":"2022-07-20T03:51:43","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T13:51:43","slug":"hawaiis-filipinos-make-progress-in-community-empowerment-the-journey-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/2022\/07\/17\/hawaiis-filipinos-make-progress-in-community-empowerment-the-journey-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii\u2019s Filipinos Make Progress in Community Empowerment, The Journey Continues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Chona Montesines-Sonido and HFC STAFF<\/em>

Hawaii\u2019s Filipino empowerment journey perhaps is seen with a different angle of clarity from the inside to outside, then looking back in. What?

<\/strong>Edwin Quinabo, a Filipino-American, 52, lived in Hawaii for 45 years before moving to El Paso, TX, a city comparable in size to Honolulu but is predominantly Hispanic. Outside of Hawaii and California, and pockets of select larger cities like New York City, Seattle and Houston, El Paso is like most cities across the U.S. \u2013 it has a small Filipino-American population.

\u201cWhen Filipinos in Hawaii contemplate the idea of Filipino empowerment, they should know they are well ahead of the game in so many aspects. When I lived there, the quest for Filipino empowerment people would talk about was always one of lacking in some way or form. But when you move outside of Hawaii (and not California), you realize how Hawaii\u2019s Filipinos take for granted the awesome strength they really have,\u201d said Quinabo.

\u201cJust in sheer numbers alone, as a Filipino in Hawaii you get the sense of belonging, that you are a part of a community that truly has clout. And really, when Filipinos talk of empowerment in Hawaii the ceiling is set very high with a potential that could look like the Chinese American community in San Francisco. So Hawaii\u2019s Filipino community has a lot going for them. It takes leaving Hawaii to know this.\u201d

Filipinos are the largest ethnic group in Hawaii at 377,904 followed by Japanese 313,014, according to AAPI DATA.

Venus Delos Santos, Ewa Beach, 52, has been living in Hawaii for some 30 years. She attended college at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and hasn\u2019t left Oahu since then. Growing up in upstate New York, she commented on life on the mainland as a Filipino, \u201cWhere I was growing up, no one knew what a Filipino was. And the question of \u2018what are you?\u2019 came to pass very frequently. I was the only Filipino in my elementary school. I didn’t know any better, but when a staring child’s father made a comment to us at a restaurant, \u2018I’m sorry,\u00a0 you’ll have to excuse him, he’s never seen people like you before,\u2019 it struck me odd and made me self-aware. Little did I know at the time, it led to self-discovery and an identity that wouldn’t allow me to stand down.\u201d

<\/strong>Quinabo\u2019s newfound perspective and Delos Santos\u2019 childhood-teen experience are typical of many former Hawaii Filipino residents or those who\u2019ve lived on the U.S. mainland for some time.

Quinabo, a political analyst, Hawaii Filipino Chronicle associate editor who has followed the concept of Filipino empowerment for decades, said \u201cFilipino empowerment in Hawaii is at an advanced stage.\u00a0 There already is strength in numbers which is the basis of community. There is a long history of this community to its locale \u2013 the arrival of sakadas (Filipino plantation workers) more than 100 years ago beginning in 1906, which deep roots truly add legitimacy as a significant part of the larger Hawaii community. There is ample political representation, and frankly, representation in all sectors of society.\u201d

<\/strong>Quinabo refers to yet another community in the mainland as a model of minority empowerment, the Jewish community.\u00a0 \u201cThe average Jewish person in the U.S. for the most part excels, and thus collectively their community is reflective of a high level of empowerment.\u201d

<\/strong>He said the area of Hawaii Filipino empowerment that needs advancing at this stage is really uplifting and empowering the average Filipino. He explains there already are copious \u2018exceptions\u2019 to the rule, successful \u2018model\u2019 leaders. \u201cBut you cannot say Filipinos in Hawaii have \u2018arrived\u2019 yet as a community, until Filipinos who achieve high personal success is no longer an \u2018exception to the rule\u2019 but really the standard.\u201d

<\/strong>To this end, political engagement has always been central to community and individual empowerment. Hawaii\u2019s Filipino community finds itself in yet another cycle of hope and possibilities as they look to election 2022 — Primary: Saturday, Aug. 13, General Nov. 8 \u2013 to find their best candidate (Filipino or non-Filipino) who will represent their best interests.

Will Hawaii continue to have strong representation at the Honolulu City Council and State Senate? Will Filipinos improve their numbers at the State House level? Can they break the shut-out spell in Congress where Hawaii has never had a Filipino representative? Will Filipinos have its first Lt. Governor? (See our supplement cover story on Filipino candidates this issue.)

<\/strong>Politics is but one road to the hundreds-miles journey of empowerment. There have been other builders, architects besides politicians behind Filipino empowerment in Hawaii.

Filipino media in Hawaii
<\/strong>In the early 1990s, arguably the height of Filipino empowerment awareness that paralleled the beginning stages of Native Hawaiian activism, Quinabo said he recalls a comment once made by the late activist and University of Hawaii professor Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask. She said Native Hawaiians should have a Hawaiian newspaper like the Filipinos in Hawaii.

\u201cThe late professor Trask understood the power of media in shaping community empowerment. And if we are to speak of our journey as a community on a quest toward empowering ourselves and each other, I must say the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle (HFC) in its decades-long service must be mentioned in this history. And the publishers Dr. Charlie and Chona Montesines-Sonido (also managing editor), as well as key staff, have this legacy to which they can be proud of,\u201d said Quinabo. \u201cThis historical contribution must be told for this generation and future generations to understand and appreciate.\u201d

Trailblazers of empowerment
<\/strong>Dr. Belinda Aquino, professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), political scientist, contributing editor to HFC, is the founding and first Director of the Center for Philippine Studies at UHM.

<\/strong>She is considered by many in Hawaii as one of the pioneering catalysts for Filipino empowerment.

<\/strong>Dr. Aquino recalls, \u201cwe had to lobby the Legislature to press for the establishment\u00a0of the program in the early 1970s.\u00a0Fortunately, the Legislature\u00a0already recognized\u00a0the fact that\u00a0the Filipino community was already close to 12% of the total state population at the time. We impressed upon both the Senate and House of Representatives that this fast-growing community should be attended to.\u00a0 The University of Hawaii was receptive to the idea of establishing\u00a0the program because the academic resources at the UH were already sufficient to\u00a0make a Philippine program because there were several faculty in various departments who could competently teach courses needed\u00a0on the Philippines that we could offer.\u00a0 We conducted [recruiting] of Philippine specialists nationally, internationally and locally to support our efforts to approve the program, which was elevated to a Center status that would include the assistance of various departments on campus or colleges at the UH like History, Languages and Linguistics, Political Science, Education, Business Administration, the Law School and others.\u201d

<\/strong>Paul Martin, Ewa Beach, said \u201cI was able to directly benefit from Dr. Belinda Aquino\u2019s work of establishing the Center for Philippine Studies at UH Manoa because I was able to take courses in Philippine Studies that gave me a lot of pride for being Filipino after taking the language courses.\u201d

<\/strong>Caroline Julian-Freitas, Alewa Heights, mentions another trailblazer educator who has played a role in empowering Filipinos in Hawaii, the late Domingo Los Banos, who was the first Superintendent of Filipino ancestry in the state of Hawaii, a principal and educator in the Hawaii State Department of Education. He received a master\u2019s degree from Columbia University and attended Stanford University. He helped to establish Sariling Gawa Filipino Youth Leadership Program, Friends of Waipahu Cultural Garden Park, known today as Hawaii’s Plantation Village.

<\/strong>\u201cI remember interviewing Domingo Los Banos in my twenties at the Children\u2019s House private school (run by Domingo\u2019s wife) in Pearl City. As part of HFC\u2019s mission to feature Filipino role models, which was much needed PR for our community back then, Mr. Los Banos was certainly one to remember and an empowering figure,\u201d said Quinabo.

<\/strong>In the area of business, Delos Santos mentions Eddie Flores Jr as a trailblazer who has done much to advance Filipino empowerment. Flores Jr. was president and CEO of L&L Drive-Inn\/L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and one of the founders the Filipino Community Center.

<\/strong>\u201cAs a child, he had a learning disability and repeated grades four times in China.\u00a0The eldest boy of seven children, both his\u00a0Filipino father, a musician, and Chinese mother, had\u00a0sixth-grade educations and were part of the middle class in Hong Kong. In Hawaii, his father worked as a janitor and his mother a restaurant cashier and dishwasher,\u201d Delos Santos said.

<\/strong>His daughter Elisia Flores has taken over Eddie\u2019s company as CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and she serves on the boards of directors for Hawaiian Electric Industries, American Savings Bank, and Hawai\u2018i Pacific Health among others.

<\/strong>Mylene Reyes, President R&M REYES ENTERPRISE, Kaneohe, mentions her choice of memorable Filipino empowerment icons as arguably the most emblematic figure of this movement, former governor of Hawaii Ben Cayetano. She said Cayetano embodies the values and resilience of Hawaii Filipinos.

Beyond pioneering individuals
<\/strong>Clement Bautista, Educational Specialist (retired) Operation Manong\/Office of Multicultural Student Services, University of Hawaii at Manoa, said \u201cIndividuals cannot accomplish lasting advances toward Filipino empowerment.\u00a0 Most people under the age of 30 (25% of Hawaii’s population) probably don’t even know who Ben Cayetano is, let alone that he was a governor or the nation’s first Fil-Am governor.\u201d

However, he does recognize elected officials like Cayetano have contributed to other Filipinos’ sense of empowerment, especially in the communities they represent.

He said, \u201cFor better or for worse, Filipino empowerment in a community might only be achieved when self-identified Filipinos see other Filipinos doing good things in that community.

Discrimination as possible obstacle
<\/strong>Could ethnicity, for just being Filipino, be an obstacle for individual and community empowerment? Where does discrimination fall into the picture?

<\/strong>Bautista inverses the concept of empowerment to one of disempowerment. He believes, \u201cbeing perceived (by others) as a Filipino works against you.\u00a0This could mean not allowing you to do the same things as others, not being able to express oneself as others, and not being able to live a life as others. Disempowerment does not simply rely on people’s beliefs or prejudices but on their actions, thus, empowerment also does not simply rest at the level of beliefs or attitudes but on people’s actual behavior toward others.\u201d

<\/strong>Can legislation correct this problem? Bautista said, \u201cLegislation (federal, state, county or any other) barring discrimination based on ethnicity is nice but only a band-aid for a septic wound. As we have seen in recent retractions of policies designed to promote social equality, policies by legislation can change quickly and significantly. Ideally, people’s beliefs and attitudes should change but, once again, a minority of people with “bad attitudes” can change policies for the majority.\u201d

Empowering our way to the future: unity, awareness, community engagement and voting
<\/strong>Dr. Aquino echoes Bautista\u2019s comment of looking beyond individuals who\u2019ve broken the proverbial glass ceiling.\u00a0 \u201cThis goal [of empowerment] cannot be accomplished by\u00a0not just one person but by several groups that would be supportive in achieving a particular goal.

<\/strong>\u201cUnity is an important factor because it has the strength to influence a particular decision.\u00a0You command more or better public opinion by\u00a0impressive numbers of people who would be supportive of your goals.\u00a0Otherwise, if you are acting solo you will be like a call from the wilderness that will not be heard, let alone considered for judgment.\u201d

<\/strong>Julian-Freitas agrees with the importance of unity: \u201cit’s important for people to unite to help shape the future of the community.\u00a0From a grassroots perspective, the community should unite to support the causes that benefit the Filipino community.\u00a0The community can also elect leaders, whether Filipino or not, that support the community and its people.\u201d

<\/strong>To achieve greater advances in Filipino empowerment, Martin, a millennial, believes this can be achieved through social awareness, community engagement and by voting. \u201cPeople need to become more invested in issues that their community grapples with by taking the time to become aware of those issues.\u00a0 The idea that we are separated from the issues of our community is not lined up with reality.\u00a0 The it\u2019s-not-my-problem mentality is so easy to adopt but we are all connected by the issues that play out in our communities. We need to push as many qualified people into running for office so that we have more choices to choose from when it\u2019s election time.\u00a0 We need to go beyond settling for a candidate that promises only to solve one of our issues, but get behind someone with big aspirations for our community.\u201d

Filipino cultural icons and food as signs of empowerment
<\/strong>Beyond Filipino media, politics, business and educational trailblazers, a relatable sign of Filipino empowerment is the mass appeal of Filipino celebrities to the wider population.

<\/strong>Bruno Mars was the first superstar pop icon of Filipino ancestry who\u2019ve achieved national and international stardom. Following in his footsteps are two Filipino-Americans who are already Grammy award winners and represent the future of mainstream pop and R&B in the U.S. \u2013 Olivia Rodrigo and H.E.R.

<\/strong>Both of them are top U.S. billboard artists and have received tens of millions of views on their music videos. Filipinos are also making a big splash in Hollywood.\u00a0 Famed Filipino comedian Jokoy has an upcoming movie which was produced and will be released by a major Hollywood studio. The movie, titled Easter Sunday, stars Jokoy and a majority Filipino cast, and will be debuted next month.

<\/strong>Delos Santos said paying attention to\u00a0 Filipino and part-Filipino celebrities, entertainers, leaders that have roots on U.S. soil and have Filipino blood goes a long way toward empowerment. \u201cSome embrace their Filipino heritage more than others, and those that do are great communicators of Filipino empowerment.\u201d

<\/strong>Martin said, \u201cThe incident that made me feel like the Filipino community has arrived is when I was able to see Bruno Mars in concert.\u00a0 For someone of mixed Filipino background to be able to influence the American musical landscape the way Bruno Mars is doing is phenomenal.\u00a0 Being able to transform musical culture is no small feat and to do so is power.\u201d

<\/strong>Filipino food is cultural empowerment and is becoming entrenched in most cities across the U.S. besides Hawaii wherever there are Filipino communities: New York City, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Bautista said, \u201cI have been glad to see increased appreciation of Filipino foods by non-Filipinos.\u201d

<\/strong>The Philippine Consulate\u00a0General in Honolulu organizes an annual\u00a0Filipino Food Week\u00a0in\u00a0Hawaii\u00a0to promote Filipino cuisine. Each year more than 20 restaurants statewide participate in the week-long event. This event is modeled after a similar annual Food Week in New York.

Back to Politics
<\/strong>Dr. Aquino said, \u201cthere have already been a lot of political candidates of Filipino ancestry who have been elected in various parts of the political system such as the legislature, the cities and counties in the neighbor islands look good for the prosperity of the whole community.

\u201cCertainly the election of Benjamin Cayetano, a second generation immigrant of Filipino ancestry is good\u00a0a sign that the community is doing very well, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it has “arrived.” As a whole, the community has achieved some\u00a0progress in most fields of human life, but this is a slow process. \u00a0It will take time and when it has achieved an appreciable degree\u00a0of financial and economic resources, the community’s standing will gradually be uplifted.\u201d

<\/strong>Julian-Freitas said, \u201cEvery individual leader has in some way opened the doors, broke the glass ceiling and made it wider and higher for the next Filipino to achieve empowerment for the community.\u00a0 It’s important to recognize leaders in the community who\u2019ve helped with advancements such as Peter Aduja, Ben Menor, and many others who came before former Gov. Ben Cayetano.

She recalls a moment she had of being a proud Filipino in Hawaii, \u201cAs a UH political science student in the 1990’s, I was looking through the Hawaii State Legislature’s directory and found a large number of lawmakers with Filipino ancestry in office.\u00a0 That moment told me that the community developed a large number of leaders to elect into office and they earned a decision-making seat in Hawaii’s political landscape, the community was actively voting, getting their voices heard, and participating in democracy.\u201d

<\/strong>For Quinabo, he said we can learn a lot from other ethnic-minority communities. \u201cWhen you look at communities where the average member within their community excels, we see two things: first practice of giving back (those who\u2019ve made it help others through mentorship and other supportive means); and second genuine support and joy for each other\u2019s success. I think our Filipino community needs to work more on both areas. There is slippage today among younger Filipinos \u2013 who by the way have benefitted from generations before them who believed in the concept of empowerment \u2013 in their connection to and sense of loyalty to each other. Again, look to the most empowered minority communities such as the Jews — they\u2019ve understood empowerment crystal clear and for millennia this hasn\u2019t changed or wavered in their support for empowerment. Here in Hawaii, we\u2019ve made marginal gains and already there\u2019s this misconception that we don\u2019t need our community, that we can succeed and do it on our own. This is going down the wrong path. And our youth must understand the value of community and of rising up together.\u201d

<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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