Kwentuhan, Part 1: Undressing the Fragments

“Storytelling is the most important part of any culture. It is the way we pass on our values, our dreams, our memories, our ancestry, our history, our herstory. It is a tool to keep our culture alive,” writes Renee Rises. She continues, “Every day a person tells a story. In every culture, in every country, we live our lives and we share stories daily. About our day, about our best friend, about our youth, about teaching, about creating art, about the closeness of our family, our struggles, our foods, our literature.... Stories live everywhere.”

It is precisely because of this - the undeniable power of storytelling - that UniPro launched the Kwentuhan initiative. Celebrating Filipino American History Month and the unique stories of our community, Kwentuhan promotes four different theatrical productions, all the original work of Filipinos in NYC, all showing through October and November 2014. The first of these shows is Renee’s Undressing the Fragments.

On Friday, October 24 at the WOW Cafe Theater in NYC, I attended the premiere of Undressing the Fragments, a non-linear theatrical production that delves into the lives of 14 characters in one act and 16 scenes. Although they are all Filipino American, Renee captures the diversity within our community by portraying the characters as very unique individuals; they experience different hardships and joys, they relate to their ancestral heritage in their own ways (if at all), and they have varying (and sometimes conflicting) values. On top of the struggles of trying to build lives of happiness and success, as members of the Invisible Minority navigating between (at least) two worlds, the characters must face the reality and helplessness of being oceans away from their motherland as it is ravaged by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Renee explains:

"Undressing the Fragments is a play that explores the diversity of the Filipina/o American community during the time of a natural disaster, during Typhoon Haiyan. It brings about various issues that impacted the community before, during and after the storm. While the play takes place during the most catastrophic typhoon to ever hit the Philippines, it explores issues that Filipina/os in America face as families, friends, educators, activists, soldiers, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters and humans. There isn't one issue it focuses on, it's many; hence-- fragments. There are so many pieces to our identity and I wanted to capture as many voices and lives as I possibly could in a small amount of time. I wrote the play while travelling in California from San Francisco, to LA, to San Diego, to Chicago and back to New York. I listened to many Filipina/os across the country and I listened deeply. I wrote with all of their stories in mind."

The play succeeds not only in engaging the audience in the characters' complex emotions, but also in challenging us with thoughtful, uncomfortable, and at times unanswerable questions. "What does it mean to be a Filipina/o in America?" states the show description. In this play, it means everything from college PCNs to playing with light-skinned dolls that contrast so starkly with your own skin color, and from superstitions to the ugliness of shame in your queer family member. This latter scene, when a young Pinoy reveals his sexual orientation to his much-respected Kuya, was an "Oh, shit" moment for me; suddenly my Filipino American-ness smacked me in the face and I found that I was fighting to keep myself together. Although it is not a scenario that I have experienced personally, the scene expressed so much about the respect, pride, and social acceptance that Filipino American families value so dearly, and which may also become a weight so heavy that it forces the family - the foundation of Filipino culture - to fall apart.

Just as meaningful as the play was the post-show talkback, when Renee and the actors conversed with the audience about what we had just seen. What surprised us? What affected us? We spoke about the significance of the spotlight highlighting the teen-aged Jessica, the youngest character in the play, who will share with other Filipino American youth the honor/burden of carrying forth and building upon our community's traditions, successes, and shortcomings. We spoke, of course, about Typhoon Haiyan, raising the same question we've all heard over and over again since last November: What can we do to help? Well, what CAN we do? We're here in the States, miles away from the land that many of us, perhaps, know very little about. Are we obligated to join relief and rebuilding efforts on the ground? Should we organize our own fundraising events? Where should we send the funds?

Of the many questions asked and thoughts shared during this discussion, Renee's poignant reflection on Haiyan resonated with me the most. She explained how the destruction of Hurricane Katrina had blown her away upon seeing it firsthand as a volunteer. To think that Haiyan's level of devastation was much worse, and that this time, she looked like the victims.... This inexplicable connection that she feels to Filipinos – kapwa – made an enormous sense of guilt and helplessness well within her for being in NY rather than in the Philippines. But as Undressing the Fragments actress Jana Lynne Umipig responded, yes, we ARE here. We must be fully present where we are, remembering the reasons why our families migrated here, and innovating ways to maximize our impact as a united community. True to life, Undressing the Fragments leaves the focus of that impact as yet to be determined.

As for the overall message Renee wants the audience to take away? “I want the audience to make decisions for themselves. The message? Filipinos are... unique. We're beautiful. We're diverse. We're complex. We struggle. We're brown. We're yellow. We're friends. We're enemies. We're artists. We're talented. We exist. We have dreams. We have hopes. Aspirations. We work together. We are solidarity. We struggle. We listen. We learn. We love. We are human.”

To read more from Renee Rises, check out her three-part story in The FilAm Magazine:

• Part 1: The first wave of Asian American actors were Filipinos
• Part 2: Here Lies Love’ provides full-time jobs to FilAm actors
• Part 3: Coming soon!

For more Kwentuhan, support our community’s artists and attend the rest of the shows, and return to our blog for exclusive interviews with the creators:

• Luis Francia’s The Beauty of Ghosts (directed by Claro de los Reyes)
• Carlos Celdran’s Livin’ La Vida Imelda (directed by Ralph B. Peña)
• Nicole Maxali’s Forgetting the Details

Lastly, to get involved in NYC community efforts to commemorate Typhoon Haiyan and discuss climate justice, attend the "Remembering Haiyan" community forum + vigil on Saturday, November 8, 2014.

Special thanks to Kirklyn Escondo for interviewing Renee!

With Every Name, A Face - EPYC

To the left, right, and in front of me was a new face. I was in a circle with individuals I have never met before. And even before we learned names, we sang in unison:

“This may be the last time,

this may be the last time,

this may be the last time we stand in this circle.”

We looked at each other again, but this time not as strangers. Singing that song made us acknowledge the moment we shared. Thus, there was an essence of barkada, a connection that would be highlighted throughout the conference weekend.

The workshop was called “Writing for Social Justice” hosted at the Empowering Pilipin@ Youth through Collaboration Pre-Conference to the 11^th National Empowerment Conference in San Diego, California.  Renee Rises was the workshop facilitator, who adapted the song from a colleague and in turn, adapted it from a Negro spiritual. It was the first time I sang in a workshop, second time to sing in a group that day, and hopefully not the last time at an advocacy event.

Thanks to the good folks at UniPro, EPYC, and NaFFAA, I was given the chance to speak on the Regional Student Leaders Panel at the EPYC Pre-Conference. It was an overall empowering experience, where different Filipin@-American youth leaders shared their stories, best practices, challenges, and passions. I felt as if everyone was energized from SoCal’s sunrays and the interaction within the convention center. My primary role at EPYC was to speak in the first panel on behalf of the Filipino Americans Coming Together (FACT) Conference. I coordinated its 21^st installment with Grace Geremias and the Philippines Student Association at the University of Illinois last November.

Even though I was a designated speaker and my nametag said “Workshop Presenter”, I caught myself throughout the day oscillating between the role of speaker and attendee. During my hour answering questions and presenting FACT on the Regional Student Leaders Panel, I was a speaker. Listening to and singing with Prof. Ramirez, I was an attendee. While my fellow panelists spoke I was an attendee. I related to their stories. Each of the panelists’ presentations seemed representative of their respective regions. We had differences in how geography and the population of surrounding Filipin@s affected topics of our events. We had similarities in advice to network, apply initiative, and to take advantages of the surrounding resources. Later, I had the chance to speak to some of the panelists one-on-one. We were swapping event-planning tips as if they were recipes.

Kristine Maramot, Marc Densing, Neil Miran, Miko Jao, and Marian Sobretodo: If you are reading this blog post, we should write a book!

At EPYC, I felt reactivated and empowered. After four years of involvement in Asian American advocacy, sometimes I feel like I have seen and heard it all. The same issues get brought out; similar calls to action are established. However, it surprises me when the sense of urgency continues to come back when I congregate with other advocates like last Thursday. I am surprised to learn that I am not too world-weary yet, and that pushes me through any burnout.

Going back to the moment I felt in the “Writing for Social Justice” workshop, I only wanted to stay in my seat and get to know everyone else in the workshop even more. We could not, for there was a timeline to follow. In the hour allotted to us, we managed to write passages of who we are, where we are going, and who we were becoming. Every single person in the room shared their story. In that room we were connected, but the moment could not last- there were more stories to share in other rooms.

Often times it is said that one can only discover passion but cannot learn it. I believe experiencing feelings of barkada on the panel, in the workshops, or speaking to someone on the way to lunch are ways to drive passion to appear. We connect causes to the faces we meet, then faces to names we learn, and then names to a humanity we share.

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Jeselle Obina was the Co-Coordinator of the 21^st Annual Filipino Americans Coming Together Conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She hopes to see you at the 22^nd FACT Conference this upcoming November. She is a recent graduate with a degree in Advertising. She is currently a Bronze Cohort of Designation Chicago and is seeking opportunities as an art director. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter. 

EPYC

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens could change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

This quote has always resonated with me since my first time seeing it at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This quote validated for me the work I was doing. This told me: “Marc, you and your team can and will change the world.”

Just one week ago, I was blessed to have attended the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) 11th National Empowerment Conference - “We Break the Dawn: Master Planning the Future.” Something unique to this year’s Empowerment Conference was the implementation of the Empowering Filipin@ Youth through Collaboration (EPYC) Pre-Conference on Thursday, August 7th. The purpose of this pre-conference institute was to facilitate collaboration between regional Filipino American student organizations and encourage networking and sharing of best practices for student organizing. And it did exactly that.

I don’t know if anyone realizes, but we made history that day. For the first time in history, the leaders of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Inc. (FIND), the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans (MAFA), the Southern California Pilipin@ American Student Alliance (SCPASA), Northwest Filipino American Student Alliance (NWFASA), and the Philippine Students - Texas (PST) were in the same room sharing their experiences, tribulations, accomplishments, and best practices of their respective organizations. I was honored to have the opportunity to share the stage with my fellow Filipino-American student leaders from across the country.

Up until that moment, I never realized how privileged FIND was as an organization to have such a big network and an established structure. For the past 20+ years, FIND has been growing larger, evolving and striving to be better with every passing year. I always knew that there were other Filipino-American student organizations in different regions. Last year during my first term as National Chairperson of FIND, I made an active effort to connect with the other regional student organizations. But I never truly got to know them - time, space, and lack of funds separated us from bonding and really knowing the true person behind our public image.

Although I had met two of my fellow panelists before, it was a short, brief encounter that didn’t give us a chance to really delve into the inner workings of each other’s organizations. I spent most of my time at EPYC and the rest of the Empowerment Conference bonding and getting to know these people, young leaders like myself. It was only then that I was truly empowered to make a difference. As I have shared with my fellow leaders before, I was suffering from a tremendous case of community burnout. I was dealing with long-term exhaustion in the Filipino-American student community and a diminishing interest in the work I used to be super passionate about. Even with my self-care time away from community organizing, I still found that the community wasn’t as fulfilling as it used to be. In connecting with these amazing young leaders, I’ve come to the reality that I’m not the only one who’s experienced burnout. These people have helped rekindle my passion and instill in me the Filipino value of kapwa - togetherness, community. It’s not about “me” any more, it’s about “us.”

I would like to take this time out to thank UniPro, the EPYC Coordinators, and NaFFAA for flying me out in the first place. It is truly an honor to have been part of an amazing conference such as this one, both as a presenter and a delegate. I would also like to thank every single person - youth or seasoned leaders - that I’ve met. It was so humbling to have shared this space with you and learn from you all. I hope that I have touched your life in some way just as much as you have touched mine. I am so thankful and grateful for my experiences in San Diego. Those memories are something that can never be taken away. Thank you all for renewing my faith, passion, and drive to make this community better and moving forward.

Cheers to the community! May we always keep moving forward, breaking the dawn, and master planning our futures as well as the future of Filipinos everywhere. Together, we stand as OneFilipino. Let’s change the world. #iamEPYC #weareEPYC

"It's not about intention, it's about IMPACT." - Leezel Ramos

"Let's stop being organizational leaders in the community, and start being community leaders in organizations." - Steven Raga

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Marc Densing is a rising senior at CUNY Baruch College in New York City studying Corporate Communications with a minor in Asian and Asian American Studies. Representing District Three, he is currently serving as the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND), Inc.’s National Chairperson for a second term. Outside of FIND, Marc also works with young leaders in the community who wish to further their growth through LEGACY | NY, an organization dedicated to the professional development and mentorship of rising and future Filipino-American youth leaders in NYC. In his spare time, Marc loves long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. #iamEPYC

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All photos courtesy of: Marc Densing

Announcing UniPro's President Elect 2014-2015

On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we are very excited to announce Iris Zalun as President for Pilipino American Unity for Progress' Fiscal Year 2014-2015! Iris began her career with UniPro when she was a senior at Fordham University in 2010. It was evident from the beginning how passionate she was for the Pilipino community through her constant attendance at events and her unselfish willingness to volunteer for the presented cause. Through the years, she displayed her strong leadership abilities and quickly started motivating UniPro to establish a role within the community, one that is revered as a purposeful and trusting non-profit.It was hard for her cohorts to overlook her ambition and they immediately sought her out for the huge honor of Co-Chairing Summit in 2012. Her organizational skills and sheer tenacity led her to bring more than 250 delegates, helping UniPro maintain our role as a purposeful force within in the community. She served for 2 years as UniPro Vice President (while also preserving her Directorship roles for multiple programs), where she was able to increase our staff member count and improve the turnover rate skillfully.She has traveled the nation to represent UniPro with poise, accepted well deserved awards and confidently spoke on behalf of us all.

Her potential for the organization is indispensable and we are looking forward to her BIG plans for the upcoming year(s). It is with no doubt in our minds that she will fulfill her goals and bring UniPro to the next level of greatness we all know it's capable of, especially with her leadership.

Please help us in a very much deserved congratulations to Iris Zalun for her role as President!

Becoming Victoria - Georgina Tolentino

By Georgina Tolentino, guest contributor I first learned of Victoria Manalo Draves when I read her obituary in the New York Times in 2010. The person who handed me the newspaper in a restaurant said, “Wow, you look just like this woman,” and walked away.

I did see the resemblance. She was half-Filipino and English. I was Filipino with a half-Portuguese mother and Italian-Spanish-Native American father.

Victoria was born and raised in San Francisco at a time when her parents couldn’t walk together in public. She grew up when pools were “whites only” facilities and had one dedicated day a month for people of “color” (this also meant immigrants, including Jewish and Italians). This allowed “internationals” to swim before the pool was sanitized for use the next day.

At the 1948 Olympics in London, Victoria Manalo Draves became the first Fil-Am woman to win two gold medals in diving. However, she faced a lot of racial prejudice along the way.

I grew up watching IFC, the Sundance Channel and loving film. I worked for three companies in LA — Maybach and Cunningham, LET Films and Divya Creative — while taking acting classes and auditioning during lunch breaks. Honestly, I got tired of the extremely limiting roles available for women: “cynical hottie #2” or “girl having affair.” I was also tired of being told, “Well, you’re not Asian enough.”

However, I believe that a beautiful shift is happening in independent filmmaking, television and media, which women like Vicki had fought for in their fields. As my passion for telling her story grew, I decided to both produce and play Victoria in an independent narrative film with the help of Brittany del Soldato, Reggie Elzey and what today is Icarus Film Studios.

I started the process of making Vicki’s film by interviewing her husband, Lyle Draves, who also was her coach. I also got in touch with Sammy Lee, coach of diving star Greg Louganis, who was himself a legendary Olympic diver and Korean American icon. Jack Lavery, a friend who introduced her to diving at Fleishhacker saltwater pool in the 1930s in San Francisco, was also helpful. Then Connie, Victoria’s twin sister, shared great stories, like when they sent the same Christmas card to each other by accident.

Sammy Lee recalled that when Vicki first joined the team at the Oakland Athletics, they all wanted to push her into the pool as a hazing prank. But she found out about it, so she covered herself in baby oil. This made everyone else fall into the pool, making everyone laugh and see what a funny person she was. I believe her sunny attitude enabled her to endure the obstacles thrown in her way.

Vicki’s spirit was alive through these people; they are already in their nineties, and yet still joke and tell stories about her, keeping her spirit alive. There is an energy and light in their eyes that can’t be explained. Jack Lavery started laughing, held my hand and said, “Well you have Vicki’s smile – so that’s good.” I was so moved.

When we drove Jack to Sammy Lee’s house, they hugged as old friends, and we became invisible, which made me laugh. Jack had planted a “Sammy Lee plant” in his garden, and after six years finally was able to give it to Sammy. They began talking as if they were back in their twenties. We just watched in amusement, happy to give them that moment.

I have gotten to know Victoria through these friends of hers. The first time I saw a video of her, I started crying because she was no longer a photo. I felt as though I was meeting her in that moment, watching her smiling and winning. I knew what that moment of victory felt like for her, when losing her dad drove her to win in his honor. I really want people to recognize that Vicki fought for both her name and her family’s honor. I only want to do the same.

Preparing for the role has been a commitment. I got a trainer who is amazing and helped me through my back injury, with inversions, building stamina to train the muscles for diving and understanding a diet that improves performance. I go to diving class twice a week in Santa Monica or in Pasadena, and recently started taking private sessions. I also attend ballet class once or twice a week. I’ve begun understanding diving as an “aerial” sport.

When I don’t want to get up at 8 a.m. to dive, I try to remember that when Vicki first dove at the Fairmont Club, they only let her in once she changed her name to Taylor, her mother’s English maiden name. She had a special club where she was the only member. In one competition her father wasn’t allowed into the facility to watch her; so she refused to dive until they let him in.

I didn’t understand why she dove until I started diving. She, like me, had a fear of heights and drowning, ironic for a woman who won gold in 10m and 3m springboard. She dove for her father, for her mother, for the community that accepted her as an equal in sports. She dove for her friends who faced Japanese internment and for women who were being held back. She dove for her English aunt who married a Filipino and faced threats at work because her marriage was deemed “disgusting and wrong;" her aunt was later found dead in an elevator shaft. She dove not for what America was, but for what it could and should become.

Like Vicki, I was also born and raised in San Francisco. I am proud because it is a city full of activists and grassroots movements working to change society for the better. In English, Vicki's maiden name, Manalo, means to win. It's an apt name for a fighter. So, I fight for the rights and opportunities I have -- and for Vicki’s story to be told.

Join me in telling the story of Victoria Manalo Draves. Contributions help us meet our goal of $12,000. Help us build the momentum for a story that needs to be told by being a supporter and by encouraging your friends to do so as well.

You can donate by visiting our campaign here. 

Facebook: Vicki Manalo Film Instagram: @vickimanalofilm Twitter: @vickimanalofilm #vickimanalofilm Website: www.victoriamanalofilm.com

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Georgina Tolentino is an actor and independent film producer from Los Angeles CA.

The original version of this post originally appeared on Positively Filipino and has been reprinted with permission. 

Photo credits: Brittany Del Soldato and Vanessa Cabrillas