11:00am – 3:00pm
October has been designated as Filipino American History Month all over the US. In celebration of this event, the Echo Park Community Group (EPCoG) in collaboration with the Los Angeles City Public Library is launching the Philippine Heritage Collection at Echo Park Public Library. The collection will be the foundation of the literary, historical and cultural documentation of the Filipino American and Philippine experience. The “story” or experience will also highlight the contributions and sacrifices made by Filipino Americans as immigrants to this land and will showcase literary works of local Filipino authors, especially those writing about their Filipino American experiences and the development of Historic Filipino Town. Future programs will include book talks and signings, lectures and cultural presentations.
Two Keynote speakers – Cathy Serafica Deleon and Greg Villanueva. Cathy Serafica
Deleon is the Branch Manager of the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library of the Orange County Public Libraries. She will speak on the importance of libraries to our community and what a historic phenomenal event this is – the establishment of Philippine Heritage Collection in the Los Angeles Public Library. Greg Villanueva is an Echo Park native and successful architect, and who brought up the idea of a Philippine Heritage Collection as part of the Echo Park Library. He will share the reasons that sparked the creation of the collection. Michelle Magalong of the MyHiFi group will present a Filipino-American Historical Perspective.
A number of local Filipino American authors will also be attending. Linda Nietes of Philippine Expressions Bookshop, a mail order bookshop located in Rancho Palos Verdes, (310) 514-9139 http://philippineexpressionsbookshop.wordpress.com will be on hand with books for purchase or for donation to the collection. The Southern California authors who will speak and sign their books are: Noel Alumit, author of Talking to the Moon, a novel set in Historic Filipinotown; Lorna Dumapias, author of Filipino American Experience: The Making of a Historic Cultural Monument; Sumi Haru, author of Iron Lotus, Memoirs Sumi Sevilla will share her experiences in her successful Hollywood career ; Lorenzo Paran III, author, Pinoy in America: The stateside life in the time of Barack Obama, Facebook and Pacquiao-mania which is all about life in America; Leslie V. Ryan, author, I am Flippish, a book for juveniles, which tells a story about mixed parentage, and in this case, pride in being Filipino and Irish; Juanita Santos Nacu of San Diego and author of Storytelling. Project heart to heart: A Means to Bridge Generational Gap in post-1965 Filipino Immigrant families; Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier,author of Seeking Thirst, a novel with an Echo Park setting; Zosimo Quibilan, who will read from his book-in-progress, a poetry regarding the Filipino American and Percival Cruz, will read from his book, The Drama Queen and a two-minute story entitled My Way, about an ex-jeepney driver who became an American Idol contestant. Because the event is in celebration of Filipino American History Month, the themes of the authors’ talks and readings were chosen to fit the occasion.
Also expected to attend and sign their books are Ben Aniceto, author of Stay Tuned:The Golden Years of Philippine Radio; Teresita (Tita) Pambid Domingo of UCLA and author of Come On, Let’s Speak Tagalog; Marc Lawrence, who is married to a Filipina, a martial arts teacher and author of a primer, The Basics of Filipino Martial Arts; Albert J.Mortiz, author of Discover the Philippines Cookbook; Ruben V. Nepales, author of My Filipino Connection: The Philippines in Hollywood; Maria Ciocon, Linda Nietes-Little and Julie Wolski who will sign as contributors to the book, The Magnificat: Mama Mary’s Pilgrim sites edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard who is out of town. The three contributors have shared their personal experiences of healing of mind, body and spirit after their pilgrimages to sites dedicated to the Blessed Mother in Lourdes, France; Fatima in Portugal; Our Lady of Vailankanni by the Bay of Bengal in India and the Black Madonna in Poland.
Co-chairs of this event are EPLCoG Board members Caroline Lorenzo and Jose Sigala. Also on the EPLCoG Board are Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, President; Lisa Baca-Sigala, Treasurer; Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier, Secretary; Dr. Marc Caratao; Cora Marte; Isa Meksin and Ramona Souza.
We hope that you will come and support this project which is a wonderful outreach to build the Filipino American community in Los Angeles, with full support from Philippine Expressions Bookshop.
