ETHNICITY, LABOR AND POLITICS: The Filipino Experience in Hawaii

1. ETHNICITY, LABOR AND POLITICS:The Filipino Experience in Hawaii Belinda A. Aquino, Ph.D. Center for Philippine Studies University of Hawaii at Manoa Oct. 3, 2008 California State University East Bay

2. AN OVERVIEW Forces that shape political participation Filipinos in the fabric of the American nation Filipino experience in Hawai’i

3. America A Nation of Immigrants A “Permanently Unfinished Society” (Nathan Glazer)

5. ETHNICITY Socially Constructed U.S. Census Bureau –Racial/Ethnic Categories White African American Hispanic Asian American Native American Other Race

6. S Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 Estimates

7. Emerging Paradigms on Ethnicity Multiculturalism versus assimilation Diversity and affirmative action Political Empowerment Diaspora – dispersion, dislocation, globalization

8. ENABLING LAWS Civil Rights Act, 1964 Immigration and Nationality Act, 1965 Immigration Reform Act, 1986

9. The Philippines

10. THE PHILIPPINES Colony of the US: 1898 to 1946 Source of cheap, plentiful labor Starting 1906, US companies recruited Filipino farmers for Hawaii and California

11. Waves of Filipino Immigration to USA First wave: 1906-before WWII sakadas in Hawaii sugar and pineapple plantations rice and orchard farmers in California

12. Sakadas in Action(Sugar and pineapple workers)

13. Waves of Filipino immigration… Second wave: 1946-1964, Filipino military in US Armed forces and their families Third wave: 1965-1985, Filipino professionals Fourth wave: 1986-present, Filipino family reunifications, global opportunities

14. Filipinos in America: Top 10 States, Census 2000 California – 918,678 Hawaii – 170,635 Illinois – 86,298 New Jersey – 85,245 New York – 81,681 Washington – 65,373 Texas – 58,340 Florida – 54,310 Virginia – 47,609 TOTAL – 1.61 illion Nevada – 40,529 (out of 2.8 million)

15. Filipinos in USA

16. Proportion of Filipinos to Population of CA & HI Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 estimates.

17. Filipinos in Hawaii – 2000 31.7% 21.8% 26.7% 63.4% 21.1% Kauai – 18,522 Oahu – 191,393 Molokai – 1,979 Lanai – 2,007 Maui – 34,445 Hawaii – 31,354 Total – 275,407 26.9%

18. LABOR STRUGGLES IN HAWAII (1909-1930S) All men – could not bring families Early Sakadas worked 10-12 hrs/day, 6 days/week $1 daily wage Participated in strikes 1924 Hanapepe Massacre

19. Filipino Labor Organizing in Hawaii (1910s-30s) Sakadas organizing Pablo Manlapit

20. Democratization/ILWU John Burns:led1954 democratic “revolution” Jack Hall: ILWU regional director Jack Hall

21. First Generation Political Leaders In the Legislature 1954, Peter Aduja - first Filipino American elected to Hawai'i Territorial Legislature Peter Aduja

22. In the Judiciary 1974, Benjamin Menor appointed first Filipino American Hawai’i State Supreme Court Justice Justice Ben Menor

23. State Governor 1994, Benjamin J. Cayetano becomes first Filipino American and second Asian American elected Governor of a U.S. state

24. Filipino-American Hawaii Mayors Eduardo Malapit – first Fil-Am to become mayor in US (Kauai, Hawaii), 1974 Lorraine Rodero-Inouye – first Fil-Am woman to become mayor in US (Big Island, Hawaii), 1990

25. City & County of Honolulu – Council Members Romy Cachola Donovan dela Cruz Nestor Garcia

26. State Senators, 2008-present Lorraine Inouye [D] Ron Menor [D] Donna Mercado Kim [D] Will Espero [D] Robert Bunda [D]

27. State Representatives, 2008-present K. Pine [R] D. Belatti [D] R. Cabanilla [D] L.Berg [D] L. Finnegan [R] A. Sonson [D] J. Manahan [D] M. Magaoay [D] R. Sagum III [D]

28. Reflections on Hawaii Filipino Experience Immigration history Critical mass: base of support Labor militancy/organizing Democratization Coalitions with other groups Geographic size

29. Other US Fil-Am political leaders 1990, David Mercado Valderrama elected to Prince George's county seat, Maryland state legislature 1991, Seattle's Gene Canque Liddell elected mayor of Lacey City, Washington State 1992, Velma Veloria elected to the Washington State Legislature

30. In San Francisco Bay Area Jose Esteves, 3-term mayor, Milpitas Michael Guingona, 4-term mayor of Daly City, now Councilmember Manny Fernandez, vice mayor of Union City Gertrude Gregorio, board member of New Haven Unified School District

31. Critical Questions What strategies can increase Fil-Am political participation? How can they expand their economic base? Will Ben Cayetano’s achievement be replicated? Will there be a first Fil-Am member of Congress in the next 5-10 yrs? What is the future of the Filipino diaspora? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Will the U.S. continue to be the no. 1 destination?

32. Major Sources U.S. Census Bureau Edward Beechert, Working in Hawaii: A Labor History, Univ. of Hawaii Press, 1985 Roger Daniels, A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life, 1990 Alejandro Portes & Ruben G. Rumbaut, Immigrant America, 2nd ed., Univ. of California Press, 1986. Ruben G. Rumbaut & Alejandro Portes, eds.Ethnicities: Children of Immigrants in America. Univ. of California Press, 2001 Luis Teodoro, Jr. ed., Out of this Struggle: The Filipinos in Hawaii. Univ. of Hawaii Press, 1981

33. Mahalo! Maraming salamat! Thank you!