The melting pot
The melting pot
The melting pot
Latinos & Filipinos — aka FiLatinos & Mexipinos — share historical roots - Catch Philippine Weekend in Delano, CA July 25-27.
By Matt Muñoz, MÁS staff
If you’re from the Central Valley, chances are you’ve experienced more than your share of Latino culture.
What about FiLatino culture? Or that of Mexipinos?
These linguistic combinations are simply reflections of the mixing with the two cultures: Filipinos and Latinos.
Many area Filipinos may or may not be aware of their Latin roots or vice versa, despite the obvious shared Spanish family surnames — Cruz, San Juan, Reyes, among others — that’s wherein lies the confusion.
But what exactly is the cultural connection between people of Pacific Island descent and Latinos?
To find out, let’s take a trip back in time. The following is a shortened version of what many might find to be a familiar, but complicated history lesson:
Much like the Spanish conquest of Mexico of 1519, the Philippine islands were the site of another stormy colonial period at the hands of their Spanish adversary beginning with a visit in 1521 by explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and continuing with subsequent visits in coming years.
Above: Ferdinand Magellan
Battles were fought and island kings fell, but for natives, their way of life would never be wiped out — only evolve.
In 1543, another explorer — Ruy López de Villalobos, named the islands Las Islas Felipinas, after King Philip II — during an attempted exploration of the same vast tropics.
Although the mission was not a success, Villalobos ultimately triumphed as the name of his king would remain a permanent part of the island’s history to become known today as the Philippine Islands, named after King Philip II.
Above: King Phillip II of Spain
The island of Cebu was the first Spanish settlement established by Miguel López de Legazpi of Spain in 1565, and would later become known as the city of San Miguel.
Arriving with a new language, religion and other elements of western civilization, indigenous Filipinos and Spanish settlers would ultimately blend, forming a Mestizo culture that remains in tact to this day.
Despite the pre-Hispanic arrival of the Chinese, the Spanish term, mestizo refers to the resulting Filipino mixing of cultures with which in the future would also include American and Mexican. Many such visiting cultures would immigrate to the islands as workers, sometimes arriving as slaves. Given the choice, many of Latinos chose to stay, marry and start life anew in the beauty of their tropical surroundings.
During colonization, Spanish rule managed to keep a firm grasp on the islands for nearly three centuries, until Filipinos demanded independence from Spain.
From 1896-1902, the Philippine revolutionary war was fought between revolutionary Filipino rebels known as the Katipunan, and Spanish authorities. There would also be a parallel battle for independence between the U.S. and the Philippines.
Above: Katipunan rebels
The U.S. won the battle, but would later hand sovereignty to the Philippines in 1946, though two military bases were kept on the islands: Clark Air (Force) Base and U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, both of which were closed down in the 1990s when negotiations with the Philippine government to extend the leases failed.
Visiting the Philippines today, you’ll find that the legacy of the early Spanish settlers lives on as FiLatino culture — including the use of some Spanish language within Tagalog (numbers, months and certain phrases, i.e. “¿Como estas?”), monetary system (the peso) and religion (predominantly Roman Catholic) — continues in the U.S., and even Mexico.
Local level
So on what common cultural ground do Filipinos and Latinos stand in Kern County?
One area is definitely within the deeply-rooted — literally — agricultural history here.
Farmworkers of both Hispanic and Filipino descent have toiled side-by-side in local fields, and as such, they’ve also teamed up to better conditions for themselves and their fellow workers.
Andy Imutan, Larry Itliong and Philip Vera-Cruz, all Filipino farmworker leaders who helped form the UFW, a merging of the mostly Filipino members of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO (AWOC) and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), once led by Cesar Chavez.
Together, these pioneer farm labor leaders secured higher wages and improved working conditions for their fellow workers.
In 1965, the Delano grape strike began when members of AWOC walked off the farms of area table grape growers demanding wages on level with the federal minimum wage.
Culturally, Filipinos and Latinos In Kern share many similar experiences having to do with family, celebrations and more. Right down to someone’s last name, this blending of the groups has resulted in one more interesting ingredient in our community’s melting pot.
Sources: Wikipedia.com; ufw.org
Did You Know?
Filipinos in Latin America
Between 1565 and 1815, when Mexico revolted against Spain, hundreds of Filipino mariners jumped ship in Mexico to escape the brutality of Spanish masters.
Some Filipinos settled in Acapulco, married Mexican women, and introduced Filipino practices such as the coconut wine-making process of “tuba,” which became a native drink whose popularity challenged the profits of Spanish imported wines.
During the independence war, the lieutenant of Guerrero, the Afro-Mexicano leader of the revolution, was General Isidoro Montesdeoca, a Filipino.
Source: ColorQ World
Language of the ages
“Chavacano” or “Chabacano” is a creole language or more precisely, the common name for the several varieties of the Philippine Creole Spanish spoken in the Philippines.
The word chabacano—which the name Chavacano is derived from — is Spanish for “poor taste,” “vulgar,” “common,” “tasteless,” “tacky,” or “coarse.” The Chavacano language is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia.
It has survived for more than 400 years, thus making it one of the oldest creole languages in the world.
Source: Wikipedia.com
The numbers
The Filipino population in Delano is approximately 5,751 — or nearly 15 percent of the Northern Kern County community’s total population.
Source: U.S. Census 2000
Philippine Weekend 2008 in Delano, CA
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
• 5 p.m. , Friday, July 25 — Pork Adobo Cook Off at the gazebo of Cecil Avenue Park (contestant arrival at 4:30 p.m.).
• 9:30 a.m., Saturday, July 26 — Philippine Weekend Grand Parade beginning on Main Street and Ninth Avenue.
• Sunset, around 7:30 or 8 p.m., Saturday, July 26 — Santacruzan Procession at Cecil Avenue Park.
• All weekend July 26-27:
• Barrio Fiesta at Cecil Avenue Park (opening ceremony is at noon, Saturday, July 26). The Barrio Fiesta will include such diverse events as sports, dancing and singing competitions, food booths, live entertainment and games for children.
• Basketball Tournament at Delano High School Boys Gym.
• Bingo at Delano High School Cafeteria.
Venue locations:
• Cecil Avenue Park, corner of Cecil Avenue and Norwalk Street.
• Delano High School, 1331 Cecil Ave.
• Filipino Community Hall, 1457 Glenwood St.
Details: www.myphilippineweekend.org
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