Steffi San Buenaventura: The Filipino Federation of America, Gebunden

Klappentext

This study examines the early history of Filipino migration to Hawai'i and California from the 1920s, with particular attention to the Filipino Federation of America. Originating as a voluntary mutual aid society and later developing into a revitalization and messianic movement, the Federation provides a distinctive lens through which to understand the Filipino American experience.

As a racial-ethnic social movement, the Federation exemplified how Filipino immigrants drew upon Indigenous worldviews and cultural resources to sustain community life in America. It offered its members a fraternal refuge, fostered strong expressions of Filipino nationalism, and contributed to the emergence of a racial and ethnic consciousness among immigrants in the United States.

The Federation's membership was drawn largely from young, single male migrant laborers--the sakadas who worked on Hawai'i's plantations and California's farms. Their collective experience of racial discrimination, economic exploitation, and cultural isolation highlights the broader struggles of Filipino immigrants and their strategies for survival.

At once local and transnational, the Federation also maintained active linkages to the Philippines, where leaders and members engaged in political and religious aspects of the movement. San Buenaventura's The Filipino Federation of America records both a significant microcosm of the Filipino immigrant experience in America and an important case study in transnational migration history.