Manila, Philippines - 1950's

Since I was a kid, I’ve loved learning about my family history, especially through stories my grandmother tells about her pioneering mother, who passed the Bar when few women even worked, or about the origins of her elaborate jewelry. I know so much about my Italian side, but I’ve known less about my dad's Filipino family—until my Lolo (grandfather) mailed us a collection of his life stories, sharing his journey from Manila to America. Though I'm not very close to him, as he and my father have a complicated relationship, his memoir paints a vivid picture of his life and his journey.

Born on February 9, 1948, he grew up in a small home on Felix Huertas Sta Cruz Street in Manila, with two brothers and a sister. His mother was a nurse, and his father was an electrical engineer—a profession my Lolo himself would later pursue. With ambitious parents, his mother was the first to go to the US on a two-year visa, then later as a permanent resident, followed by his father. Leaving their children in the Philippines to finish school, they were raised by their Lola, Apolonia, whom he fondly remembers as a wonderful caretaker, a skilled cook, and an avid card player of Panguingue.

During high school, my Lolo’s favorite memories included taking long bus rides to Infanta, Pangasinan, where he and his cousins would fish, ride carabaos, and watch rice milling at his uncle’s farm. Later, while studying at the Mapua Institute of Technology, Ferdinand Marcos rose to power, and my Lolo witnessed the country plunge into political turmoil. He recalls in his memoir: “There were a lot of rallies, students in particular that were subjected to violence or getting killed…There were…demonstrations to stop the existing president who wanted to be president for life. A lot of killings, properties destroyed, and school disruptions almost every day.”

This turbulence cut his studies short when his parents deemed it unsafe for him to stay. In May 1971, he left the Philippines, making stops in Tokyo, Honolulu, and Los Angeles, and staying with relatives before finally arriving in Long Island to join his family.