I grew up in the United States. As a child, I sometimes questioned why there were no brown people on television. As an adolescent, I often questioned why there were no brown people in my history books. As an adult, I continually question how I am going to teach my children that they do have a significant place in history. How will my children learn that they have every right to be proud of who they are and where they are going? And how are other children who do not have the proper resources supposed to learn that they, too, are beautiful, intelligent, and extraordinary. If they are not learning from their textbooks or from television, where are they supposed to learn?

This is why I have initiated my very own Multicultural Book Collection, with an emphasis on the P/Filipino American experience. It has become my personal duty to ensure that everyone I meet has the opportunity to learn about her history, culture, and existence in American society. It has been my hope that F/Pilipinos growing up in the U.S. will strengthen their ethnic and cultural awareness and pride, in which many of their childhoods have been deprived. It has been my goal to serve as that resource that students of life can turn to, when they need to (or want to) study the experience of F/Pilipinos and other cultural beings. With that, my book collection also includes other ethnic groups; for it is through the learning and appreciating of other cultures, that one is able to fully appreciate the beauty of her own culture. This is why my book collection has been formed- not only for my own personal growth and enlightenment, but for my willingness and passion to share this education with others. Sometimes referred to as my own multicultural library, my collection is a place where I encourage others to “borrow” books that they cannot find at local bookstores or libraries and “return” them with a newfound knowledge and personal understanding.

Agbayani-Siewert, Pauline and Revilla, Linda. (1995). Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

This is a book of specific Asian American experiences in the U.S. It promotes the idea of diversity within the Asian American collective, with chapters on different ethnic groups (including Pilipino Americans).

Andersen, Margaret L. (1998). Race Class and Gender. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

This anthology examines the interrelationship between race, class, and gender, and their effects on the experiences of different people in the United States.

Augenbraum, Harold and Ilan Tavans (1993). Growing Up Latino: Memoirs and Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

This collection of fiction and nonfiction transport us across the geographies and through the cultures in an attempt to articulate the joys, struggles, defeats, and triumphs of growing up Latino in the U.S.

Bacho, Peter (1991). Cebu. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Cebu is a fictional story of an American returning to his homeland. This is one of Peter Bacho’s first published works. Today, Bacho is one of the most well-known Pilipino American fictional writers.

Bacho, Peter (1997). Dark Blue Suit. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

A novel about the experience of early Filipino Americans on the West Coast, the narrator describes the American dream for Filipinos- to attain a shiny blue suit.

Bautista, Veltisezar (1998). The Filipino Americans. Farmington Hills, MI: Bookhaus Publishers.

This book is a collection of cultural and historical facts about Filipinos in both the Philippines and the United States. The last chapter is devoted to “Notable Filipino Americans” and includes such figures as actress Tia Carrere and HI governor Ben Cayentano.

Bonus, Rick (2000). Locating Filipino Americans. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Bonus discusses the issues of identity and geography in the formation of Filipino American ethnicity and cultural politics.

Browning, R.P., Marshall, D.R., and Tabb, D. (1997). Racial Politics in American Cities. New York: Longman Publishing.

This book provides an overview of racial politics in U.S. cities and detailed studies of New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and other cities by leading experts.

Buaken, Manuel (1948). I Have Lived with the American People. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, Ltd.

Written in 1949, this is one of the first books written by a Filipino in America. It discusses the transition of Filipino culture to the American way of life.

Bulosan, Carlos (1946). America is in the Heart. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company.

This is the first novel written by a Pilipino American in the United States. Carlos Bulosan has sometimes been referred to as the father of Pilipino American literature.

Bulosan, Carlos (1995). On Becoming Filipino. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

A collection of Bulosan’s short stories written throughout his lifetime, this book accounts his personal Filipino American experience and issues concerning the Filipino American.

Carbo, Nick and Tabios, Eileen (2000). Babaylan: An Anthology of Filipina and Filipina American Writers. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.

This is a collection of short stories written by Filipina and Filipina American women.

Coelho, Paolo and Hill, Patricia (1998). The Pilgrimage. New York: Harper Perennial and Collins.

A story about the journey of Coelho to Spain, this novel shares the legendary road that many pilgrims have traveled in search of personal power and wisdom.

Coronel, Leandro V. (1997). The Invisible Americans: Why the Filipinos in American Lack Political Clout. Alexandria, VA: Cogs Publishing.

The third volume of Coronel’s trilogy, this book describes why Filipino Americans have not achieved the political status and representation as some of their other ethnic counterparts.

Espiritu, Yen Le (1992). Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

This piece discusses the history, positive outcomes, and negative consequences of grouping such a heterogeneous group into one category.

Espiritu, Yen Li (1995). Filipino American Lives. New York: Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

An account of different Filipino American experiences, this is an outstanding book to be commonly found at most libraries and major bookstores.

Garcia, Jorge G. and Zea, Maria Cecilia (1997). Psychological Interventions and Research with Latino Populations. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Publishers.

This is a psychological book which explains the culture of Latino populations, and how to effectively communicate with them. It is commonly used as the “bible” for counseling Latino clients.

Gooding-Williams, Robert (1993). Reading Rodney King. New York: Routledge.

In an era of “Post-Rodney King Civil Rights,” this collection of essays by prominent philosophers, social scientists, literary critics, and legal scholars, offers a detailed picture of the Rodney King events and the question of race in contemporary America.

Hagedorn, Jessica (1990). Dogeaters. New York: Penguin Books.

As one of the most controversial Filipino American writers of our time, Jessica Hagedorn gives voice to the unheard stories of the Philippines and America, chronicling the lives of people who are much more than the political periphery which has engulfed them.

Ileto, Reynaldo Clemena (1979). Pasyon and Revoltion: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910. Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.

A collection of historical revolutions in the Philippines, this book was once reprimanded by the Philippine dictator government.

Ivey, Allen E., Ivey, M.B., Simek-Morgan, L. (1997). Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Multicultural Perspective. Boston: Allyn and Beacon.

This book discusses all of the theories needed to effectively counsel people of all multicultural backgrounds.

Kerkvliet, Benedict J. (1977). The Huk Rebellion: A Study of Peasant Revolt in the Philippines. Berkeley, CA: University of CA Press.

This study reveals the impact of peasant revolt on the history of the Philippines.

McReynolds, Patricia Justiani (1997). Almost Americans: A Quest for Dignity. Santa Fe: Red Crane Books.

The autobiography of a biracial (Filipina/ Norwegian) woman accounts her quests to overcome racism and identity confusion in America.

Okamura, Jonathan Y. (1998). Imagining the Filipino American Diaspora: Transnational Relations, Identities, and Communities. New York: Garland Publishing.

This study analyses the diasporic nature of Filipino relations, identities, and communities and shows how these transnational phenomena are socially constructed by the everyday actions and activities of Filipino Americans.

Orfield, Gary and Miller, Edward (1998). Chilling Admissions: The Affirmative Action Crisis and Search for Alternatives. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Publishing.

This paperback discusses the ramifications of Proposition 209 and its effect on ethnic minorities in an affirmative action-less California.

Padilla, Anthony (1995). Hispanic Psychology: Critical Issues in Theory and Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

As the premiere collective of Latino/Hispanic psychology, the ideas of Hispanic culture and its relationship on psychology are discussed.

Parham, Thomas A. (1993). Psychological Storms: The Struggle for African American Identity. Chicago: African American Images.

Parham, who is often referred to as the one of the “Fathers of Black Psychology” (along with Joseph White), reveals the specific psychological struggles of African Americans in the U.S.

Ponterotto, Joseph et al. (1995). Handbook of Multicultural Counseling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

One of the first published books that deals with the concept of Multicultural Counseling, the Handbook is generally the guide that is used to train counselors to be more multiculturally aware and sensitive.

Posadas, Barbara M. (1999). The Filipino Americans. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

This book is apart of a new “American Series” which outlines different experiences of different groups in the U.S. This book is a comprehensive look at Pilipino identity and community.

Romulo, Liana Elena and De Leon, Joanne (2000). Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories. Manila: Charles E. Tuttle Publishing.

One of the only of its kind, this illustrated book is a collection of Filipino Children’s stories.

Root, Maria P.P. (1997). Filipino Americans: Transformation and Identity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Root organizes a collection of Filipino essays from the most well known Filipino American academia today.

San Juan, E. (1998). From Exile to Diaspora: Versions of the Filipino Experience in the United States. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

A challenge to the current state of Filipinos in the Asian Pacific category, this book encourages Filipino voice and visibility.

Scharlin, Craig et al (1997). Philip Vera Cruz: A Personal History of Filipino Immigrants and the Farmworkers Movement. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Philip Vera Cruz has been sometimes titled the “Father of Filipino America.” This biography captures his life, his experiences, as well as the historical events that surrounded him. As one who served alongside Cesar Chavez, Vera Cruz is one who goes continually unmentioned in history books and narrations.

Stern-La Rosa, Caryl et al. (2000). Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice. Anti-Defamation League.

This “handbook” offers a new perspective on how to teach our children to unlearn prejudice in a post-Civil Rights Era. This book was once “Book of the Month” at Barnes and Nobles in Okemos.

Sue, D.W. and Sue, D. (1998). Counseling the Culturally Different. John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. New York.

Another book on multicultural counseling, this book offers a new way to counsel different ethnic groups.

Tiu, Aurora Tompar (1995). Depression and Other Mental Health Issues: The Filipino American Experience. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

A currently “out-of-print” book, this is the premiere book of Filipino American psychology. A 5-year study of the Filipino American experience, the authors describe its implications on mental health.

Uba, Laura (1994). Asian Americans: Personality Patterns, Identity, and Mental Health. New York: The Guilford Press.

The premiere publication on Asian American psychology, this publication touches upon the cultural aspects of Asian Americans and their relationships to psychological intervention.

White, Joseph and Parham, Thomas (1990). The Psychology of Blacks: An African American Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Publishing.

As the fathers of Black Psychology, this is one of the original books in the field of multicultural psychology. It is currently still used as the handbook for counseling African American clients.

Yamamoto, Erik K. (1999). Interracial Justice: Conflict and Reconciliation in Post-Civil Rights America. New York: New York University Press.

Yamamoto combines the ideas of race history, legal theory, theology, social psychology, and anecdotes into a compelling book on racial politics in a post-Civil Rights/ post-Rodney King era.

Yamanaka, Lois-Ann (1997). Blu’s Hanging. New York: Ferrar, Strauss, and Giroux.

A fictional story about a family in Hawai’i, this book received the Highest Honor for Fiction by the Association of Asian American Studies in 1997. This caused much uproar in the Asian American community, due to the portrayal of “all Filipinos” as “sexual deviants.” After a rebellious ceremony, the award was revoked and resulted in the continuing questions of Filipino Americans in the Asian American paradigm.