As a second-generation Filipino American, I search aggressively for anything that will teach me the culture of my parents and ancestors. Moreover, as a student of literature and an aspiring poet, I have a particular interest in literary works that are written by and about Filipinos and Filipino Americans. My book collection contains works that were written by Filipino and Filipino American authors. Fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, they delineate and analyze the Filipino experience in the Philippines and the United States. Such works of literature are not very accessible. To obtain the works of Filipino American literature in my collection, I searched the Internet or placed an order through a bookstore. Two of the books in my collection are works of native Filipino literature: Joaquin's Prose and Poems and Rizal's Social Cancer. I bought these when I visited the Philippines two years ago. I treasure my book collection, and I am constantly looking for the means to expand it.

Francia, Luis H., and Eric Gamalinda, Eds. Flippin': Filipinos on America. New York: Asian American Writers' Workshop, 1996.

This is an anthology of Filipino American short stories and poetry, including works of such authors as Jessica Hagedorn, Carlos Bulosan, Evelina Galang, as well as lesser known authors such as Jeff Tagami, Jaime Jacinto, and Noel Abubo Mateo. The title, Flippin', is a play on the derogatory term "flip," which means "funny little island people."

Santos, Bienvenido N. 1955. Scent of Apples: A Collection of Stories. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1997.

This is a collection of short stories about the Filipino immigrant experience in America. It illustrates the intersection and conflict between the Filipino Dream and the American Dream. Santos draws from his experiences as a Filipino American in the Midwest and in the South to compose beautifully lyric prose.

Joaquin, Nick. 1952. Prose and Poems. Makati City, Philippines: Bookmark, 1991.

This is a collection of short stories and poems by Nick Joaquin, a prominent Filipino literary artist of the mid-twentieth century. Joaquin's short stories are known for their mysticism and myth in modern Filipino situations. This collection also includes Joaquin's most famous work, a dramatic monologue of the Filipino national hero Jose Rizal, "Jose Rizal's Valedictory Poem."

Rizal, Jose. The Social Cancer. 1886. Trans. Charles E. Derbyshire. Quezon City, Philippines: Giraffe Books, 1996.

This is an English translation of Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, Rizal's attack on Spanish colonial oppression in 1886. It was an effort to inspire Filipino resistance among the native Filipino people shortly before he was executed by the Spanish.

Ramos, Teresita V. Conversational Tagalog. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1985.

This is an American textbook of the Tagalog language, the most prominent language of the Philippines. Although this is a textbook, it gives me insight into the language and customs of the Philippines.