Decades of Struggle

Uncle leans back against the windshield with his foot upon the fender

I see the Manongs as a foundation for being Filipino American. Their dreams are deferred through us.”

~ Dillon Delvo


During the 1890’s, the Philippines were governed by Spain. However, Filipinos were growing resistive to Spanish rule. Under the leadership of such men as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy a struggle for independence began. By November 1897 a truce between the Spanish government and the principal revolutionary leaders had been signed. Yet, when the Spanish sunk the USS Main in Havana Harbor on Feburary 15, 1898, all hopes for a quick return to peace and prosperity vanished.

Almost a year later, at the conclusion of the Spanish American War , the United States Congress purchased the Philippine Island, Guam, and Puerto Rico from Spain for $20 million. The economy of the Philippines was again crippled. Filipinos, still desireing self determination, fought back against this return to colonization. Warfare broke out and resulted in the Philippine-American War. An estimated one-sixth of the Filipino population had perished by the end of this second war.

The United States, entering an imperialist phase, was intent upon rebuilding the islands and establishing a Naval Base. Thus an intensive “Americanization” of the Philippines was initiated. Part of the American indoctrination program involved the restructuring of the public education system which had been instituted by the Spanish. In 1901, six hundred American teachers were sent to the Philippines aboard the USS Thomas to accomplish this mission. The teachers, who became known as the Thomasites, taught in English. Far from being benevolent instructors, the Thomasites became infamous for their condescending views towards all things Filipino. As a replacement for national pride, the Thomasites promoted a vision of the United States as a vastly advanced nation overflowing with unlimited opportunities for success.

"Education became mis-education because it began to de-Filipinize the youth, taught them to regard American culture as superior to any other, and American society as the model par excellence for Philippine society."

~ Renato Constantino

Thus, with the majority of the population struggling for survival, many of their male students saw immigration to the United States as an opportunity to get an education, support their families financially, and eventually return to the Philippines as wealthy men. From roughly 1906 to 1934 an exodus of young men, often only in their teens or early 20’s, left the rural areas of the Philippines in search of jobs in the promised land of the United States. This group is often referred to as the “Manong Generation” or the “Old Timers.” They, however, referred to themselves as Pinoy.

At that time, Pinoy was not just a word meaning Filipino male. It was a spoken recognition of having become expatriates. In referring to themselves as Pinoy, the Manongs distinguished themselves from Filipinos still living in the Philippines. They had become a band of unwelcome strangers in a strange and hostile land.

Very little of the “Old Timer” history has been recorded. In publishing this blog, I attempt to share the story of Uncle and the men he worked with. These scattered accounts and yellowing photos are pieces of American history which have been purposely omitted from State adopted text books. Sadly, history is written by those in control. Our nation’s sanctioned history has been neatly sanitized in an attempt to save the reputations of the powerful. There is rarely a mention of the sweat and blood shed by the underclass who spent their lives in pursuit of “the American Dream.”