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www.masbakersfield.com
July 25, 2008
CONTENTS
THIS WEEK
JULY ■ 25 ■ 2008
6-9
6-9
COVER STORY
Exploring the Mexican-Filipino connection here & in history
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WORKING
Norma Arroyo is behind the wheel of Bakersfield Napa Collision Center
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IN THE MIXX
Noe G’s picks for this weekend’s happenings around town
11 12-15
GENTE
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Latina Leaders of Kern County & more
CLASSIFIEDS Buy, sell and hire
EDITORIAL
OLIVIA GARCIA Publisher TERESA ADAMO Managing Editor LAUREN HELPER Asst. Managing Editor
FEATURES
MARCEL GUERRA LAUREN HELPER MATT MUÑOZ EBONY VILLASEÑOR
Staff Writer AME/Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer
Contributing Writers IRENE CLANCY, NOE GARCIA, MARIA MACHUCA, LEONEL MARTINEZ, DENISE ORNELAS, LUZ PEÑA, RAY PRUITT, DEBORAH RAMIREZ, GABRIEL RAMIREZ, NORMA TAKAHASHI
PHOTO
Contributing Photographers HOLLY CARLYLE, MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORLANDO GALVAN, DANIELA GARCIA, ROGER HORNBACK, TANYA X. LEONZO, GREG MARQUEZ, ROD THORNBURG
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ART GLENN HAMMETT ERIC DUHART ORLANDO GALVAN ROBERT NUÑEZ JENNIFER PANELLI
Design Editor Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Graphic Designer
ADVERTISING JAIME DE LOS SANTOS MICHAEL WHITTAKER DAVID ALANIS GUSTAVO CARRILLO ELAINE ESTRADA KIRK NICKLAUS DORA CARDENAS
Sales Manager Sales Coach Sales Executive Sales Executive Sales Executive Sales Executive Sales Assistant
OFFICE
MARISOL SORTO Office Administrator
Editorial / Advertising 716-8640
Cover photo: Gilbert and Jocelyn Guerrero. Photo by Holly Carlyle.
Volume 3, Issue 44 Mas Magazine (USPS 000-000) is a weekly publication of Mercado Nuevo LLC with main offices at 1522 18th Street Bakersfield, CA 93301. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rate is pending at Bakersfield, CA 93303. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Mercado Nuevo Publications PO Box 2344 Bakersfield, CA 93303. MÁS is a new weekly magazine focused on Hispanic people, style, culture and issues in Kern County. MÁS is a publication of Mercado Nuevo, LLC, a subsidiary of The Bakersfield Californian. For questions or for more information about MÁS or other publications of Mercado Nuevo, contact us: Mercado Nuevo LLC P.O. Box 2344 Bakersfield, CA 93303; (661) 716-8640 www.mercadonuevocorp.com or www.masbakersfield.com. The Mas name and logo design are trademarks of Mercado Nuevo and cannot be used without the company’s permission.
Combining cultures
PHOTOS BY HOLLY CARLYLE
BY M
AT T
M
U Ñ OZ
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He’s Mexican, she’s Filipino — yet this family fusion is a recipe full of not-so-surprising similarities
D
DELANO — inner at the Guerrero house is always a spicy affair. A fusion of Mexican and Filipino cuisine on any given night, this family never leaves the table unsatisfied. Enchiladas, pansit, chile rellenos, chicken adobo — and don’t forget the rice. “We always have great food,” said Gilbert Guerrero of Delano. “Our different cultures blend together every meal, sometimes with a little more kick.” But culinary specialities hailing from two different nations are only the beginnings of this colorful family’s mixture. The Guer-
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reros are representative of a cultural blending that puts Latinos and Filipinos together, just like a good recipe — and it’s a formula that has been around since the days Spain ruled the Philippine Islands, right up through life nowadays in Kern County, home to thousands of Filipinos. In fact, in Delano, it’s estimated that nearly 15 percent of the city’s population — or 5,751 residents — are Filipino, according to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau report. In Bakersfield, there are 876 Filipino households as stated by a Claritas Inc. report. There are no specific statistics on our community’s blended Latino-Filipino cultures, though it’s definitely a part of Kern County life. And with the annual Philippine Weekend on tap in Delano from now through Sunday, July 26, there are sure to be many other instances of this common cultural ground that is Latino and Filipino. Gilbert, 40, who is Mexican, and his wife, Jocelyn, 43, originally from the Philippines, make a point of allowing each of their respective cultures to flow naturally in all areas of daily life. “It’s pretty simple,” said Gilbert of the family’s ability to retain
The Guerrero Family, from left: Jodie, Ryan, Maleena, Gilbert, Kaitlyn, Jocelyn, Luke, Trisha, Joseph, and Laurenn. cultural values with room to evolve together. “Our Mexican and Filipino cultures are very similar. We just take it in stride.” In person, the couple’s mutual love and respect for one another is amplified through their children: Ryan, 26; Jodie, 24; and Trisha Juan, 21, all Jocelyn’s from a previous marriage, plus Laurenn, 15; Joseph Guerrero, 12; and three beloved grandkids: Kaitlyn, 5; Maleena, 3; and Luke, 3 months. “Our kids know their roots,” said Jocelyn. “Their grandmother always talks about traditions, and the Filipino Tagalog dialect is very similar to the Spanish language. My dad has always spoken Spanish. I remember my grandfather would speak it a lot when he got “It’s pretty simple. Our Meximad,” she laughed. can and Filipino cultures are Jocelyn — who, at 12, very similar. We just take it in migrated with her family from Manila, Philippines stride.” to the city of Delano — remembers adapting — Gilbert Guerrero quickly to her surroundings in a small city that boasts sizable Mexican and Filipino immigrant communities. “Filipinos and Mexicans share a lot of the same customs,” said Jocelyn. “Being Catholic, how we are both respectful of our elders, and of course — the language.” Gilbert arrived in Delano from Matehuala in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi at 5 years old. “I started speaking English about year after we came here from Mexico,” he said. “I found it pretty simple to fit in. I was first introduced to Filipino food through some friends of mine.” Gilbert’s friends, Carmen and Felix Magpali, also from Delano, like most Latino families, were always busy in the kitchen. Gilbert remembers the sweet scents that filled their home, especially the adobo. “Felix was always cooking,” he remembered. “He cooked great
“
adobo.” Adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines, as it is often featured at most Filipino celebratory meals, just like carne asada at Mexican gatherings. Adobo is a Spanish word referring to the marinade or spice used to prepare various dishes, and most commonly used with chicken or pork. Growing up as teenagers and adapting to the American way of life in Delano, Gilbert and Jocelyn were friends before they began dating. “We were friends in the ‘80s, and started dating in the ‘90s,” remembered Jocelyn. Though the couple was prepared for the differences they might have encountered as a Mexican-Filipino couple, it turned out to be much ado about nothing, and married in 1997. “The more we were around each other, we started to notice that we did the same things with our families,” said Jocelyn. “I used to always say, ‘You do this too?’” As their children have grown, the cultural balance has kept the siblings involved with local Filipino community events, such as Philippine Weekend. Much like Cinco de Mayo, Philippine Weekend gives everyone a chance to experience the food, sights and sounds of their Filipino neighbors. For Jocelyn, such occasions bring back memories of her own past involvement in the Miss Filipino Community and Mrs. Philippine Weekend pageants. Now, her children have kept that tradition going as members of dance teams participating during the weekend festivities. “All the kids have been involved with Philippine Weekend for some time,” she said. “Whenever they need help, they help. We are blessed to have great kids.” After 11 years of marriage, the Guerrero family fusion — with a dash of Mexican and a pinch of Filipino in the recipe — is a perfect example of how when two great cultures merge, the results are akin to a 5-star restaurant rating. “We have a strong family bond,” smiled Gilbert. “You should see the house during family reunions.”
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The melting pot Did You Know? Language of the ages “Chavacano” or “Chabacano” is a Creole language, or more precisely, the common name for the several varieties of the Philippine Creole Spanish spoken in the Philippines. The word chabacano — which the name Chavacano is derived from — is Spanish for “poor taste,” “vulgar,” “common,” “tasteless,” “tacky” or “coarse.” The Chavacano language is the only Spanish-based Creole in Asia. It has survived for more than 400 years, thus making it one of the oldest Creole languages in the world. Source: Wikipedia.com
By Matt Muñoz MÁS staff
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f you’re from the Central Valley, chances are you’ve experienced more than your share of Latino culture. What about FiLatino culture? Or that of Mexipinos? These linguistic combinations are simply reflections of the mixing of the two cultures: Filipinos and Latinos. Many Filipinos may or may not be aware of their Latin roots or vice versa, despite the obvious shared Spanish family surnames — Cruz, San Juan, Reyes, among others — that’s wherein lies the confusion. But what exactly is the cultural connection between people of Pacific Island descent and Latinos?
To find out, let’s take a trip back in time. The following is a shortened version of what many might find to be a familiar, but complicated history lesson: Much like the Spanish conquest of Mexico of 1519, the Philippine Islands were the site of another stormy colonial period at the hands of their Spanish adversary beginning with a visit in 1521 by explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and continuing with subsequent visits in coming years. Battles were fought and island kings fell, but for natives, their way of life would never be wiped out — only evolve. In 1543, another explorer — Ruy López de Villalobos, named the islands Las Islas Felipinas, after King Philip II — during an attempted exploration of the same vast tropics. Although the mission was not a success, Villalobos ultimately triumphed, as the name of his king would remain a permanent
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part of the island’s history to become known today as the Philippine Islands, named after King Philip II. The island of Cebu was the first Spanish settlement established by Miguel López de Legazpi of Spain in 1565, and would later become known as the city of San Miguel. Arriving with a new language, religion and other elements of Western civilization, indigenous Filipinos and Spanish settlers would ultimately blend, forming a mestizo culture that remains intact to this day. The Spanish term mestizo refers to the mixing of European (mostly Spanish) ancestry with indigenous cultures. Many such visiting cultures would immigrate to the islands as workers, sometimes arriving as slaves. Given the choice, many Spaniards chose to stay, marry and start life anew in the beauty of their tropical surroundings. During colonization, Spanish rule managed to keep a firm grasp on the islands for nearly three centuries, until Filipinos demanded independence from Spain. From 1896-1902, the Philippine Revolution was fought between revolutionary Filipino rebels known as the Katipunan, and Spanish authorities. There would also be a parallel battle for independence between the U.S. and the Philippines. The U.S. won the battle, but would later hand sovereignty to the Philippines in 1946, though two military bases were kept on the islands: Clark Air (Force) Base and U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, both of which were closed down in the 1990s when negotiations with the Philippine government to extend the leases failed. Visiting the Philippines today, you’ll find that the legacy of the early Spanish settlers lives on as FiLatino culture — including the use of some Spanish language within the national language of Tagalog (the numbers, months and certain words or phrases, i.e.
“¿Como estas?”), the monetary system (the peso) and religion (predominantly Roman Catholic).
Local level So on what common cultural ground do Filipinos and Latinos stand in Kern County? One area is definitely within the deeplyrooted — literally — agricultural history here. Farmworkers of both Hispanic and Filipino descent have toiled side-by-side in local fields, and as such, they’ve also teamed up to better conditions for themselves and their fellow workers. Andy Imutan, Larry Itliong and Philip Vera-Cruz, all Filipino farmworker leaders, helped form the UFW, a merging of the mostly Filipino members of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO (AWOC), and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), once led by Cesar Chavez. Together, these pioneer farm labor leaders secured higher wages and improved working conditions for their fellow workers. In 1965, the Delano grape strike began when members of AWOC walked off the farms of area table grape growers demanding wages on level with the federal minimum wage. Culturally, Filipinos and Latinos in Kern share many similar experiences having to do with family, celebrations and more. Right down to someone’s last name, this blending of the groups has resulted in one more interesting ingredient in our community’s cultural melting pot. Sources: Wikipedia.com; ufw.org
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■ 5 p.m. , Friday, July 25 — Pork Adobo Cook Off at the gazebo of Cecil Avenue Park (contestant arrival at 4:30 p.m.). ■ 9:30 a.m., Saturday, July 26 — Philippine Weekend Grand Parade beginning on Main Street and Ninth Avenue. ■ Sunset, around 7:30 or 8 p.m., Saturday, July 26 — Santacruzan Procession at Cecil Avenue Park. ■ All weekend July 26-27: ■ Barrio Fiesta at Cecil Avenue Park (opening ceremony is at noon, Saturday, July 26). The Barrio Fiesta will include such diverse events as sports, dancing and singing competitions, food booths, live entertainment and games for children. ■ Basketball Tournament at Delano High School Boys Gym. ■ Bingo at Delano High School Cafeteria. Venue locations: ■ Cecil Avenue Park, corner of Cecil Avenue and Norwalk Street. ■ Delano High School, 1331 Cecil Ave. ■ Filipino Community Hall, 1457 Glenwood St. Details: www.myphilippineweekend.org
Did You Know? Filipinos in Latin America Between 1565 and 1815, when Mexico revolted against Spain, hundreds of Filipino mariners stayed in Mexico to escape the brutality of Spanish masters. Some Filipinos settled in Acapulco and married Mexican women. Source: ColorQ World
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