Reclaiming Our Reclaiming Our ExperienceExperienceas Diverse as Diverse

CommunitiesCommunitiesFlorante Peter Ibanez, Florante Peter Ibanez, Joint MLIS / MA Joint MLIS / MA

Program in Information Studies and Asian American Program in Information Studies and Asian American Studies – UCLAStudies – UCLA

June 24, 2007 – June 24, 2007 – APALA Panel for ALA 2007 APALA Panel for ALA 2007

Asian American Materials: Preserving Our Asian American Materials: Preserving Our Histories and Moving Into the FutureHistories and Moving Into the Future

The 1960’s &70’sThe 1960’s &70’s

““Serve the People”Serve the People”

The People United! Will Never be Defeated!

Asian American Studies Asian American Studies Center UCLACenter UCLA

"The Center will hopefully enrich the experience "The Center will hopefully enrich the experience of the entire university by contributing to an of the entire university by contributing to an understanding of the long neglected history, understanding of the long neglected history, rich cultural heritage, and present position of rich cultural heritage, and present position of Asian Americans in our society."Asian Americans in our society."

-- from the Center Steering Committee -- from the Center Steering Committee Mission Statement, 1969Mission Statement, 1969

Archival Institutions Archival Institutions overlook Communities of overlook Communities of

ColorColorHome grown organizations Home grown organizations

are created – To Serve the are created – To Serve the PeoplePeople

1969 GIDRA Newspaper 1969 GIDRA Newspaper

1970 Visual Communications1970 Visual Communications

1971 Amerasia Bookstore & 1971 Amerasia Bookstore & Gallery in Little TokyoGallery in Little Tokyo

1980 Center for Asian 1980 Center for Asian American Media (formerly American Media (formerly NAATA)NAATA)

1982 Filipino American 1982 Filipino American National Historical SocietyNational Historical Society

1985 Filipino American 1985 Filipino American LibraryLibrary

VC Archives are being entered into a database and films moved to the Academy

http://vconline.org

Sorting the 80 Boxes of Philippine Anti-Sorting the 80 Boxes of Philippine Anti-Martial Law documents, publications Martial Law documents, publications

and photos from various U.S. and photos from various U.S. organizations in the De la Cruz family organizations in the De la Cruz family

garage.garage.

What’s the Difference?What’s the Difference?

Museum / Gallery – Art, Artifacts for Public Museum / Gallery – Art, Artifacts for Public ExhibitsExhibits

Archive – Primary materials like Documents & Archive – Primary materials like Documents & Manuscripts & Ephemera usually Manuscripts & Ephemera usually

accessed by accessed by appointment for research appointment for research

Library – Books & Publications & Multimedia Library – Books & Publications & Multimedia materials (may circulate or not)materials (may circulate or not)

All of the above may be public, academic, All of the above may be public, academic, private or community based collectionsprivate or community based collections

Examples of Information Examples of Information OrganizationsOrganizations

Japanese American National Museum (JANM)Japanese American National Museum (JANM) MuseumMuseum Research LibraryResearch Library ArchivesArchives

DENSHO Project – Online Interactive ArchiveDENSHO Project – Online Interactive Archive San Francisco Public Library with Filipino San Francisco Public Library with Filipino

American Center (internal special collection)American Center (internal special collection) Online Archive of California (OAC) – Finding Online Archive of California (OAC) – Finding

Aids include some from JANM and other Aids include some from JANM and other ethnic institutionsethnic institutions

Filipino American Library – Community Filipino American Library – Community Collection of Rare Books & ArchivesCollection of Rare Books & Archives

UCSB California Ethnic and Multicultural UCSB California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives (online collection)Archives (online collection)

JANM in Los AngelesLittle Tokyo

http://janm.org

Archival EthicsArchival Ethics An archive must ensure appropriate and An archive must ensure appropriate and

permanent care for records of historical permanent care for records of historical value, in order to make them available for value, in order to make them available for use both now and in the future.use both now and in the future.

Where is the Best Place to care for your Where is the Best Place to care for your records, documents, publications or records, documents, publications or ephemera?ephemera?

Who has proper storage facilities, skilled Who has proper storage facilities, skilled processing staff and space for your processing staff and space for your collection?collection?

Looking for places that care……Looking for places that care……

Opened in December 2003 Located near Olvera Street and Union Station in Los Angeles

http://www.kamuseum.org/

National Pinoy Archives National Pinoy Archives of theof the

Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) – Seattle, WA

Fred and Dorothy CordovaFred and Dorothy Cordovafounders of FANHSfounders of FANHS

High Tech On-Line Archives High Tech On-Line Archives serveserve

as Community Memory as Community Memory Space Space

on the World Wide Web –on the World Wide Web –

http://densho.org

http://goforbroke.org

http://filipinoamericanlibrary.org

Looking Forward Looking Forward from the Pastfrom the Past

Building a Filipino American Building a Filipino American Museum & Research Library: Museum & Research Library:

Obstacles to DevelopmentObstacles to Developmentand Creating a Memory Space and Creating a Memory Space

V-FAMV-FAMby Florante Peter Ibanez Enrolled in the UCLA Joint MLIS and MA Program in Information Studies and Asian American Studies

Presented at the 2005 Association of Asian American Studies ConferenceApril 23, 2005 - Los Angeles, CA

UC Irvine’s Southeast Asian American Archives (online & in the Library)

UCLA in LA Project with Community Partnerships

Smithsonian Institution 2006

Royal “Uncle Roy” MoralesRoyal “Uncle Roy” MoralesHero/Teacher/Activist/Social Hero/Teacher/Activist/Social

WorkerWorker

Born May 28, 1932Los Angeles, CA

Gone to God January 23, 2001 At home in Gardena, CA

The Morales Garage as The Morales Garage as StorageStorage

The holdings appear to consist of:The holdings appear to consist of: 6 office size metal file cabinets with 4 6 office size metal file cabinets with 4

drawers (not all filled to capacity)drawers (not all filled to capacity) 4 large Xerox boxes of photographs & 4 large Xerox boxes of photographs &

negativesnegatives Mixed in are family materials that need to Mixed in are family materials that need to

be separated out with family assistancebe separated out with family assistance There are probably a few more boxes that There are probably a few more boxes that

were not accessible at the time of this first were not accessible at the time of this first inspectioninspection

Collection MaterialsCollection Materials Personal notes and course readers from teaching Personal notes and course readers from teaching

for 15 years – The Pilipino American Experience – for 15 years – The Pilipino American Experience – at UCLAat UCLA

Correspondence with other community activists Correspondence with other community activists of the of the 1970s-90’s1970s-90’s

Notes used to create his book – MAKIBAKA: Notes used to create his book – MAKIBAKA: Pilipino Pilipino American Struggle – published American Struggle – published 19741974

Photographs of numerous and various Filipino Photographs of numerous and various Filipino and Asian American Southern California and Asian American Southern California community eventscommunity events

Program Booklets (i.e.. conferences, community Program Booklets (i.e.. conferences, community events, Filipino Christian Church, Far West events, Filipino Christian Church, Far West Conventions, etc.)Conventions, etc.)

Hand made Philippine Kite and ParolesHand made Philippine Kite and Paroles

Why is this collection Why is this collection significant?significant?

This collection will serve as a primary resource This collection will serve as a primary resource for early for early development of the Los Angeles development of the Los Angeles community and community and early Filipino American early Filipino American studies.studies.

The Photographs alone are a treasure that span The Photographs alone are a treasure that span the the Asian American and Filipino American Asian American and Filipino American 1970s-80s 1970s-80s Social Justice Movements.Social Justice Movements.

His collection of program booklets also identity His collection of program booklets also identity other other community organizations & individuals community organizations & individuals to research.to research.

Even as a Gift, The Uncle Roy Morales collection Even as a Gift, The Uncle Roy Morales collection is a is a Treasure that can inspire others to Treasure that can inspire others to document, document, preserve and donate to build our preserve and donate to build our collective memory collective memory from our own community from our own community perspective.perspective.

Founder of the Filipino Founder of the Filipino American LibraryAmerican Library

Helen Agcaoili Helen Agcaoili Summers BrownSummers Brown

1937 UCLA Alumni BA 1937 UCLA Alumni BA & Masters in & Masters in

Education – Possibly Education – Possibly the first Filipina the first Filipina American UCLA American UCLA

GraduateGraduate(son, George Brown (son, George Brown

standing)standing)

A short clip A short clip from:from:

““got book?got book? Auntie Helen’s Gift of books”

Online Archive of Online Archive of CaliforniaCalifornia

http://http://www.oac.cdlib.orgwww.oac.cdlib.org//

ConclusionsConclusions Libraries & Archives & Museums are Libraries & Archives & Museums are

repositories that repositories that should house the collective should house the collective memory of all Americansmemory of all Americans

We need to identify what and who are We need to identify what and who are important to important to document and preservedocument and preserve

We need to network more among ourselves as We need to network more among ourselves as communities of color and educate others communities of color and educate others

on our on our significance in historysignificance in history We have to do it for ourselves – We have to do it for ourselves –

nobody else will do it for us…… nobody else will do it for us…… We must move our collections into the We must move our collections into the

mainstreammainstream We are starting to train and place librarians & We are starting to train and place librarians &

archivists archivists & curators but we need to & curators but we need to encourage our youth encourage our youth that more that more professionals are neededprofessionals are needed

Filipino American UCLA Information Studies 2006 cohort joins host, UCLA Librarian Eloisa Borah & Jonathan Lorenzo, Administrator

of the Filipino American Library for Pizza at UCLA.

The NEW Crop of Information Professionals