Tag Archives: California

PODCAST: She taped Larry Itliong at her Filipino American student seminar in 1976; Debbie Panganiban Louie interviewed by Emil Guillermo about a rare recording of Itliong

The Larry Itliong Symposium on Saturday celebrated the 100th birthday of the labor leader with the  unveiling of tapes of an Itliong lecture never before played in public.  The Little Manila Foundation and the Stockton Chapter of FANHS sponsored the event in Itliong’s hometown of Stockton, Calif.

Itliong talked about the importance of fighting for your rights and speaking out as Filipino Americans. He also revealed that he had been offered hundreds of thousands of dollars by unions and corporations to do their bidding. But Itliong saw that as a “selling out” of Filipino Americans. In fact, with over 300,000 Filipinos in America at the time, he said an offer he had on the table of about $200,000 was less than a dollar a Filipino, and certainly not worth it. (See the story at www.aaldef.org/blog on what Itliong called offers to “buy him off.” He also mentions Cesar Chavez on the tape.

San Joaquin Delta College’s Debbie Louie was a student in 1976 at UC Santa Cruz and taped Itliong as he talked to a group of 20 students. The tapes reveal the tough unionist side of Itliong, as well as a softer grandfatherly side. Itliong died a year later in February 1977 at age 63.

For Louie, the memory of Itliong speaking to the class had her on the verge of tears as we talked.

“His courage and wisdom fighting for equality and justice for Filipinos and workers everywhere should be acknowledged widely and revered for all time,” Louie said.

Debbie Panganiban Louie, San Joaquin Delta College in conversation with Emil Guillermo, Oct.26, 2013.

[powerpress]http://www.amok.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/She-taped-Larry-Itliong-.m4a[/powerpress]

She taped Larry Itliong

DOMA done, challenge to Prop. 8 denied, let the June weddings begin again in California

I could sense something good was going to happen as early as this spring, but you never know.

http://aaldef.org/blog/the-national-coming-out-party-for-same-sex-marriage.html

And today, it happened.

The Supreme Court by it’s 5-4 ruling has declared Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.

This really is a states rights issue. How could those legally married in states that allow gay marriages be denied federal benefits given to straight wedded couples? That’s discrimination, and shouldn’t be allowed. The court concurred.

So if you’re in one of the states where same-sex marriage is legal, this is an especially great day.

The DOMA refutation was expected. It wasn’t clear what the court would do with Prop. 8, the same-sex marriage ban voted in by the state.  When it was challenged and California officials wouldn’t defend the ban, the proposition’s leadership went to court to defend its constitutionality. But the high court in the way it acted, chose to sidestep ruling directly on same-sex marriage. It simply ruled that the Prop.8 folks didn’t have standing, or the right to argue the matter. So the case is sent back to the 9th circuit with orders to dismiss the case, and based on reports, same-sex marriages can resume again in California.

The Pride Parade in San Francisco on Sunday is going to be extraordinarily celebratory.

After the disappointing decisions on affirmative action and the Voting Rights Act this week, the Supreme Court gives us something to cheer about.

No warm champagne toasts on these decisions.