Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley
If you are in the downtown Santa Cruz area, consider visiting the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History for the Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley.
I grew up in Manila and learned only about the history of the Philippines in school. I am not familiar with the history of Filipinos settling in the United States since the early 20th century, so this exhibit was a special treat. The US government and commercial farmers recruited Filipinos to work as cheap laborers in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California. Majority of the Filipino immigrants, young and single men, worked in the agricultural jobs. There were a few women as well. Most worked on farms which were extremely physically demanding, with harsh conditions and low pay. These migrants are known as “manongs” and “manangs,” (terms of respect similar to elder brothers or sisters). One of the agricultural areas they settled in was the Pajaro Valley.
Most of the stories we learned in schools are from outsider perspectives. This exhibit celebrates the vibrant community of the period with archival pictures and illustrates the resiliency of the Filipino community. (Sowing Seeds is curated by Christina Ayson Plank with Meleia Simon-Reynolds, Dr. Kathleen Gutierrez, and Dr. Steve McKay in collaboration with The Tobera Project. The exhibition is organized by WIITH and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. )
