League Of Filipino Students at SFSU

​After hearing about the Labor Export Policy, I never would have imagined that I was always exposed to the idea of what it was when I was a little girl, I just never knew that there was an actual term. My parents would always ask me if I wanted to place any items in a box to send to the Philippines, thinking that they were simply just gifts to give to family; little did I know that they were actually necessities in order to help family out there. ​My parents never exposed me to the actual lifestyle of what it’s like to be living in the Philippines. Maybe because my mother is from Manila, and grew up going to expensive schools, she didn’t really have to go through the struggles that my father had dealt with growing up. My father grew up a lot more less fortunate and wasn’t given as many advantages as my mother. They grew up on opposite ends of the spectrum pretty much. So for them, I think it just wasn’t really a big deal, or they just didn’t feel a need to inform me as to what was going on in the Philippines and how the system is out there. ​In my own personal opinion, I see the Labor Export Policy as something that’s saddening more than anything else. Seeing people go out to the dump, just to try and raise money; that shocked me the most. People aren’t aware of what’s really going on in the world. Being part of LFS, I’m hoping to gain more knowledge as to what is really going on in my homeland and to enlighten others on the issues as well. Because the way things are right now, is unacceptable.

So, my name is Clarissa Gonzales. I’m a Pre-Nursing major at SF State and I’m currently a freshman. I guess I can start off with saying that I am the person that I am today because of the state that the Philippine government is under. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for my parents immigrating from the P.I. to go out and find better opportunities for themselves as well as their future. I wouldn’t have had the drive I have now to establish a successful occupation for myself, and to be so focused on my future if it weren’t for the dreams that my parents had when they first stepped foot in America. My mother moved to America when she was only 18 years old and started off with a job at McDonalds, making about $5 an hour. My father was in his early twenties when he moved to America and started out in Richmond, CA, with nothing but a suitcase and the dream of making it in America. ​ Having parents that emigrated from a “third world country” really puts me into perspective of how it’s a responsibility of mine to create a life for myself that my parents didn’t even have the opportunity to achieve in the country that they were born in. Thinking about it too deeply, could honestly bring me to tears because that’s just a serious reality check as to how some people are so ungrateful when it comes to what their parents sacrifice for their families and for the life that they wish they could have. From literally starting off with nothing but a dream, a vision, and a suitcase in one hand, to finally having a life in America that many people wish for, is such an inspiration; in my own personal opinion. If it weren’t for the current government system of the Philippines filled with Imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism and feudalism, my parents wouldn’t have been forced to emigrate from their home, to trying to make a home somewhere else. ​ After the first session of Internship last Saturday, my eyes opened to the realization that the Philippines, my roots, really is in such a corrupted state and people aren’t even aware of it; myself included until the time of internship. My heart hurt hearing that people don’t take pride in being Filipino due to the fact that people are ashamed of being “lower”, or to be labeled as a “minority”. Hearing that people are ashamed to say that they are Filipino because it has negative connotations for the most part, is something that needs to change not just for ourselves as a race, but for everyone everywhere. There can’t be progress in this world with equality if we, ourselves, can’t look at ourselves as equals with everyone else. ​ I hope that one day, I’ll live to see the day that the Philippines isn’t looked at as a naïve country and that they can finally be in a place of independence where the islanders aren’t being taken advantage of. I have a dream where the children of the Philippines can have the same educational opportunities as the children America, and aren’t automatically looked at as children that will grow up to planting rice in the fields to be sent off to other countries. Through the help of League of Filipino Students, I hope to make a change in where I’m from, and where my blood started, to leave a spark in the country that continues to ember in the hearts of Filipinos all over, with the same dream to see a country free of imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism, and feudalism; but a country of National Democracy.

So for last week, we had the topic about different systems of oppression in the U.S.  For once, I was actually able to join in the discussion more because i had experienced it. It’s kind of weird but yea, i felt happy that i went through what i did in the…

so we really got into a deep discussion about…what was it… ah yeee the labor export program  last-last class. during the time, we kind of talked about the large and probably growing numbers of filipinos who are being exported from the philippines and how…

Opportunity and privilege is something that is different for everyone. This work shop that we embarked on really showed that as well as gave us the ability to see what privileges we had as well as our fellow interns that we are a part of. Privileges are…

This internship workshop was my favorite one so far. While it is cool to learn about different political problems and the history of LFS, I thought it was a good change of pace to actually learn more about the other interns and their backgrounds. It was…

Last week, we talked about the systems of oppression, which was mostly a review for me having gone to a high school that heavily focused on social justice. Actually, just kidding – I learned it in Kabataan when I was just becoming a core member. We had to…

I’m grateful that I’m taking this class. I barely remember a lecture about Labor Export Policy when I was in elementary or high school. I always thought every policy that has been made has affected Filipinos in positive ways. Maybe I was focusing more on…

Last week, we went more into depth with the OFW phenomenon by covering the Labor Export Program. Much like last week, the concept of the LEP was something that I was only a little bit familiar with but never really went into depth with the concept. It was…

Before anything else, I’m really glad that AB 123 had passed. I went to Central Valley with Migrante and Kabataan just last weekend for Destination Delano and it was so fun. I was able to build with folks from Anakbayan LA and hear from actual farmers; as…

Last ED was all about the Labor Export Policy.  Going back to this workshop always makes me agitated because of how forced migration is used as a way for generating profit for the 1%.  It’s one of the main reasons we’re here as Filipinos outside of the…