Filipino

Noel Shaw Papers

APA Staff
Date Range: 1992 – 2003
Survey Conducted: Thu, 2010-11-11
Creator: Shaw, Noel

History: Born in 1961 in New York City, Noel Shaw is a filmmaker and writer whose work explores the experiences of the Filipino diaspora and highlights the diversity within it. Most recently, he directed, produced, and wrote the short Kundiman (Pinoy Noir Films, 2008), which illustrates the impact of politics on an individual’s life. His work has been screened at the London Film Festival, Brussels International Independent Film Festival, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. He served as the Distribution & Marketing Director at Third World Newsreel from 1999 to 2001 and as the Publications Director at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop from 2001 to 2004.

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Mark Hall Amitin/ World of Culture for the Performing Arts, Inc. Archive

APA Staff
Date Range: 1946 – 2001
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2009-10-23
Creator: Mark Hall Amitin/World of Culture for the Performing Arts, Inc.

History: Mark Hall Amitin received his doctoral degree from the Universite Paris VIII in 1978. He went on to present lectures and workshops at universities in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Asia. He worked as a consultant and producer for several major theatre festivals, including the American College Theatre Festival, the Rhode Island Theatre Festival, the Festival Mondial du Theatre in Nancy, France, and the New Theatre Festival in Baltimore. He has published articles on theatre and performance in academic journals and contributed articles and reviews on film and theatre to books, magazines, and newspapers. He has also acted in, and directed, film, television, and theatre projects in the United States as well as in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

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Robert Lee and Eleanor Yung Papers, Asian American Arts Centre Collection

APA Staff
Date Range: 1968 – 2001
Survey Conducted: Tue, 2011-01-25
Creator: Lee, Robert (b.1944) and Yung, Eleanor (b.1946); Asian American Arts Centre

History: Partners Robert Lee, an author and curator, and Eleanor Yung, a choreographer and acupuncturist, were both involved in establishing the Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC). In addition to the AAAC, Lee and Yung have held leadership roles in national and New York City-based Asian American cultural and political organizations, dedicating their careers to supporting Asian American artists and their work. Read more →

Filipino American Human Services, Inc. Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1992 – 2010
Survey Conducted: Thu, 2010-03-04
Creator: Filipino American Human Services, Inc.

History: Founded in 1993, Filipino American Human Services, Inc. was the first social services organization to serve the Filipino and Filipino American community in New York City. Recognizing that Filipino Americans were underserved in the realm of social services, the Asian American Federation (AAF), under the consultation of its two Filipino board members at the time, Dr. Jean Raymundo Lobell and Attorney Reuben Seguritan, organized the Filipino American Planning Initiative Forum in November 1992. It was a result of this forum and funding from AAF that FAHSI was founded. Read more →

Asian Women in Business Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1995 – 2010
Survey Conducted: Mon, 2009-02-23
Creator: Asian Women in Business
*Note: As of 2021, Asian Women in Business is no longer an active organization.

History: The non-profit organization, Asian Women in Business (AWIB), was founded in 1995 to provide resources and support for Asian women entrepreneurs. AWIB hosts workshops, seminars, conferences, and networking events to support the development of Asian women in business and since its founding has served over 27,000 women and people of color through its programming. Driven by a desire to increase the number of women and minority owned businesses, AWIB sponsors an annual Procurement Conference, at which minority women business entrepreneurs have the opportunity to establish relationships with corporate and government buyers, as well as an annual Asian Women’s Corporate Leadership Conference and Leadership Awards Ceremony and Dinner. To encourage young Asian women to attend college and assume leadership positions, AWIB awards an annual academic scholarship.
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Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Records

APA Staff
Colored drawing of two hands shaking. One represents AFL and the other CIO.
Date Range: 1992 – 2011
Survey Conducted: Wed, 2011-05-11
Creator: Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)

History: Dedicated to the needs and concerns of Asian Pacific American (APA) workers the foundations for the creation of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) were laid in 1990 when a number of APA labor activists presented the AFL-CIO with a proposal to better address a continued under-representation among APA workers in the labor movement by forming a national APA labor organization. Following the lessons learned from the examples of APA labor leaders in history, they understood the necessity of forming labor alliances, and sought to get more APA workers into unions, especially, those working in historically important industries such as garment factories and restaurants.The founders recognized that, in addition to traditional issues like fair wages, health care, and dignity, APA workers faced other challenges and workplace discrimination. Despite the popularity of a ‘model minority myth’ about Asian Pacific Americans, there are many misunderstandings about the ability of many Asian Pacific Americans to achieve economic security and prosperity. While the median income of APA workers is higher than the national average, there is tremendous difference between specific ethnic groups – some experience high rates of poverty and others have incomes that are substantially loser than the national average. Other disadvantages related to immigration status, discrimination, language ability and education force many Asian Pacific Americans into low-paying and insecure jobs, often accompanied by exploitation, discrimination and harsh conditions.

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Asia Pacific Forum Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1998 – 2011APF logo
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2011-01-28
Creator: Asia Pacific Forum

History: Broadcasting on WBAI 99.5 FM and streaming live on the web every Monday from 9-10 pm, Asia Pacific Forum (APF) is “a progressive pan-Asian radio show” based in New York City focusing on culture and politics. APF’s broadcasts cover underreported stories from Asia and Asian America and explore topics including activism, civil and human rights, foreign policy, immigration, history, labor, literature, pop culture, and the performing arts. WBAI is part of the Pacifica Foundation, a non-commercial and listener-sponsored national radio network founded in 1946 with about 50 additional affiliates in Houston, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Washington, D.C., and other cities across the United States.
APF has operated as a collective since its founding. Current core collective members are Zhaleh Afshar, Saara Azadi, Olivia Canlas, Mijounga Chan, Michelle Chen, Aniruddha Das, Naved Husain, Danny Kim, Aruna Krishnakumar, and Hyun Lee.

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Arkipelago Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1994 – 2007
Survey Conducted: Sat, 2009-04-18
Creator: Arkipelago

History: Arkipelago is a New York City-based volunteer-run cultural organization that promotes critical dialogue and community engagement in issues of concern to the Philippines and the Filipino Diaspora. Arkipelago grew out of a one-night commemoration in December 1993 of Human Rights Day through songs, poetry, and dances planned by Susan Quimpo, other older Filipino activists and Youth for Philippine Action (YPA). The event was named “Arkipelago,” the Tagalog translation of the word “archipelago,” which brought to mind the Philippines archipelago and its inhabitants’ displacement by recent diasporas. The entirely Filipino community funded event, which drew more than two hundred Filipino and Filipino Americans, turned into a venue for community members to talk about immigrant rights, AIDS (which disproportionately affected Filipinos), generational gaps and problems, and racism. The event’s success prompted Arkipelago’s steering committee to continue its community building and organizing work.

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AFL-CIO Printed Ephemera Collection

APA Staff
Date Range: 1949 – 2007
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2011-04-08
Creator: AFL-CIO

History: The AFL-CIO was created from the merger of two major labor organizations. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), a craft-oriented union, had been formed in 1886, while the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) had broken away from the AFL in the late 1930s after internal disputes. The two unions merged in 1955 and George Meany was elected as the first president of the new AFL-CIO. Meany was succeeded in 1979 by Lane Kirkland. Because it is a voluntary federation of labor unions, the AFL-CIO represents nearly all unionized employees in the U.S. and Canada. Member unions are permitted proportional representation by delegates with voting power. The AFL-CIO lobbies on behalf of unionized labor and steps in as a mediator when member unions are in conflict.

Sources: “Guide to the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)” Last updated August 21, 2018. http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/pe_021/.

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