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Filipino Faith: The Role of Religion in Diasporic Communities in America and Beyond

Panel Discussion | October 21 | 5 p.m. | Moses Hall, 223, IIS Conference Room

Panelist/Discussants: Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III, Associate Professor of Politics and Director of the Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program at the University of San Francisco; Benjamin Pimentel, Author of 'Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama's America'

Moderator: Catherine Choy, Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies

Sponsors: Religion, Politics and Globalization Program (RPGP)), The Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity, Southeast Asia Studies, Center for

What role does religion play in the social, political, economic, and cultural integration of the Filipino diaspora in "Obama's America"? In this discussion, author Benjamin Pimentel and Professor Joaquin Gonzalez will explore how Filipino American religious institutions act as essential locations for civic engagement, illuminating how Filipino spiritual experiences can offer a lens for viewing this migrant community. They will detail how the Filipino journey in America has intersected, sometimes collided, with those of other communities, and how it has taken a dramatic turn as America enters a new era of anxiety and hope.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III is Associate Professor of Politics and Director of the Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program at the University of San Francisco. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, he was appointed San Francisco Commissioner for Immigrant Rights and Mayor George Christopher Chair in Public Administration at Golden Gate University. He is the author or co-author of several books, including Filipino American Faith in Action (New York University Press) and Religion on the Corner of Bliss and Nirvana (Duke University Press).

Benjamin Pimentel was a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle for 14 years and now covers technology for MarketWatch. He co-produced "Toxic Sunset," a documentary about the environmental damage caused by the US bases in the Philippines, which won the Golden Gate Award at the 1994 San Francisco International Film Festival. His first novel Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street was adapted for the stage by the Cultural Center of the Philippine’s Tanghalang Pilipino and won the National Book Award Juan C. Laya Prize for Fiction in 2008. His latest book, 'Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama's America' was published last year.

Event Contact: rpgp@berkeley.edu, 510-642-2474