The legacy of Carlos Bulosan
When Carlos Bulosan died in Seattle nearly 43
years ago, he was a forgotten man whose years of fame and literary success were long
behind him. Then for nearly two decades he fell deeper into obscurity, as his books went
out of print.
But it was also in Seattle that Bulosan was reborn, and
where today his legacy is being rediscovered.
This week, a mural will be installed at the International
District's Eastern Hotel, 506 Maynard Ave., as part of the Carlos Bulosan
Memorial Exhibit, a project opening within the next month that honors Bulosan and a
disappearing generation of Filipino laborers.
For years, the Eastern was home to workers waiting to head for
Alaska canneries or the fields of Eastern Washington. Bulosan, too, is believed to
have stayed at the Eastern.
"We wanted to create a space that pays tribute to the
influences that Filipinos have had in the neighborhood," said Aileen Balahadia, a
project volunteer. "And we wanted to pay homage to the critical role they had in
bettering the lives of all the workers."
Balahadia added: "We also wanted to claim Carlos Bulosan
as one of our own. He was an integral part of Seattle, of the International District and
of the Filipino community."
While Bulosan was saved from obscurity, many people, even
in the Filipino-American community, remain unfamiliar with his work, Balahadia said.
The mural, titled "Can You Read the Secrets of History in
My Face?" - a line from a poem by Bulosan - was painted by California artist
Eliseo Silva, who was chosen after a nationwide competition.
It depicts a panorama of scenes inspired by Bulosan's works,
particularly "America Is in the Heart," the fictionalized autobiography that
chronicles the brutal exploitation and prejudice Filipinos faced during the 1930s and
'40s.
The exhibit, to be housed in the Eastern Hotel's lobby, will
also feature historical photographs and artifacts, some saved from the hotel, which was
renovated last year and transformed into low-income housing. There are also plans to
include video interviews of a few remaining old-timers, Balahadia said.
The resurgence of interest in Bulosan actually began in
1973, when the University of Washington republished "America Is in the Heart,"
considered Bulosan's most important work.
A generation of young Asian Americans eager for information
about culture and history embraced the book. Its success prompted the University of
Washington Press to publish other works by forgotten Asian-American writers, and it has
stayed in print ever since, becoming required reading for many courses in Asian-American
studies.
In 1984, local Asian-American activists spearheaded a successful
fund-raising effort to replace the simple marker on Bulosan's grave with a larger polished
black granite headstone.
Other works by Bulosan were later resurrected from the
extensive archive of unpublished works donated to the University of Washington, mostly by
Josephine Patrick, who lived with Bulosan during his final years. Three years ago,
Temple University Press published "The Cry and the Dedication," his novel
written in the 1950s and published in limited editions as "The Power of the
People" during the 1970s.
There was also renewed acceptance of Bulosan in his
homeland. In the 1950s, as the Philippines struggled with a communist peasant rebellion, Bulosan
became persona non grata because of his leftist sympathies. But since the end of the
Marcos years, Bulosan has found an audience. Earlier this year The National Press
Club of the Philippines set up a foundation for the Carlos S. Bulosan
Prizes, which organizers hope will be the equivalent of this nation's Pulitzer Prizes.
Six years ago, when former Philippine President Fidel Ramos
spoke to Filipino groups during a visit to the U.S., he paid tribute to Bulosan and
asked his audiences to remember Bulosan's ideals and struggles.
"If life is so much better here for minority groups today,
they owe a great part of that change to this man - Carlos Bulosan,"
Ramos was quoted as saying at an event in Chicago.
Bulosan's works have also inspired other artists. Last year, the
Ma-yi Theater Ensemble in New York performed "perigriNasyon ("Wandering
Nation"), a play by Chris Millado that's based on "America Is in the
Heart."
Younger generations of Filipinos continue to draw lessons from
Bulosan's life and work.
For Balahadia, work on the exhibit has led to a better
appreciation of the perseverance of the earlier generation of workers.
Balahadia said she first heard about Bulosan from friends
while she was a student at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
"I think I wanted to be more in touch with my history, and
going to a predominantly Caucasian institution made me turn more inward," Balahadia
said. "I found comfort in hearing his story."
Silva, who emigrated from the Philippines in 1989 when he was 17
- roughly the same age Bulosan was when he first came to Seattle - said
"America Is in the Heart" is the first novel he has ever read.
"Before I did the mural, I couldn't point to a person who I
considered was the voice of Filipinos in America, in the way that Cesar Chavez is to
Latinos."
Although the traffic hasn't quite reached Bruce Lee proportions,
a stream of visitors make pilgrimages to Bulosan's grave. Last month a group of historians
paid a visit.
Recently, a note was left beside Bulosan's headstone. The
writer, who couldn't be tracked down, shares Bulosan's maiden name. Although Bulosan
is not known to have had any children, the writer calls him "Grandpa," a common
Filipino practice when addressing family elders. It read:
"July 17, 1999, 13:29
Dearest Grandpa Carlos,
Your sister Escolastica passed away last December in Binalonan.
We had a great chat about you. Thanks a million for being who you are. I will continue
your vision - your vision that I did not know we commonly shared until now.
With all my love,
Your grandson,
R. Sampayan"
To purchase: America Is In The Heart or
The Cry and the Dedication or other books by Carlos Bulosan,
click here bulosan2.htm
Copyright © 1999 The Seattle Times
Company
Lifestyles : Sunday, August 08, 1999
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