TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Book Review of Cecilia Brainard's Growing Up Filipino by Multicultural Review

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Book Review of Cecilia Brainard's Growing Up Filipino by Multicultural Review

From Multicultural Review
Vol. 12, Number 3, September 2003

A wide range of views and insights into growing up Filipino are compiled in this anthology of short stories and memoirs. As one who grew up experiencing politically and socially what it means to be part of an ethnic group that has been known as the forgotten Asian Americans, I identify closely with the experiences conveyed by contributors to this volume. On the one hand, Philippine-born writers such as Mar V. Puatu and Anthony L. Tan reminded me of stories my relatives and friends from the Philippines would tell; on the other hand, American-born writers such as Edgar Poma and Vince Gotera struck a personal chord with my experiences as an American-born Filipino.
The term Flip, the penchant for singing songs in front of relatives and friends, social conflicts among American-born and Philippine-born Filipinos, experiences of being gay, and experiences working in migrant camps are among the more significant cultural, social, and political realities depicted in this collection. Because the writings focus on issues related to childhood and adolescence, with a style that appeals to teen readers, this book is highly recommended for young adults>

Sam Cacas, San Francisco, CA
Copyright 2003 Multiculturual Review

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.