Notes from a Curious Bystander (Part IV ) Sea waves, Blazing Flames and People’s Heart

by Arnold De Villa
November 1, 2012
When metaphors transport the symbolisms of art into a representation of reality, the impact of what we see creates the memories of what we live. CIRCA-Pintig and AFIRE, two organizations that have relentlessly worked for the Filipino Immigrant have opened their house in a way that is so unique from other open houses that I have seen. Since they have always used transformative symbols that embark on the struggles of the Filipino immigrant, their open house reflected a passion that have formally bound these two organizations. Their centerpiece was a three-panel artwork fused through the talents of seven young Filipino-American artists: Nasstasha Camba, Ray Espiritu, Raven Guerrero, Crystle Dino, Josh Ong, Carlos Ledesma and Stephanie Camba. It was a masterpiece that depicted a narrative of a cultural emblem, the Filipino’s plight as an immigrant through the shores of a new life.
Those three panels were gradually unwrapped as the sequence of the open house unfolded, intricately presenting the services that these two groups offered to the community, entwined with highlighted clips from a theatrical presentation of Carlos Bulosan’s “America is in the Heart”. Indeed, the combination of theater, art, civic life, advocacy, good citizenship and healthy living formed an inspiring message among an audience treated to an afternoon unlike any other.
To begin with, except for raffle prices, there were no expensive tickets sold in exchange for an expensive dinner and fancy attire. People arrived as they were, awed by the dozen activities mentioned by an intergenerational structure embodied by the values of grassroots education, research services and community arts.
The founders were there. Board members, presidents, supporters, volunteers, veterans, political representatives, organization from other ethnic based groups, family members and friends sat side by side in a standing room nestled in the northeast side of Chicago. This is where the current offices of Circa-Pintig and AFIRE will be, two organizations that have not only survived the peaks and troughs of a non for profit organizational mortality, but actually thrived through the hardships of changes and the scarcity of funds.
For a change I am not focusing my writing on their websites but through a note of a personal involvement with these two groups. Unworthy as I am, I happen to be a board member of AFIRE whose current Board President, Ging Mascarenas, is also the current Board President of CIRCA-Pintig. The Executive Director of AFIRE, Jerry Clarito, happens to be also a Board member of CIRCA-Pintig. And I happen to be there since AFIRE was just a mere spark among the thousands of protesters against an unfair immigration bill that eventually failed. As I happen to be a part of and not merely a bystander, I could claim a little more credibility than just an opinion.
It is indeed a humbling experience to be a part of a group that has persisted and survived despite so many changes and fallouts. When AFIRE gathered people in a church basement as a response to the threats of a pending immigration bill that would criminalize almost anyone without adequate papers, no one planned that AFIRE would be born. It was not an intended reaction. Nevertheless, when strong values guide the zeal and activism of a passionate few, something always brews when the right intent is pursued and the vision is fought for. AFIRE has been involved not only with the cause of the Filipino immigrant but with everything that also empowers the life of a new citizen. As a member of AFIRE, no matter how deactivated I am from the sidelines, I could claim without doubt, that so many efforts have trickled down from a zeal to do to a reality that did, from a passion to see to a vision that saw, and from a dream to a perceived lifestyle.
AFIRE has a Facebook page by the way. Use AFIRE Chicago, search for it, read about it, sign up and try to see if you could fit within its so many facets of civic life. Unfortunately, I am not yet as active as I want to be with CIRCA-Pintig. I think I should be. Being a former “extra” from a theater group in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, I could probably apply as an extra for the so many workshops that they have. As a community art group, CIRCA-Pintig is one of a very few Filipino groups dedicated to the artistic expression of immigrant values through theater. Who knows? Perhaps one of these days, I could also propose an organization of literary and artistic efforts that reflect immigrant values also through CIRCA-Pintig. After all, I am very much aware that there are so many Filipino-American poets, painters, sculptors, creative thinkers, and other fine arts practitioners out there that have not yet harnessed their talents into a more visible and organized entity. If I do not do anything to personally fuse them into a more visible and palpable group, I am sure somebody else will. I just hope that it remains within the folds of CIRCA-Pintig, the most appropriate structure that could catalyze this dream.
To my own loss, I had to leave the open house early, but without first receiving a healthy treat from AFIRE’s lunch. It is very seldom that Filipinos offer fresh salad in any of their parties. The likes of lechon and other high lipid delicacies have been main stays in Filipino gatherings. Not so much with AFIRE. Since healthy living is one of the so many services that AFIRE actively pursues, it is but right that it lives what it preaches. Do you know that there are so many organic chefs and gardeners in the AFIRE infrastructure? I hope that the likes of Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s have a glimpse of this writing and throw some crumbs from their opulent coffers to help fund some of the healthy proposals of AFIRE. I really hope they do.
From the CIRCA-Pintig corner, as I mentioned earlier, highlights from “Allos: The Story of Carlos Bulosan” were offered as an invitation for us to watch their actual play from November 30th through December 8th. Please see details on their website at http://circapintig.com/performance/current-show/. I have seen other works of their Director Luis Pascasio. I guarantee that you will be treated with another excellent presentation.
This is the last and fourth series as a curious bystander. For the next four series, I will play the role of a curious consumer. Wait, watch and see. In the meantime, enjoy the craziness of the forthcoming Halloween season! I do not promote it because I do not consider it a serious celebration, but since it is already there, might as well enjoy it. Keep warm!