Book Launch of "Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama's America"

January 10, 2008 | Los Angeles, CA 

“For many Filipinos in America, (the election of Barack Obama) is a time of celebration and pride. For others, of concern, even fear.” – Benjamin Pimentel. 

The Filipino American Library (FAL) will present a Book Launch of Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama’s America on Saturday, January 10 at 1:00pm at IMIX Bookstore (5052 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041). Please RSVP for this free event by contacting reibanez@sbcglobal.net or 310-218-8258. 

“In the end there were more people who were ready to move on, to break ground, to reimagine the United States , to redefine America ,” writes Pimentel. “It will be Obama’s face and voice that my sons will see and hear on television and on the Internet over the next four years, maybe longer. It will be Pareng Barack who will play a critical role in defining my sons’ future in America ” (from Inquirer.net). 

In FAL Book Launches, authors introduce their Filipino works of literature with residents of Greater Los Angeles. Mr. Pimentel will sign copies of Pareng Barack, which will be on sale that day. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Admission is free and donations are accepted online at www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org. Recent FAL Book Launches include Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos and Filipinos in Hollywood by Carina Monica Montoya.

Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama’s America by Benjamin Pimentel is about Obama’s incredible march to the American presidency, and about how Filipinos responded – often with excitement, sometimes with fear and dread – to his campaign and victory. It is also about the Filipino journey in America, how it 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. 

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. 

Founded on October 13, 1985 by “Auntie Helen” Agcaoili Summers Brown, FAL is the first and largest Filipino library in the country with a collection of more than 6,000 titles. Its mission is to actively promote the history, culture, and professional achievements of Filipinos and Filipino Americans through the book collection, leadership development, and cultural programming, thereby contributing to the achievement of a culturally dynamic, multiethnic America . 

Given that FAL primarily survives on individual donations and one major annual fundraiser, it relies on its many supporters to continue its programs and services throughout the year. If anyone would like to give a donation online, please feel free to visit www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org. Checks may also be mailed to 135 N. Park View St. , Los Angeles , CA 90026 and made payable to “Filipino American Library”. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. 

FAL is a division of the Filipino American Heritage Institute (Nonprofit Tax ID Number 95-4282571). It is open Mondays-Fridays 1:00-5:00pm and by appointment. For more information, please contact filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net or 213-382-0488.