COMMUNITY & CULTURE
suffered by citizens at the hands of the government. He and his
publishing partner also began a daily radio program of the same name,
which went further in its exposé of the administration.
That year charted my course. I had lived a comfortable, pampered
existence; but now, at age 11, I had a front-row seat to the dawn of the
People Power Revolution that ultimately toppled the dictatorship. It
was also at this time that I became captivated by the news and with
becoming a journalist.
My dad’s visibility as an opposition leader was on the rise, and it
wasn’t unusual to have reporters and cameras stationed at our home
on a regular basis. There was an organized opposition march along
Roxas Boulevard every Sunday, where you’d find my dad leading
the charge, megaphone in hand. A few times, I’d accompany him on
late-night runs to the printer as he oversaw the distribution of the
newspaper for delivery. There were plenty of sink-or-swim instances
when I had to take part in an assembly line to fold papers by hand in
order to get them out. For me, the adrenaline was exhilarating!
It was inevitable that my dad’s “subversive activities,” as one
government official put it, landed him on the “hit list.” In due time, he
would come under constant surveillance by men in dark suits. Their
intimidation tactics only served to embolden my dad even more, and
he would taunt the snoops on his live radio broadcast. It wasn’t long
until me, my mom and siblings also became targets. We were followed
to the mall, to church and to family gatherings, among other places.
Within two years’ time - and much to my parents’ surprise - my
family was granted visas to leave for the U.S. It could not have come
at a more critical time, as the political tensions were threatening to
erupt. And so it was that my family started our new life, and I began to
write the American chapter of mine. I was just shy of 13.
My experiences from one continent to another, from childhood
into adulthood, from one chapter to the next continue to form the
layers of my personal history. While my story is inherent to my being,
every day, millions and millions of immigrants are adding to their own
narratives, enriching the social fabric of their adopted country.
It is with this premise that we at Gazelle STL welcome you to
The Melting Pot - a new monthly feature that chronicles the stories
of people who may not have been born here, but now call America
home. Watch for more stories on this space, beginning in February.
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY
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