Transcript

INTRODUCTION BEGINS

Mark Pulido: I'm going to give you a sound of what utang na loob., OK, and you hear that.?

Leezel Tanglao: What is that? You know what it is? A stapler?

Mark Pulido: It's a cassette tape.

And I found it because I'm at home now and I found it. So this is just an audio cassette tape. But but on the little label, it says PVC.

And that's Phillip Vera Cruz.

This is a cassette tape from 1991, and I'm I'm scared to play it because I know that what's contained in this is more speaks more to my debt of gratitude.

There's going to be more in here because I could remember the conversation I had with him about about NAFTA, you know, about about globalization, about the impact on workers. I mean, all of that came flooding to me when I picked this thing up. My actually, my my son brought it to me because it was in a desk in his room and he said, Dad, Daddy, what's this?

Leezel Tanglao: In Blood Debts, we tell the stories of choices and sacrifices to pay back what is owed and pay forward something of value.

I’m your host, Leezel Tanglao.

On this podcast, we talk about one of the few through lines in people’s lives - debt.

You’ll hear stories from the Filipino diaspora around how debt has impacted all aspects of life from those in the medical field, public service sector to creative arts.

As a journalist, I’ve spent more than a decade reporting on the financial aspects of debt in diverse communities.

But many carry debts beyond money.

In this episode we talk to Mark Pulido, who served as a councilman and mayor of the city of Cerritos, California. In addition to his elected roles, Mark is a long time community member who has worked to gain more visibility on Filipino American history especially with the manongs of the Delano grape strikes.

We talk about his political journey and how Filipino Americans play a crucial role in bridging the gaps of history, time and what we owe to future generations.

INTRODUCTION ENDS

Hi, my name is Mark Pulido and I'm a resident of the city of Cerritos, where I'm a former mayor and council member of this city of Cerritos. And my day job is as the deputy chief of staff to United States Congressman Alan Lowenthal.

Because I am a student of our community history and I'm aware of the struggles of the modern generation, I'm I'm particularly moved by the efforts of manong Larry Itliong post farmworker movement… Larry Itliong, who really was the militant vocal leadership that started the grape strike, you know, in the middle of all that, the strike was in 1965 the next year, 1966.

He was probably the first Filipino American to run for public office. He ran for Delanoe City Council in 1966. He he didn't make it. But he paved the way for Leonard Velasco, who would eventually be elected in 1972 to the L.A. City Council, who eventually became the mayor of Delano.

And so, Larry and all the other models, it wasn't just about an increase in wages or better working conditions or even a contract, it was really about becoming full American citizens. They have been here as nationals before in the 20s and 30s. They fought World War Two. These were veterans. They had organized in the labor movement, but they were very politically astute and very politically active.

And that's the history that not a lot of people are aware about, which has been said about the contributions to the labor movement of the modern generation. But I submit to you and to our community that they they are truly the political trailblazers who segued from the the fields to the to the ballot boxes. And manong Larry didn't stop in 66, you know, in 1972, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Miami.

And so he wasn't just about local politics, he was about national politics. That's why I wasn't surprised when Larry, Philip Vera Cruz, Bob, all of them were very active in building up FOPA. — Filipino American Political Association, which was very active.

The organization. NAAFAA, could trace its roots back to picking up where our community left off during the martial law period.

And so you didn't really see a lot of Filipino Americans running for office, not until probably the late 80s, early 90s and with the election of Pete Fajardo in Carson being the first directly elected mayor in America on the mainstream, on the mainland. So that's clearly 20 years after 1972 election of of two trailblazers manong Larry Leonard Velasco in Delano and attorney Monte Manibog, who got elected to the Monterey Park City Council. But though those two trailblazers, you know, pave the way, it would take another 20 years before we would start seeing people run again in the in the early 90s, feel a great debt of gratitude to those monuments, to those trailblazers, to those Filipino Americans who were the first to achieve all these different things, to do my part, to try and push my generation to build upon their past successes. And for it to be about something, then I wouldn't just be someone who would fill a position but to use that position….to advocate. You know, for changes, for advancement for our community, and so that's how I approached that, the deep sense of a debt of gratitude that I still carry to this day.

No one had to tell all of those who came before us to say, hey, why don't you lead? No, they said they they felt the moral imperative to take what they knew in order to right wrongs and seek justice.

And in this case, to to respond to a global pandemic. I mean, what what more do we need order for us to be called to action? And here you felt it, the frustration even among the most talented leaders in in your generation, you felt that it wasn't enough.

 And so I think that's it. You know, it's like that's really what our community has has always needed for people who will step up. And I think that's really what this conversations about. It's about stepping up, it's never about, you know, you feel like you have to pay someone back. Your eyes are open, your mind is open, your heart is open to stepping up and initiating and getting things done. I mean, that's really what this conversation is about and needs to always be about.

What next?

What do we need to do?

OUTRO BEGINS

There are many sides to debt.

This series intends to take you on a journey through defining and redefining debt through stories of Filipinos in the diaspora.

That’s all for this episode, thank you for listening.

To find out more about the series and upcoming episodes and resources, visit Blooddebts.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Blood Debts is produced and hosted by me Leezel Tanglao.

This series is a legacy project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program.

Shoutout to FYLPRO Batch 8.

This series is dedicated to all those who struggle to talk about uncomfortable issues and for all those who ever felt overlooked.

I see you.

I hear you.

OUTRO ENDS