Cultural Resilience

Globalization: Response and Responsibility. This year's theme at the I-Hotel Manilatown Center's art series.

So this brings up a good question for all of us: How will you be culturally resilient in the midst of globalization? How will I?

Although I'm still going through a quiet transition, adjusting to my return to the U.S. and processing my experience in the Philippines-the joy and pain of it--I think about personal response and responsibility in the global world quite a bit. The next step is to make change. For now, I am formulating my direction...so it was great to be included in this section of the show: "Cultural Resilience." But my initial thoughts on this are on display at the show...along with artwork by Clarissa Cue, Johanna Poethig and Shizue Seigel. The work displayed, while unified by questions of identity, also show great contrast in response to the question of Globalization, each artist responding differently.

But, what will all of our responses to globalization be? My own has been to look back to the past, to my precolonial roots...to "indigenize" myself...a common thing for many Fil-Ams to do. In Iloilo at the KAPWA2 Conference, Filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik recommended that we bring out the "Indo-GENIOUS" of our ancestors... I saw a lot of this with the young artists I met in the Philippines and of many young artists here in the states. I think it's a cultural phenomena that's occurring worldwide, under the radar of major media and probably not getting play because it's a powerful thing.

Going to the I-Hotel Manilatown Center yesterday was a good thing for me. Good for my family too. It gave Uncle Donn an opportunity to explain to Miles the importance and history of the I-Hotel. My mom came, and so did three of my kids and their significant others, along with my sister Kelly, and grandbaby Amaya. Memories of visiting the I-Hotel with dad and remembering all the history there and seeing the manongs in my mind--these were good things. Revisiting the past is always good.

Which brings up another thing: The archive at the center is up and running. Here's a good way to review the history of the I-Hotel. You can access it at: manilatownarchives.blogspot.com

Check out the show "Cultural Resilience," at the I-Hotel Manilatown Center, 868 Kearny Street (at Jackson), San Francisco, CA. It runs until November 15th, 2008. Gallery hours: 1-6 pm (Tues-Sat)