On meeting Dr. Belinda Aquino & Tom Coffman (of "The Making of Ninoy and the Rise of People Power") @ UHM today

I just erased three paragraphs, but here's more... ;)

To make a long story short, I am so happy to see this documentary and hope that people are inspired to learn more about Ninoy Aquino's work. His assasination is the last memory I have of being in my country, and in turn has left an lasting impression on me. If any of you would like to view this documentary, please email me and we will organize a viewing session for this very important documentary. The film itself is not that long, but gives a clear photograph of the country's political state and the positive impact this man made in the Philippines (and eventually to the whole world).

Tom Coffman was friendly and immediately greeted us upon arrival. He was eager to find out what led us to that room and I had some personal stories to share. Before we left, he gave us (Seph, Ruben Campos [who is an Anthropology graduate student writing his thesis on hip hop in Hawai'i]and I) each a copy of the film and exchanged email addresses. I really hope to keep in touch with him and get more involved. Tom was a journalist, independent researcher & historian, before he was a writer and producer. He was also a fomer political journalist and the bureau chief for the Honolulu Advertiser and Star Bulletin. He has written a number of books worth checking out as well.

I also had the pleasure of sitting with Dr. Belinda "Lindy" Aquino (no relation to Ninoy Aquino). She was very open and invited Seph and I to come talk to her at her office on any given afternoon. Needless to say, I took her up on it immediately. We sat for about 2 hours, just talking about our personal journeys. We spoke on many things and found that we shared some things in common, such as difficulty/length of time in acquiring U.S. citizenship. She is also a dear friend and patient of my previous boss (Dr. Jorge Camara), when I worked for Aloha Medical Mission on their benefit concert in the fall of 2009. She turned me on to some literary works that she thought I would be interested in, as well as some of her own books. It was also interesting to learn that Dr. Lindy Aquino was blacklisted and could not return to the Philippines.

I am so excited to be able to talk to someone about my experience, as it has come full circle with my gaining U.S. citizenship after over 25 years. This followed Cory Aquino's death a few months later and Ninoy's death anniversary was celebrated a year prior. For the first time, I had found what I had been missing all these years, and felt that pieces of me were suddenly coming together. I was the only one in that room who was actually there in the P.I. during Ninoy Aquino's assasination, but as a child who just 7-year old. I remember attending political demonstrations with my older sister. I also remember how unstable the country was during that time, although the people had finally begun to exercise their fight for freedom through the "People Power" demonstrations. I never realized how big of an impact those early years would make on my life.

I have been inspired by the life of Ninoy Aquino & his wife Cory, the first female president in the Philippines or Republika ng Pilipinas. If you are looking for some inspiration, there are tons on video clips on the Aquinos on youtube, and many books on this topic. Please feel free to email me if you would like to find out where you can get this documentary. Mahalo... Mabuhay!