Never Forget > Oral Histories
ORAL HISTORIES
The oral histories featured in this exhibit represent a snapshot of the anti-martial law movement. The documentation of martial law and its opposition movement, through interviews, oral histories, and testimonies, has been a crucial part of the preservation of anti-martial law history in the Philippines and the diaspora. With the return of the Marcoses to political power, remembering and teaching this history are political acts in the face of historical revisionism and disinformation.There are four activists featured on this page: Xenia Tupas, Cathy Miraballes, Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough, and Enrique de la Cruz. Their activism spans decades and shows a lifelong commitment to social justice. Whether going through the clips or the whole interview, their stories ground listeners in a grassroots history of martial law, and they remind us to “never forget.”
Xenia Tupas
As a provincial journalist in the 1980s, Xenia Tupas learned the realities of Martial Law in Negros Occidental which emboldened her to work on human rights and land rights before moving to Los Angeles to work and became involved in Migrante.
Video Information:
Interviewer: Joy Sales, Ph.D.
Camera, Sound, Edit: Emory Chao Johnson
Cathy Miraballes
As a youth in the Philippines, Cathy immersed with peasant and indigenous communities. She was part of Student Christian Movement and then joined GABRIELA. Now, she is a full-time caregiver and is a member of Migrante Los Angeles.
Video Information:
Interviewer: Lucy MSP Burns, Ph.D.
Camera, Sound, Edit: Emory Chao Johnson
Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough
Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough is a lifelong political activist who fought the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines and is a strong proponent of immigrant and minority rights in the US. Her experience covers careers in the private, public and academic sectors – from a legislative and financial analyst for a major petroleum company, a field deputy and community organizer with the City of Los Angeles and as an adjunct faculty in Asian American Studies at CSU Fullerton.
Video Information:
Interviewer: Barbra Ramos
Camera, Sound, Edit: Emory Chao Johnson
Enrique de la Cruz
Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus for Asian American Studies and has served as Assistant Director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, where he helped establish UCLA’s Asian American Studies Department. Dr. de la Cruz is a lifelong community activist whose research interests include race and racism, US-Philippine relations, and the Filipino American opposition to the Marcos dictatorship.
Video Information:
Interviewer: Joy Sales, Ph.D.
Camera, Sound, Edit: Emory Chao Johnson
