"The Philippines Reader" illuminates the history of the continuing struggle of the Philippines people for true independence and social justice. Daniel Schirmer and Stephen Shalom have put together a single volume readings and documents providing essential background-- from the turn-of-the-century U.S. war of conquest to the new administration of Corazon Aquino. Analytical articles from varying authors explore, among other topics, the nature of the U.S. colonial regime, the role of the church, conflicts with national minorities, the situation of labor, peasants and women, and U.S. policy, as well as prospects for the future. Documentary selections in this "Philippines Reader" come from such diverse sources as the CIA and the State Department; U.S. Presidents McKinley and Reagan; Philippine leaders Aguinaldo and Aquino; Philippine nationalist and left organizations such as the Anti-Base Coalition, Bayan, Kaakbay, and the New People's Army; and U.S. opponents of foreign intervention. The editors introduce, explain, and tie together over eighty readings making this the most complete introduction available on events in the Philippines.

An overview and analysis of the role of English in the Philippines, the factors that led to its spread and retention, and the characteristics of Philippine English today.

Filipino Americans, who experience life in the United States as immigrants, colonized nationals, and racial minorities, have been little studied, though they are one of our largest immigrant groups. Based on her in-depth interviews with more than one hundred Filipinos in San Diego, California, Yen Le Espiritu investigates how Filipino women and men are transformed through the experience of migration, and how they in turn remake the social world around them. Her sensitive analysis reveals that Filipino Americans confront U.S. domestic racism and global power structures by living transnational lives that are shaped as much by literal and symbolic ties to the Philippines as they are by social, economic, and political realities in the United States. Espiritu deftly weaves vivid first-person narratives with larger social and historical contexts as she discovers the meaning of home, community, gender, and intergenerational relations among Filipinos. Among other topics, she explores the ways that female sexuality is defined in contradistinction to American mores and shows how this process becomes a way of opposing racial subjugation in this country. She also examines how Filipinos have integrated themselves into the American workplace and looks closely at the effects of colonialism.