obiography of Luis Taruc, a leader of a communist rebellion in the Philippines. This man was Carlos Bulosan. He became active organizing unions for the farms that her worked for; however, the life as roaming farm worker took a huge toll on his health. While in the hospital for his illnesses, he made companions who guided him through his self-education. He even made influential contacts in the publishing world. He published many volumes of poetry; even more, President Franklin Roosevelt chose him to write one of the four essays in The Four Freedoms, a popular wartime collection. He often wrote about the prejudices of living in his adopted country. Bulosan even married a white woman, which was very frowned against. Carlos Bulosan may very well be the Filipino-American equivalent of W.E.B. DuBois.Many similarities appear in the stories of being African American and Filipino-American. Before World War II, it would be very common to see signs all over the west coast that read “Dogs and Filipinos positively not allowed.” They didn’t occupy the same rights that African Americans couldn’t have: the right to vote, own property, and become citizens. Filipino-Americans also worked strenuously on plantations, working for almost nothing at all. It was very hard for either races to get passed being “African” or “Filipino” and just be Americans. Even today, African Americans and Filipino-Americans still have problems being American. Filipinos desire the “American life;” yet, people of their own kind would look down at them for trying to be “white-washed.” Even more so, other races still have a hard time accepting them as just “Americans,” much like any other foreigners. Even with the world opening up to different races, African Americans have a discriminating sign tagged on their backs. People are trying to see past it, but the terrible racism of the past still haunts ...
