[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25853]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE BOOK LAUNCH OF ``FILIPINOS IN CARSON AND THE SOUTH BAY'' 
           BY FLORANTE PETER IBANEZ AND ROSELYN ESTEPA IBANEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 27, 2009

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a 
very significant event that occurred in my district last Friday, 
October 23, 2009. That day marked the public introduction of an 
important new book, ``Filipinos in Carson and the South Bay.'' I am 
proud that the co-authors of this book are my constituents, Mr. 
Florante Peter Ibanez, and his wife, Roselyn Estepa Ibanez. Florante is 
a library manager at Loyola Law School and adjunct professor at Loyola 
Marymount University where he teaches a course entitled ``The Filipino 
American Experience.'' Rose serves as the board chair for the Filipino 
American Library and works for the City of Los Angeles in the 
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.
  Their work, ``Filipinos in Carson and the South Bay,'' chronicles the 
rich history and significant contributions made by Filipino Americans 
to the City of Carson, the state of California, and the United States. 
It is an extensively researched and meticulously documented history of 
the Filipino experience. In addition to the general population, 
students of history, political science, anthropology, sociology, and 
other academic disciplines will find this work a welcome addition. I 
thank Florante Peter Ibanez and Roselyn Estepa Ibanez for undertaking 
this enormous task and salute their achievement.
  Madam Speaker, October 2009 has been proclaimed Filipino American 
History Month in my home state of California and the U.S. Senate 
adopted a similar resolution earlier this month. It is my hope and 
expectation that the House will act very soon and favorably on H. Res. 
155, a resolution I am proud to co-sponsor. This resolution will put 
the House on record in strong support of observing October as Filipino 
American History Month.
  Madam Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to represent the people 
of the 37th Congressional District of California, which is one of the 
most ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse congressional 
districts in the country. This is especially true of Carson, one of the 
major cities in the district. Carson is comprised of roughly equal 
populations of Hispanics, African Americans, Caucasians, and Asian/
Pacific Islanders. The majority of Asian Pacific Americans are 
Filipinos who settled there as early as the 1920s to work on the farms 
or in factories, or serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, or to start their 
own businesses, or to serve their community as doctors, lawyers, and 
members of the clergy.
  In the years since the descendants of these pioneers have prospered 
and made Carson and the South Bay one of the most livable communities 
in the nation and a preferred destination for Filipinos looking to 
start a new life in our country.
  The vibrant Filipino community in Carson and the South Bay hosts an 
annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture which is one of Southern 
California's oldest, largest, and most heavily attended community 
festivals.
  Madam Speaker, the authors, Florante Peter Ibanez and Roselyn Estepa 
Ibanez, chronicle the remarkable story of the Filipino experience in 
Carson and the South Bay. Their book adds a long overdue chapter to the 
American story. I ask my colleagues to join with me in honoring 
Florante Peter Ibanez and Roselyn Estepa Ibanez and applauding their 
major contribution to Filipino American History Month.

                          ____________________