By E.P. Tuazon
I’ve been writing stories for most of my life, but I have to admit that I had avoided writing about anything Filipino until about 16 years ago. During Filipino American History Month, I often reflect on the times I didn’t feel Filipino enough, especially from back then. Back then, my love of literature and Filipino stories never intersected. I never thought about writing about fellow FilAms nor did I pursue stories about them. The reason was simple: even though I was FilAm myself, as a FilAm who didn’t grow up in the Philippines nor spoke the language, I thought I was not worthy enough. I did not feel worthy enough to connect to our stories, therefore I did not feel worthy enough to tell our stories. So, for the longest time, I avoided them.
Then my Lola passed away. She was a big part of my life with a history that affected my entire family. When I was asked to be one of the people to write her eulogy, I didn’t know if I could do it. I didn’t know as much about her as my mom or my cousins did. However, as the only writer of the family, they had faith that I could write something good. With their encouragement, I gave it a shot and it sparked something in me. In remembering my Lola, writing about my family, and engrossing myself in love, I realized I could do it–that I had to do it.
That feeling has brought me hope ever since. Because of it, I began writing and reading about FilAm stories like my own. Not because I finally saw myself as worthy–I don’t think I ever will feel worthy–but because I could do it and had to do it. As a result, I’ve written several stories, some of which have been collected in my last book, A Professional Lola, and my forthcoming book, Kain Tayo! Or Forever Hold Our Piece. Both would not be possible without these fellow FilAm writers whom I adore and admire.
The Gangster of Love by Jessica Hagedorn
I am a big fan of Sandra Cisneros and thanks to her, I was able to find Jessica Hagedorn’s work. The best way to describe Hagedorn’s prose is “punk rock” with a hint of magic. The Gangster of Love follows Rocky Rivera and her family who immigrate to San Francisco during the ’70s. It’s outrageous, it’s beautiful, it’s got one of my favorite lines ever: “Love is meat.”
Monstress: Stories by Lysley Tenorio
Reading Lysley Tenorio was the first time I found someone who was writing the same way that I wanted to write. The first time I found Monstress, I was at Verbatim Books in San Diego and, reading the first story, was grinning so much I made the browsers around me uncomfortable. A little bit mundane, a little bit outrageous, a whole lot of spectacular. I look up to Tenorio as one of the best American short story writers today. Love him! My favorite short story the one called “Help” where a group of Marcos supporters journey to beat up The Beatles while they are visiting the Phillippines.
The Foley Artist by Ricco Villenueva Siasoco
I met Siasoco at my first Liwanag Lit Festival in Long Beach. At the time, I came to meet Mia Alvar, the writer of In The Country—another amazing short story collection I highly recommend about Filipino immigrants. It was my first time meeting other Filipino American writers in the flesh; I was so nervous! However, when I heard Siasoco read, his story helped me feel right at home. The collection is wonderful, with the intense ease of an educator—which is appropriate because Siasoco is also a fellow educator!
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
Among her peers in speculative/magic realism like Carmen Maria Machado and Kelly Link, Yap stands tall! I first read her work in short story magazines and couldn’t stop hunting more stories down! Finding her work was humbling in a way where I thought I was the only Filipino American writer writing so strangely until I found out she had been doing it long before I was. My favorite story of hers is called “An Ocean the Color of Bruises” where a group of friends go to a beach resort and discover it is overrun by seamonsters/zombies. Amazing!
The Body Papers by Grace Talusan
This memoir wrecked me and also put me back together. Talusan takes us through the gauntlet of her memories riddled with immigration concerns, sexual abuse, and survinig cancer. There were so many parallels I saw in Talusan’s life and mine that I couldn’t help but feel connected with her writing. I first met her when she and Kubo in Long Beach hosted Annabelle Tometich for her amazing debut book, The Mango Tree—another book I highly recommend! At the time I hadn’t read her book, but I wish I already had then just so that I could’ve told her how much I admired her and appreciate her putting her story out in the universe!
E. P. Tuazon is a Filipino American writer from Los Angeles. His work has appeared in several publications including The Rumpus, Lunch Ticket, Reed Magazine, The Los Angeles Review and Split Lip. He has won several awards in writing and education, most notably for his book, A Professional Lola (Red Hen Press, 2024), which won the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction. His collection Kain Tayo! (Let’s Eat!) or Forever Hold Our Piece (Red Hen Press) is forthcoming in 2027 which features an array of celebrated pieces from several renown literary publications which center around Filipino Food. Besides being a writer, Tuazon proudly teaches High School English and is an advocate for education. In his free time, he likes to go to Filipino markets to gossip with the crabs. He currently resides in Valencia, California.