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Identifier
LittlewoodFrankie_2011_CRP
Description
Frankie Littlewood describes her life as Filipino American in the 1950,1960’s, and 1970’s in Salinas, Ca. She is the daughter of two Filipino parents who arrived to California around the mid 1930’s. Her father arrived to California to follow the crops after previously working in Hawaii in the pineapple fields. Her mother arrived in 1938 as a nanny for a U.S. Navy captain. They knew each other prior to coming to California, but reconnected years later in Salinas. They married and together her parents saved their money from working in the fields and opened a small grocery store on Market St. Later, as a result of a successful store, they bought, owned, and ran a labor camp. Frankie worked in the fields one day out of her whole life and swore to herself that she would never work in the fields again. Frankie goes into great detail about the market. She paints a vision of the layout, who were the customers, what her parents sold, and who worked the store. Her parent’s main goal for the store was to send money back to the Philippines and eventually move back home. However, her parents bought a lot of land in the Philippines, but were never able to return permanently. She also gave detail described the labor camp and how her parents paid for everything. She explains she began to understand prejudices because she recalls that her parents were denied supplies such as, mattresses, blankets, and food because of their Filipino identity. She gives a brief account of Filipino activities and organizations. She mentions the social box, dime a dance, Filipino youth club, and sport competitions. She recalls how safe and innocent Chinatown was. Throughout the interview Frankie Littlewood expresses a constant sadness of the loss of culture and identity she feels. She hopes these interviews will prompt her children and grandchildren to seek the values and traditions that she once experienced.
Interview Date
10-8-2011
Interviewer
Mary Flynn
Geographic Coverage
Salinas (Calif.)
Subjects
Chinatown (Salinas, Calif.); Filipino American families; Agricultural laborers; Filipino Americans--Employment; Labor camps
Type
Moving Image
Genre
Oral histories
Digital Format
video/mp4
Language
eng
Digital Collection
Chinatown Renewal Project
Repository
Archives & Special Collections of California State University, Monterey Bay
Disclaimer
These oral histories express the personal views, memories, and opinions of the interviewee. They do not represent the policy or views of California State University, Monterey Bay.
Recommended Citation
Littlewood, Frankie and California State University, Monterey Bay, "Interview with Frankie Littlewood" (2011). Chinatown Renewal Project. 39.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/ohcma_chinatown/39
Rights Statement
