Helen Toribio Legacy Fund Awards $5000 Grant to FACES

Spirit of Filipino-American Role Model Lives on Through Legacy Fund

by Aileen Suzara

I have never met Helen Toribio in person. Yet as I walked through a colorful garden of flowers she had planted and listened to stories of her from the vast network of students, friends, activists, community members, and loved ones whose lives she has touched, I began to piece together a vibrant, passionate, and inspiring woman. 

Born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii, Toribio embodied her beliefs as a deeply involved Filipino-American cultural and community activist on many fronts. Her body of work includes a position as professor of Asian American Studies at City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State and co-author of The Forbidden Book, which explores US imperialism and the portrayal of Filipinos in American popular media during the Philippine American War. As a teacher, Toribio loved to mentor her students, and continually challenged them to engage in progressive social justice and community issues.

In honor of Toribio's life, the Helen Toribio Legacy Committee has launched a social justice internship program, which creates
opportunities for young adults to have meaningful work experiences with activist and community groups. The "Helen Toribio Legacy Fund" will donate internship grants to enable organizations to hire young adults to work on projects dedicated to environmental justice, civil rights, ethnic studies, or cultural activism. The groundwork for the fund has been laid by contributions from the co-authors of The Forbidden Book, Abe Ignacio, Jorge Emmanuel and Enrique de la Cruz.

On July 6, 2005, a grant of $5000 was presented to FACES
(Filipino/American Coalition for Environmental Solutions), a US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting environmental justice struggles in the Philippines. FACES is the first organization to benefit from this grant. 

As a cancer patient, Helen recognized the movement for a toxic-free world as an extension of her personal struggle. Helen was also a founding member of FACES, and over the years was essential in recruiting many young people to its work. The grant will be utilized to hire an intern dedicated to working on the Face2Face Project, FACES' summer exposure trip to the Philippines that connects US participants to environmental and social justice struggles both in the US and the Philippines.

"Helen was a profound person who inspired those of us who had the privilege of knowing her and receiving her mentorship. Through this Legacy Fund, a young Fil-Am will be able to continue the kind of work Helen was passionate about," said Aimee Suzara, who worked with Toribio in FACES, Pusod, and the Colored Black n' White exhibit.

While I was not able to meet Helen face to face, I have learned that Helen's power to inspire is contagious. Not a week goes by without mention of her tremendous impact on members of the Filipino American community. It as though I am meeting her now, through the voices and stories of those who knew her.

To keep the fund alive, continued community support is essential. If you are interested in donating to the fund, checks can be made out to:

Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA) 310 8th St., Suite 306 Oakland, CA 94607

All donations are tax deductible. You may also donate via FAA's
website: www.filipinos4action.org.

Please write on the check or note on website that your donation is for the Helen Toribio Legacy Fund.