As I searched for a novel on the Filipino American experience, I brought with me a list of 60 books related to the topic to the two largest bookstores in my area. Out of all 60, only two of the novels were on the shelf. I was saddened by the fact that out of the hundreds of books they had in both stores, only two were about Filipino Americans. But it must have been fate that my choices were limited which led me to the wonderfully written memoir, Almost Americans - A Quest For Dignity, by Patricia Justiniani McReynolds. Patricia, or Patsy as she is called by her parents, recalls her life as a daughter of a Filipino man, Jose, and a Norwegian woman, Ruth. Born in 1926, Pasty recalls the struggles her parents faced, working as domestic servants, surviving through the Depression, dealing with racism and anti-Asian laws, and living in the United States as immigrants during a time when they were not allowed to become citizens. As Patricia tells her story, we are given a first hand history lesson of the lives of immigrants in America, and the advantages and disadvantages of being a Filipino during those times of Depression and World War II. Later in her adulthood, we see Patsy fight to gain acceptance in a society where very few Filipinos, yet alone, half-Filipinos, are visible during her years at UCLA, where she received a Bachelors in Fine Arts, and soon after. She, herself, feels the sting of discrimination when the parents of her Caucasian boyfriend disapprove of her and when they must leave California due to anti-miscegenation laws to get married in New Mexico. Along with their hardships, we get a glimpse of the Filipino culture through the life of her father, Jose. As a Filipino myself, I was elated to finally read a novel that I could truly relate to and connect with. It is not possible to tell the story of Filipino Americans without mentioning the history of Filipinos in the Philippines, which is told through the stories of Jose, who reminds me very much of my own father. Patricia pointed out several things about the Filipino culture that I myself never realized. An example is the fact that the letter "F" does not exist in many Filipino dialects, making it hard for Filipinos to pronounce. Another is that many Filipinos mix up "he" and "she" because Filipino dialects do not differentiate pronouns into male or female, such as the word "siya." Asides from learning more about Filipino history and culture, Almost American also made sense out of many things I previously did not understand about my parents and grandparents. Growing up, I found it so hard to understand why they were so strict, why they worked so hard, why they mispronounced so many things, and reading about the life of another Filipino American, Patricia Justiniani McReynolds, finally answered many of my questions. I recommend Almost Americans - A Quest For Dignity to anyone who wants to learn more about an important part of American history that for so long has been left out of many history books - the Filipino American experience.

Fill in the blank: The Filipino in America is best known for _____. It is hard to complete that statement, for although Filipinos have been in this country for almost 100 years, they have hardly been noticed. Their calm adaptability, their inward acceptance of the racism and oppression which all immigrants experience and "hiya", the Filipino balancing act of self-effacement and face-saving, have enouraged Filipinos to disperse quietly into America's mainstream. Today Filipinos are America's fastest growing Asian population. Patricia Justiniani McReynolds traces her father's life from his beginnings as the son of wealthy landowners in the Visayas, the central portion of the Philippine archipelago. The author's father, Jose Justiniani comes to the U.S. in 1913 in search of adventure and wealth. His youthful gambling ways are tempered after his marriage to Ruth Kongswold, a wide-eyed Norwegian immigrant who throughout their long marriage bows to Jose's masculine authority. Author McReynolds is the beneficiary of this mixed couple's strong love for one another and devotion to her, their only child.

Lacking education in a trade or profession, Jose finds work as a man-servant to a wealthy Los Angeles white businessman. Jose is on call at all hours and suffers daily the demeaning yes-sir-ing and yes-ma'am-ing, his job demands; a fact not lost on Patsy as she grows up.

The family's visit to the Philippines in 1936 when Patsy is 9-years-old, opens her father's world to her: the large and generous family; the vast land-holdings and spacious house. Once a Spanish colony, the Philippines is now U.S. property with a citizenry restless for independence. The Philippine-Norwegian-American family is welcomed like celebrities with lavish parties in Manila and Saravia -- later known as Sarabia. In 1936, there are only hints of a Japanese military threat and the terrible war which would engulf the country in half a decade.

After their Philippine visit, the family resumes life inthe U.S. and Patsy make! s it safely through a normally rebellious adolescence. Jose, resigned now to never finding meaningful work in the U.S. continues as servant -- a fact hidden from his family in the Philippines through careful choice of words. But Jose's jovial spirit has been broken. One day after two decades of faithful service, he simply quits his job and leaves without retirement or severance. Times are tough for the family, but the couple manages to put Patsy through college.

McReynold's account leaves us with a deeper understanding of the Filipinos who have come to this country in waves: first, at the start of the century, as did Jose Justiniani; after World War II; and more recently in the 1980s. Filipinos have come as laborers, service providers and professionals. "Almost Americans" belies its title, for it is truly an American story. During its telling, McReynolds deftly embroiders her story with insights into Philippine history; its long subjugation under Spanish rule; its resistance to U.S. takeover; finally, independence. Filipino contributions to America are considerable, but remain to this day -- despite this year's Philippine centennial celebrations -- largely unheralded.