Makibaka: Huwag Matakot means “Struggle: Do Not Be Afraid!”  It was the rallying cry for a group of immigrant and local-born Filipinos who were threatened with eviction from their homes at Ota Camp, near St. Joseph Catholic Church in Waipahu in the 1970’s with no place to go. It was a 30 year struggle as they fought for decent housing, to stay together and to maintain their barrio lifestyle of a fenceless community with vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and animals. Following demonstrations and other challenges, the families won the right to purchase their homes.

A discussion panel will follow after the video presentation.  The discussion panel will have the following members present:

Melinda Tria Kerkvliet (Historian, Filipino American Historical Society of Hawaii); Nora Tagalog (Ota Camp resident); supporters such as Bernie Suguitan Ledesma and Leon Dagdagan (Kabataan Katipunan, ‘Youth Together’); Ernie Libarios (UH Leeward Community College counselor and Susi Ng Pilipinas advisor), who will explain the roles in the Ota Camp Struggle. Evelyn Mingming Llenas (then, UH Film Club), will explain how the Ota Camp Struggle impacted the Filipino community in Hawaii.

Presentation will be held in the library’s first floor Reading Room.

Image Citation: Pete Tagalog, leader of the Ota Camp Struggle (1972). Photo by John Titchen. Courtesy of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawaii.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please contact the library at least 7 days prior to the program date.  We will make every attempt to fulfill all requests for accommodations. All programs are subject to change. For a list of upcoming library events, visit test-library.ehawaii.gov/events.