Delano Public Library is pleased to share CREATING VINES OF HOPE, a series of family-friendly programs celebrating the cultural heritage of its immigrant communities. Image: Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash.
October 21: Movie Premiere of Delano Manongs: The Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers. Join Delano Public Library for a screening and talk with a historian from Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). This event will promote open discussion and encourage story sharing and community enrichment ahead of Larry Itliong Day, a holiday to explore the contributions of Larry Itliong and the Delano Manongs and their importance in the creation of the United Farm Workers and the Delano Grape Strike in 1965. During discussion, an opportunity for documenting stories via prompt questions and note taking will be made available as Kern County Library (KCL) seeks to establish, curate, and digitally archive Filipino Local History.
October 25: Larry Itliong Day event. Larry Itliong, alongside the Manongs (respected elders), organized a strike against Delano grape growers for better wages. In conjunction with community partners, FANHS and North Kern Cemetery District, we will celebrate the life of Larry Itliong at his burial site with an oral storytelling of Itliong’s role in the Delano Grape Strike. There will also be a Memory Moment where participants can bring a photograph or memento of passed-away loved ones to share with others a special memory. Refreshments will be provided and community discussion encouraged to foster new and existing community connections.
Week of November 9: United Filipino Organization (UFO) at Delano High School perform traditional Filipino dances at Delano Library. Before the performance, a member of the troupe will explain some of the history and culture behind the dances. After the performance, there would be an opportunity for participants to learn a few dance steps and ask questions of the dancers to foster community engagement.
September 30 & November 4: offer program inviting members of Filipino Historical Society and the public for a tutorial on how to use the overhead scanner to digitize photographs and printed materials. USB drives will be given out to the first 100 attendees. We will be asking FANHS and the public to share their scanned documents and photographs with KCL as we develop a collection of Filipino local histories through written storytelling and photographic collections to be stored digitally on the Library’s website. This program is intended to foster Filipino-community conversations while they learn to preserve and share their memories. Storing documents and photographs digitally keeps these memories from literally disappearing due to disintegration over time. These stored memories can be shared generationally and will be accessed by other community members using the Library’s website for years to come. Outside of the specific training during the programs, the overhead scanner will be made available to anyone in the library wanting to use it with their own USB drive.
Weeks of Sept 14th, Oct 12th, Nov 16th, and Dec 14th: Sungka games with boards provided by the Library. Sungka is a Filipino game that is called Mancala in the U.S. Two opponents play against each other and try to accumulate more stones than the other player. It is a game of strategy, and we hope it stimulates discussion between participants as they match wits. This is an opportunity for community members to forge new relationships and maintain current ones.
Filipino Crafts: Oct 5: Filipino flag making craft. Because October is Filipino American History Month, this is an appropriate month to make the Philippine Flag and learn the importance of its colors and stars.
Nov 2: Jeepney construction craft. Jeepney’s are a public transit method in the Philippines made from cobbled together parts of leftover Jeeps from World War II. Jeepney’s are uniquely Filipino and usually brightly decorated. This is another opportunity to teach Delano community youth and families about other cultures and countries while encouraging self-expression through art.
Dec 7: Parol making craft. Parols are made in the Philippines during the Christmas season. Parols are ornamental lanterns that represent Filipino Christmas. Making Parols and learning about their meaning will offer another chance to educate the Delano community about Filipino traditions. The Delano Library will offer their display case to display Filipino crafts made by attendees. A Facebook photo gallery will also be used to share.
Week of Oct 5, Nov 2, Dec 7: Invite monthly guest readers from the local Filipino community to conduct storytime. Titles: Cora Cooks Pancit, Willie Wins, Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories, and Pan de Sol Saves the Day are the titles that guest readers will choose from. Grant money will also be used to increase KCL’s collection of Filipino-based books and will be used as book lists and book displays to promote the acquisition of new titles. These guest readers represent the local Filipino community and will be able to answer questions about Pacific Island culture.
This program is supported by the Library Innovation Lab.
