Interviewing Luisa Antonio: Advocacy for Filipino World War II Veterans

Luisa Antonio is one of the founders of the Veterans Equity Center which renamed to the Bayanihan Equity Center in 2017. She is a life-long advocate for Filipino World War II veterans and took part in the Filipino Veterans Equity Movement.

In this interview, Luisa talks about how she immigrated into the United States, became an activist for her community in the South of Market (SoMa) district in San Francisco, and how the pandemic has affected the work of the Bayanihan Equity Center.

Read the full interview transcript here.

Keywords: Filipino World War II Veterans, Filipino Veterans Equity Movement, Delta Hotel, VA benefits, Bayanihan Equity Center, Veterans Equity Center, Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program

Index:

00:00:00 Introductions

00:02:00 Immigration Story

00:06:38 Adjustments in the U.S.

00:10:58 Bernal Heights Neighborhood

00:14:09 Journey into Activism

00:25:06 Vision of Work

00:31:38 Changes to Work of Veterans Equity Center

00:40:55 CMC Bayanihan Equity Center Choir

00:44:26 Challenges During COVID

00:49:28 Vaccination in the Community

00:55:31 Discrepancy Between English and Tagalog Translated COVID Materials

01:00:45 Meaning of Filipino American Identity

01:03:03 Closing Remarks