Scope and Content Note
The collection of Arturo G. Pacho (1942- ) span the years from 1945 to 2007 with the bulk of the material dating from 1994 to 2005. The collection documents Pacho’s active involvement and affiliation with Filipino American organizations and research interests as an author and educator. The collection consists of agendas, articles, brochures, cassette recordings, conference programs, correspondence, flyers, meeting notes, memorandums, newsletters, organizational articles and bylaws, pamphlets, photographs, writings, and other miscellaneous material. There are three series: Organizations , Subject Files and Miscellany, and Oversize .
The material in the Organizations series provides insight into Pacho’s involvement with Filipino American organizations while also helping to document the mission, goals, initiatives, and events of organizations such as An Taclobanon Association of Southern California, the Filipino American Educators Association (FAEA) which is affiliated with the statewide Filipino American Educators Association of California, Inc. (FAEAC), the Filipino American Public Affairs Council (FAPAC), and Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI).
In 1998, Pacho was Hermano Mayor of An Taclobanon, a non-profit organization in Southern California that promoted and organized peoples with ties to Tacloban, Leyte Province. Its mission was to maintain religious, civic, social, and family ties in the Philippines and the United States. Pacho’s collection includes a copy of the articles of inclusion and bylaws, brochures, correspondence, meeting notes, memorandums, minutes, newsletters, reports, and other documents. Each year, the organization hosted a Saint Nino De Leyte Fiesta and Miss An Maglipayon USA pageant. Programs and notes from both events are also in the collection.
Pacho was also involved in various capacities with FAEA, a chapter of FAEAC. While with the organization, he was Vice President of Community Affairs and eventually became the President. Originally founded in 1974 by Filipino American teachers in the Los Angeles area, FAEA evolved into a professional organization that served the community. Pacho and FAEA sponsored the FAEAC statewide conference from October 14-15, 2015 in Anaheim, California. Correspondence and conference planning material document Pacho and FAEA’s efforts to bring together teachers to discuss the future of education. Also included are newsletters, pamphlets, brochures, a copy of duties of FAEA officers, and bylaws.
From 2003-2005, as President of FAEA, Pacho worked closely with FILMEDA, the San Diego chapter of FAEAC, as Filipino American teachers struggled to be credentialed in Tagalog. Due to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, teachers had to be credentialed in a subject in order to teach. However, at the time of this federal act, California did not offer exams to teach Tagalog. Pacho petitioned Assembly Members and members of Congress regarding this issue, and the collection includes copies of the correspondence. In addition, the collection includes a presentation slide, notes, articles, and other documents about teaching Tagalog in schools.
FAPAC, a non-profit founded in 1988, served as a forum for issues that affected Filipino Americans. Serving in various capacities throughout the years as a member, Treasurer, and Executive Director of FAPAC, Pacho's collection includes planning notes for a 1991 conference about the Filipino community and its future. Additionally, there are articles of inclusion from 1988, documents pertaining to establishing the organizations non-profit status, photographs, and nine cassette recordings of the November 16, 1991 conference.
Moreover, as a member of FASGI, Pacho's collection includes meeting notes, agendas, memorandums, correspondence, program events, bylaws, and reports documenting this non-profit agency as it provided social services to the elderly, poor, and disadvantaged Filipinos Americans. FASGI was founded in 1981 as a provider of hot meals to the elderly. In 1998, it changed its mission to empower Filipino Americans and others through gender, age, culture, and linguistically sensitive advocacy, social services, and social action and leadership. The organization also received a project grant from the United States Department of Justice to focus on trafficked Asian women. The collection includes material related to the Trafficked Women Project.
The Subject Files and Miscellany series consists of correspondence, articles, newspaper clippings, newsletters, writings, and other research material relating to Pacho’s interests in legislation, the Chinese in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, the Filipino American community, immigration, and naturalization. His articles and publications are found in the Writings folder. Miscellaneous monographs and serials collected by Pacho are housed in the Miscellany containers.
The Oversize box includes copies of Singapore’s laws regarding citizenship and naturalization. Also included is research materials used for Pacho’s thesis such as newsletters from the Filipino Chinese Amity Club. The newsletters, from the 1980’s, are in Tagalog and Chinese. Pacho’s 1966 limited edition report for the School of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines entitled The Public Health of Davao is also housed in this container. This box includes materials related to the Chinese in the Philippines, immigration, naturalization, and policies.