I found my heart in San Francisco

The tripartite of my life: A reflection on my birthday part 2 I found my heart in San Francisco By MC Canlas FB posted on 5/21/2023

Today is my birthday in the Philippines but only "bisperas" in California.

To many, Tony Bennet’s most popular loved song “I left my heart in San Francisco” is something relatable that exudes sweet memories and longing for home, but for someone like me, a reluctant immigrant who landed in the vastness of Los Angeles’ freeway-Hollywood-Disney culture, now it can be told that “I found my heart in San Francisco.”

The heart may symbolize romantic love but not all the time.

In his semi-autobiographical novel, America Is in the Heart, Carlos Bulosan, a Filipino writer who became a driving force in the Filipino rights movement in the United States, has a different take on the symbolism of the heart.

“America is not merely a land or an institution. America is in the hearts of men that died for freedom; it is also in the eyes of men that are building a new world.”

The continuing thread of immigrant stories is about longing and belonging for a home.

My personal journey as an immigrant started in Los Angeles. With my strong reluctance to immerse in American culture and the urgent call to support and build a solidarity network for the Philippines cause at that time, with no reservation, my heart and mind are for the Philippines. I felt then that I do not belong to America, and many times I ask myself “why am I here?”

Later in 1985, after having obtained my two-year reentry permit, I went back to the Philippines to join the campaign against the dictatorship. Lo and behold, the snap election of 1986 has heightened the polarization of political forces that led to the so-called 1986 EDSA People Power Uprising that ousted the Marcos regime.

I was only on my third month of my 24-months reentry permit to the United States when the revolution happened. In my mind I was already hearing on what my siblings and parents would say to me: “MC, tapos na ang ipinaglalaban ninyo, balik ka na sa Amerika, mamuhay ka na dito.”

Although there was a euphoria with Cory’s victory and people power, for a couple of weeks, I felt depressed; I had conflicted thoughts, and uncertain of what to do next. I could not fathom going back to the US and live like most immigrants do.

I consulted Ed dela Torre, a newly released political detainee, about my predicament. His response was heaven to me. He asked me to work with Girlie to establish an Institute for Popular Democracy (IPD). We organized two national conferences of political and community educators which became the network and a program for PEPE (Popular Education for People’s Empowerment).

I was deeply involved in the political and social movements in the Philippines. I was a renowned pop-ed educator, a seasoned legal institutions (NGOs) executive, community strategist, and historian.

In 1990, I was recommended to form a service and research institute for the migrant workers in Italy and Europe. Before going to my new assignment and destination, I had to stay in Hong Kong and in the Philippines. Meeting and eventually marrying my future wife in the Philippines was a turning point that altered my perspectives in life in the United States.

I gave up the offer to work in Italy and instead went back to the United States, took jobs in non-profit and community-based agencies, and worked in the Filipino community. I continuously stayed in the US to get my US citizenship.

This is a brief description of my work in San Francisco as posted in SoMa Pilipinas website https://www.somapilipinas.org/communi.../2018/7/13/mc-canlas

"MC Canlas is the author of SoMa Pilipinas Studies 2000 in Two Languages (2002) and SoMa Pilipinas Ethnotour Guidebook (2013). He was one of the leading proponents of the proposed Filipino Social Heritage Special Use District in the Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force of the San Francisco Planning Department (2011). He helped SoMa Pilipinas evolve into a thriving territorial-based ethnic identity in America, and SoMa Pilipinas has emerged as a framework of uniting the Filipino in the neighborhood and in the San Francisco Bay Area into one community system. In 2016, the City and County adopted SoMa Pilipinas as Filipino Cultural Heritage District, and the following year, it was selected as one of the 14 cultural districts of California.

"MC is also known in the community as the person behind the successful cultural events and programs such as the annual Parol Lantern Festival in December, Galing-Bata After School enrichment program at the Bessie Carmichael School/ Filipino Education Center, ethno-tourism (Neighborhood Heritage Tour and Philippine-American Tour of History), and the Bayanihan Community Center.

"He was recognized as one of the “The Filipino Champions” by ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel in 2012, a recipient of the San Francisco Foundation’s Civic Unity Awards in 1999, and a senior fellow of the Wildflowers Institute (2001+).

"Although MC migrated to the United States reluctantly in 1984 to join his family, his early work in the Philippines as an academic historian, popular educator, and political activist in the democracy movement has blossomed in California as a community leader, non-profit service provider, newspaper columnist, and ethno-tourism docent."

Thus, deep in my heart, I found my heart in San Francisco. It sharpens my longing and belonging perspectives of immigrants.

My love story is another story.