This book was fun, and the fact it was set in Seattle hit home with me.  I loved living in Seattle for the 10 years I was there, and it’s always cool to get another take on a place you have called home.  I spent sometime in the Central District and always loved cruising through what is known as the International District.  Eating in random hole in the wall restaurants, or shopping at Uwajimaya for noodle bowls and nori.  I lived near “the Ave” in the university district, and one of my favorite things about that area was the array of food from the east available there.  Seemed like every day you could eat in a new spot and find something new.

I never thought of the past while I was there, I never really gave any thought to the battles the residents may have faced when craving out a place I took for granted.  I mean I’ve heard the stories about Chief Seattle, and how the land was taken from his tribe and how it was named after him in some bleak effort of reconciliation effort.  But I’d never really heard much of anything to do with our Asian past, except maybe that Bruce Lee was from Seattle.  I was living under a rock, or maybe inside of a bong then.

It was cool to hear the stories from Buddy’s Filipino friends and family, through the writing of Peter Bacho.  From Chris, the old communist card holder who fought for the rights of the Filipino labor workers.  To the boxing stories his Uncle Kikoy, and how much boxing meant to the Pinos sense of equality.  To Bruce Lee’s School, and how Buddy came to grips with his own style and confidence in himself.  And in my own life, trudging along those same rainy streets of Seattle, wondering if I have ever shared the same treadmill path as anyone Buddy’s family friends.

There is a real vision of the rise and fall in this book, the times of change.  Forgetting the past, and living the future not knowing how you got here.  The figurative ups and downs of life and how much the past has paved the path for the younger generations who come to America chasing that dream they hear about back in the Philippines.  And how people for get the past is what got them here, those hard fought fights on the streets both politically and the fights in the boxing arenas.  Home is what you make it, and if the history is forgotten the people who fought to it will be forgotten also.

As buddy grew up, it was like he and his father Vince, switched places.  Buddy moved up into a friend role with his Uncles Leo and Kikoy. That his father was in the leadership role for them all since they arrived in america, and that the Uncles now saw adult Buddy as one of their peers. They confided in Buddy and seemed to hold their friendship to that of what they used to share with his father.  Like Uncle Leo asking Buddy to promise to keep his marriage and his return to the Philippines a secret from his family.  Rather than proudly telling Vince he’s broken up with the prostitute, and gone home to the Philippines and found a wife finally.  He confided in Buddy, because Leo didn’t want to get teased by Vince. Then Buddy assumes that friend role and jabs Leo about her age.  Saying a 29 year old wife was pretty old for a man Uncle Leo’s age, and jokingly asking if she came with a warranty.  This showed that the two of them had reached a level of friendship and respect, that Leo knew the remarks weren’t hurtful and all in good fun.  He also trusted Buddy with his secret.

Buddy spent hours with Uncle Kikoy in his small apartment,  talking boxing and learning about the Filipino boxers of his day.  He watched Kikoy bounce the room in front of the small tv, mimicking their footwork like “Astaire” and throwing every punch they had in their quiver.  The boxing film we watched this week, talked about the boxing arena as the one place the Filipinos were seen as equals.  Kikoy also touched on this, saying the boxing ring was the only time you could beat the tar out of a white guy with everyone watching and not end up in jail.  This was one way out of poverty that allowed them to gain notoriety.  Kikoy also told Buddy how his father and him, both used to be boxers.  That Vince was had skill but no desire to box, but rather he was more interested in chasing the dark skinned Indian girls.  To Buddy’s surprise, his father had never shared this with him.

Like the Accidental Asian reading that talked about history being forgotten.  Bacho also touches on this, showing us as the older generations die so does the knowledge of their struggle.  The younger generations show up and just take for granted all of the previous generations struggles.  And they have no real interest in learning about it.  They just move on and history dies as the old timers are forgotten.

I barely touched on this books messages, but it opened my eyes and once again showed me another view of the past.  I’m looking forward to my next trip to Seattle, including our planned field trip.  I’m gonna search out some Filipino and  Korean restaurants in the International district and walk around our city in a new light.  Hopefully it’s not raining sideways, and I can see some cool sites.  Maybe Bruce Lee’s grave site.