Unlocking the Chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream

By Elpidio R. Estioko

Unlocking the Chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream, is a book of guts, survival, and the will to persevere against all odds. It chronicled a Filipino immigrant’s exploits in the US who reluctantly immigrated to the US with his wife and five of their six children at a time of declining global economy in the 1990’s.

It actually captured how a family of seven with children ages 4 to 16 started a life in the US with very minimal assistance from immediate family members but friends and yet succeeded in realizing the American Dream… the hard way!

It echoed Hillary Clinton’s book, “It Takes a Village: and Other Lessons Children Teach,” theme that applied to all kinds of successes and failures on the outcome of the child. The book, published in 1996, captured Hillary’s vision for the children of America focusing on the impact individuals and groups outside the family, have, for better or for worse, on a child’s well-being, and advocates of society meets all of a child’s needs.

It also showcased how necessity played a vital role in their lives prompting them to work harder and chased every opportunity that came their way in order to make a living and bring food to the table.

The book also exemplified how love and understanding evolved within the family that had to weather the effects of the ailing economy to be able to survive.

All it needed to succeed, ultimately, was hard work, strong commitment, having a very supportive wife, strong belief in God, and the will to move on and pursue one’s goals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669840466

Elpidio R. Estioko

Elpidio Reasonda Estioko holds a Master’s Degree in Mass Communications (M.A. 71) from the Graduate School, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) with US Equivalency and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science (A.B. ’69) from the University of the Philippines (UP-Diliman) with US Equivalency. Also, he was on his 4th year in the College of Law, Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) when Martial law was declared in the Philippines.

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Copyright © 2022 by Elpidio R. Estioko.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/22/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Foreword

Chapter 1     A Note of Optimism

Chapter 2     In search of the American Dream

Chapter 3     The Acid Taste of Survival

Chapter 4     Nothing is permanent

Chapter 5     The will to survive makes the difference

Chapter 6     Giving Back to the Community

Chapter 7     US citizenship through Naturalization

Chapter 8     College Teaching Experience: Traditional and Non-Traditional

Chapter 9     Have you Heard of the American Moro?

Chapter 10   An Encounter with the Healing Priest

Chapter 11   How hard is missionary work?

Chapter 12   Do illegal immigrants have rights?

Chapter 13   Trick or Treat?

Chapter 14   Travels, escapades, road trips, camping, Moaning cavern…

Chapter 15   Remembering Larry Itliong: The FilAm labor leader/organizer

Chapter 16   Priesthood is a calling

Chapter 17   Educators are business-minded too!

Chapter 18   Is the Philippines now the Darling of Asia?

Chapter 19   Reading is a must to succeed

Chapter 20   Know your roots, culture, Pinoy practices

Chapter 21   Breaking the chain of poverty – the TGU way!

Chapter 22   Some seniors never know the word "retirement"

Chapter 23   It’s Thanksgiving Day, not a Turkey Day

Chapter 24   School reunions unify graduates the world over

Chapter 25   Kape de Barako: Batangas coffee, Anyone?

Chapter 26   Awards, citations, recognitions

Chapter 27   Published articles

Chapter 28   What now?

Footnotes

About the author

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge, first of all, our Lord Almighty, who guided me in writing this book. If not for Him, I didn’t have the strength and wisdom to put things together and consummate my goal of writing my memoir.

To my family, especially my wife Delia, and my six children together with their respective families (Gigi and husband Eric; Jojo and wife Alvi together with their daughters Kayla and Bibay; May; Jayson; Tweety and her husband Jonathan and their 2-year-old-Hawaiian-born-baby Ellie; and Paul), for their usual understanding and unconditional love which gave me strength to pursue our goals, and Former Milpitas Public Librarian Linda Arbaugh.

To my parents, Marciano, Sr. (+) and Leonor (+), who raised the 13 of us and acknowledging their wisdom, perseverance, and endurance which provided us the solid foundation in charting our own lives.

To Edith Azucenas and her daughter Babylyn who are taking care of our house in Cainta Green Park Village. Our family friends Gerry & Cel Penrose and neighbor Alex & Nanette Sales.

This book would never have been written were it not for the eagle eye of my editor Prof. Denis Marks who patiently went through my manuscripts and gave me some suggestions to improve them. My special thank you to him. Also, a special thank you to former Assembly member Kansen Chu, CA Assembly District 25, who wrote the Foreword and willingly shouldered the publishing cost.

I would like to thank my brothers Romy (author of Silicon Valley Sunrise), Manny (cardiologist and surgeon) and Leo (PT technician), who encouraged me to write my book; to PUP colleagues Manny Dannug, Lito & Susan Roldan, Val Brillantes; former PUP VP for Academic Affairs Dr. Samuel Salvador; Filemon Viduya; my former student now a journalist in the Philippines Lito Oredo; former student Dr. Angelina Sta. Elena, a former dean and now a full-pledged professor at Jose Rizal College; and another former student who is making good in the US Alex Asuncion; my kumpadre Romy Morales, author of his book Time to Breath: A Confession of an Alien; my friend from SJJC James Reas, who just launched his book on poems; my boss Career Development Director Philip George; Allan Navarro and Ruel Manipis; Julian and Mely Reasonda from Melbourne, Australia; Grandma Dolores Misa and Grandma Julieta Ocampo; my Ageless Friends from Cainta Green Park Village Nes & Susan Raquipiso, Nanding & Lydia Malvar, Remy Caoagas, Jun & Beth Cruz, Myrna Chu, Boy & Tess Enriquez; Boy & Lita Viray, Eric & Cora Zapata, Merly Francisco, Bert Lagmay, former Cainta Council member Hon. Rannie & Josie Matias, Jess & Nelly Tadena; Estrella Jimeno, Liza Eusebio, and Oscar Cena.

My editors in FilAm Star Edwina Aniag, Gary de Guzman and Harvey Barkin; President/Publisher of Philippines News Today Francis Espiritu; and Radio Anchor of Ano Daw DZRH broadcasting in Tokyo, Japan Rico Onquit.

My UCHS ’65 classmates who inspired me to write my memoir Bien Zabala-Cordingley, Greg/Vicky Calacsan, Joweh Sumait, Danny Calacsan, Fe Malagayo Alluri, Rose Santos, Mely Parayno, Arsenio Dulay, Minda Tomines, Mila Goroza, Cris Ramirez, Dr. Amante Agbanlog, Atty. Mario Bravo; Bert Lapena, Mario Mateo, David Sumera, Maria Patacsil Fernandez, Rolando Sabado, Jose Corpuz, Manuel Idos, Gus Castillo, Josefina Tigno, Gloria Benito, Elenita Taeza, Gilda Doot Nickel, Joy delos Reyes; Amy Labarinto Retirado, Del Domagas; Leticia Malbog Tria; Roger Andrada; and Aggie Pass. Also, Bernadette Ortiz Ordonez from Batch ’64 and our Pilipino high school teacher/adviser Mrs. Paz de Guzman Fontamillas.

To my TGU and PB-USA friends Yvonne & Ron Sera and Lino & Jennifer Caringal, Jr.; Dr. Clare Adalem; Fe Gonzales Sepulveda; TGU advisers former TESDA Secretary Isidro Sid Lapena; Urdaneta City Mayor Julio F. Parayno 111; and former TESDA Region 111 Director Jesus Jess Fajardo.

My fraternity brothers (Beta Rho Omega Fraternity) Jose Joe Galo Isada, Oscar Oca David; former Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) president and editor of the Philippine Collegian Eduardo EdGon Gonzales, Rudy Saez, Edilberto Bert Cabardo, Ed Ramos, Egay Sevilla (president of the Board of directors Beta Rho Omega Fraternity, Inc.), former Asst. NEDA Deputy Director/Undersecretary Rolando Rolly Tungpalan, Ding Ahyong, Aaron Cervantes, Bob Bantolo, Terry Chentes, Willie Osorio, my former FilAm Star editor Jun Ilagan, Atty. Nicanor Nick Jimeno, Joey Reyes, Dr. Narciso Jun Adraneda, former president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawaii Ireneo Jun Gappe, Oj DeJesus, Yay Ilags, Jovencio Gregorio, Eulogio Jun Macapinlac, Rosanna Casasola, Juanito Cruz, Renato Garcia, Nestor Lim, Gerardo Marcelo, Nemencio Macario, Ramon Oca, Josephine Crisostomo, and Mario Taruc.

My friends from the City Council of Milpitas Atty. Gary Barbadillo, Mayor Rich Tran, former Mayor Jose Esteves, Vice Mayor Carmen Montano, and Council member Evelyn Chua. From the LEAC commission Yu-lan Chu, Ha Phan, Hellie Mateo, and Trining Aoalin. Commissioner Erlinda Reyes and ROV Election Officer Edwin Torralba.

To all my friends and acquaintances, I met, interviewed, and worked with whose experiences and insights on topics of importance were included in my book spread in various chapters. To them go my respect and cooperation in giving depth to my memoir.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate my book to my lovely, persevering, responsible, and loving wife who was with me through thick and thin, through ups and downs, for better or for worse, for 48 years throughout our married life. She made sure that my six children and I are well taken cared of, that we eat three squares meals a day, and was patiently understanding our mistakes, imperfections and indecisions in life.

To her, and my children, this book is for them, to remind them, and for them to reminisce the difficult process we through as a family in succeeding and achieving the American Dream!

Foreword

As an immigrant from Taiwan to the United States for graduate studies in Electronics Engineering, I find the book Unlocking the Chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream written by Elpidio R. Estioko, a must-read-book for all immigrants. It serves as an inspiration, especially for those who are new and starting their families in the US.

It is a book about a Filipino immigrant, with a family of seven (wife plus 5 children, the youngest child being 4 years old), who started a life in the US at the end of the 19th century when the US economy is beginning to fall. I can hardly imagine how he was able to do it, but after reading the book’s summary, I was convinced that hard work and the will to survive can propel a newcomer to greater heights, even in a very competitive society such as the US, as the book clearly illustrated.

It always takes bundles of sacrifices and efforts to survive and achieve one’s goals no matter where you are!

The book showed that anybody with the will to survive and have faith in God, will make it anywhere, despite the odds, much so in the US. The book explicitly illustrated that while the US is a land of opportunities, sometimes one must have to create the opportunity… and, when it comes your way, grab it! Don’t slip it from your hands! This is a lesson, among others, the book would like to impart to new immigrants.

The book is a tell-all experience of an immigrant in the US who raised his big family in a foreign land through thick and thin. He went through the hard process of assimilation and immersion to be able to achieve the American dream!

Kansen Chu

An immigrant from Taiwan

Former Assembly Member

California District 25

Chapter One

A Note of Optimism

Way back in the Philippines, before I came to the United States, I heard many testimonials and success stories from people who immigrated to the US. Their relatives and friends talked highly about them too! So, I thought life in that part of the world was going to be a bed of roses and it would be easy to achieve the American Dream.

In school, our notebooks’ cover had the picture of the Golden Gate in San Francisco serving as an inspiration to students. When we were scheduled to fly, I said to myself: America here we come!

US is indeed the land of opportunities, it is the land of abundance and comfort in life, but I was told that one needs to strive and work for it. They just don’t happen! It’s not just a magic wand that whatever you wish, you get it! People might not know it, the person I was talking to in the airport said, it needs bagful of sacrifices, bountiful accumulations of guts and the will to succeed, and barrels of perseverance to pursue one’s goals. Achieving the American Dream is easier said than done! I must have been talking to an immigrant who went through the grueling process of pursuing the American Dream which we were about to traverse.

Despite all these comments, it didn’t deter us from dreaming and hoping for a better life in the US. The good thing was, we already arrived here and were ready to go through the assimilation and immersion process as American citizens.

My family and I (my wife plus 5 children, the youngest child being 4 years old), immigrated to the United States towards the end of 1977 and started a life of uncertainty. People thought I wouldn’t make it because I had a big family and the economy began to decline, so looking for a good job I would need to be able to survive in a foreign land. Even my close relatives felt a family of seven would be hard to much less thrive even in a country of the free and the land of the brave.

With my positive outlook of life, I told them: We can do it!

When we landed in San Francisco International Airport (SFO), we rejoiced and finally breathed an air of hope after 19 long years of waiting for our visa to be approved by the US Embassy in Manila.

We were full of hope and optimism that we could finally be released from the bondage of poverty and live the American Dream!

I was ready to raise my big family, through thick and thin and go through the hard process of assimilation and immersion into the American way of life and be able to achieve our dream of unlocking the chain of poverty that started to scare us while we were still in the Philippines.

Immigrating to the US was an obsession I longed for, but it was scary and unstable for me with my big family especially at a time when the economy was already going down and jobs were hard to find.

I was told there was no short cut trail to success, the trail is bumpy and thorny with many roadblocks in place along the way. But I knew that if we traveled the trail with caution and with brute determination we would succeed. As the saying goes: Expect to hit bumps in the road, knowing the road gets smoother as you travel towards your goals. We were forewarned… so we were ready to confront the odds!

We will prevail!

The terrain can be rocky and bumpy and can be tough for lots of people. It can be pain, abuse, fear, worry anxiety, and illness. It can bring betrayal, divorce, brokenness, and mistrust. These are the hills and valleys of our lives.

Life is tough for lots of people… the terrain can be rough sometimes. That rough terrain can be pain, abuse, fear, worry, anxiety, ill health, its betrayal, divorce, its brokenness and mistrust, it’s everywhere. Those are the hills and the valleys of our lives. That’s what it looks like and when Jesus commissioned us to go out into the world he sent us as his representatives into the world around us. He knew what that landscape looked like. He knew that the landscape was rough; he knew that the landscape had mountains and valleys in it. And we would be amongst those trying to navigate our way through a landscape that can be often challenging and difficult to get through. https://www.standrewschurch.org.je/navigating-through-lifes-terrain.html .

Others say it’s always bumpy. Life is always a bumpy road, eventually you just learn how to drive on it. – Mel N. https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/49398927135343153/

Corollary to this, Heathers-cstars said it is a bumpy road too! (heather-cstars, Jun 11, 2010 |Uncategorized| 0 comments). She said "Life is an interesting journey, because no matter how well we plan out our destinations something along the way detours us down a different road.

And we knew we would prevail often a bumpy ride filled with pot holes of uncertainty and ruts of despair. However, as we navigate our way through this rough terrain we discover a new world that is filled with even more possibilities. Surprisingly, it is only the risk takers and adventurers who are willing to bypass the main thoroughfares of life to venture into this new land of hopes and dreams. For those who are willing to set out on such a quest they find that it was well worth it in the end."

Years before we immigrated to the US, I was here as a tourist in 1992 and I learned the hardships of life that a starting family of immigrants went through. I observed immigrants working for two to three jobs to be able to bring food on the table. So, I came to know of these sacrifices during my month-long vacation. I saw their rise and fall, but just the same, we proceeded with our plan to immigrate with my family full of idealism and optimism.

In the end, what mattered was one’s determination to succeed and the will to survive!

Our experience as illustrated in my book, "Unlocking the chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream" showed the way!

Chapter Two

In search of the American Dream

Immigrating to the United States is always an