A Forgotten Fil-Am Activist Helped Shape Today’s Social Movements
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Pat Salaver (1945-2019) (Photo 1969)
These are some of the most easily identifiable names that will likely be taught as California has recently passed bills to make ethnic studies a class requirement for the California State University (CSU) system and is in the process of ensuring the same requirement for California public high schools (Gardiner, 2020) [Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill for “not being inclusive enough. -Ed.] But for Filipino Americans learning about our part in ethnic studies, we are typically only taught about labor organizers Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz—that is if we learn about our part in American history at all. It is time to add one more name to the list: Pat Salaver.
Thanks to Pat, Filipinos were a key part in the initial development of ethnic studies in higher education. Pat and other Filipino student activists wanted "to educate Filipinos to the contradictions and hypocrisies of American society, to gain control of the political, social, and economic bodies now controlling our lives and to present ourselves as a community," Pat said in February 1969.
Pat was a Filipino American, born in Mindanao in 1945, who immigrated to the United States in 1953 and became a U.S. citizen in 1961. He founded the first “socially aware” Filipino student organization, Philippine (now Pilipino) American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE), which later helped form the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF). Together with the Black Students Union, Filipinos were a significant part of the TWLF strike from November 6, 1968 to March 22, 1969 -- the longest student strike in history, which led to the formation of the first College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State College (SF State University since 1974).
Strike support flyer
Including ethnic studies in core education is critical to helping “build culturally competent citizens,” ensuring “that all students learn a more holistic and representative history of the United States,” and empowering our students “to meet this moment in our nation’s history” (Gardiner, 2020). However, back in the 1960s, at a time when white supremacists were allowed to recruit on campus and conservatives ruled the California establishment, Pat was very aware of how Filipino Americans were struggling when it came to getting a college education.
Pat was outgoing and known for being involved in his church and community. He noticed that Filipino American students were having a hard time applying and getting accepted to college and, if they got accepted, they lacked the critical support they needed to succeed. Coming from working class immigrant families, their parents did not even have the experience or knowledge necessary to help their kids with college applications. There were few well-paying jobs available to Filipinos at the time, so most Filipino parents could not afford tutoring or any extra educational support, despite wanting the best education possible for their children.
Pat and his friends were already participating in supportive events for the Delano Grape Strike, having met Larry Itliong on the day the strike began, September 8, 1965. (Coincidentally, Larry was an uncle to Pat by marriage for a time.) So, when Dr. Juan Martinez, a Hispanic history professor at SF State along with Pat’s friends at the Black Students Union advised him to organize fellow Filipinos to help fight for students’ rights, he did just that in October of 1967.
Pat on strike for the Delano Grape boycott (1969)
Pat recruited PACE charter members Bob Ilumin and Ronald Quidachay. As he would tell it, he recruited Filipino students by chasing them down, putting a PACE flyer in their hand and telling them, “You’re a member of PACE now. Come to the meeting.”
PACE Coordinators (standing l to r: Ed Ilumin, Pat, Manuel Difuntorum and Alex Soria) meeting with Philippine Consulate General (Samson Saballones, seated left) (1969)
“Pat’s character, his personality was non-threatening,” says Bob. “So, people would look at it and (say), ‘sure, I’ll be PACE’” (Umemoto, 1985). “I joined Pat as a Filipino advocate when I met him in the commons,” writes Ronald Quidachay, “And he said I was a member of PACE and (I) later agreed to become a core member” (Quidachay, 2020). “I was introduced to PACE in the fall of 1968 when Pat Salaver invited me to recruit and tutor high school students for college,” says Juanita Tamayo Lott (Lott, 2018). Alex Soria recalls responding, “I’ve got two girlfriends, a car. I don’t need you guys.” But later he saw some of the “brothers getting shoved around by jocks.” So, he joined PACE “because there was strength in numbers” (Umemoto, 1985). To increase involvement, Pat used his experience as a youth leader at church and organized dances to attract more members.
PACE filled the Filipino American community’s desire for educational support, racial equality and self-determination. PACE later stood alongside Black, Latinx, Chinese, and indigenous student organizations to form the TWLF. The TWLF engaged in the five-month student strike to protest the Eurocentric lens on education and the administration’s attempted removal of high-profile educators of color, as well as rising calls for the removal of programs promoting cultural education and organizations.
There were actually two TWLF strikes in 1968. The first strike occurred in May, and the demand was to admit 400 Third World students. PACE was allotted 40 slots and spent the summer of 1968 recruiting Filipino high school and city college students to apply. Pat had built membership to 70 students to support tutoring programs in Bernal Heights and Central City (now known as South of Market or SOMA) (Umemoto, 1985). With the aid of Pat’s mother, Estrella Salaver (neé Echavez), PACE received a grant to provide tutoring and academic support to Filipinos in the Bernal Heights district. Estrella used her connections in the Presbyterian church inner-city community to secure the grant for a temporary office. PACE occupied the second floor of a two-story building where the student leaders held strategy meetings and tutored neighborhood children seeking to attend college, especially SF State. One of the famous recruits that summer was Dan Gonzales, who would become one of the College of Ethnic Studies longest tenured professors at SF State.
The second strike began in November amid continuing conflicts with the school administrators and state government, which failed to recognize student demands for improved access to Third World education. Pat and many students faced police in riot gear and armed with tear gas. Pat and other activists were also being monitored by the FBI for their potential for inciting violence, proximity to groups like the Black Panthers, and any personal foibles that could be used to damage their credibility later if needed. Still, the students persisted and the TWLF strikes were successful, leading to the establishment and staffing of the first College of Ethnic Studies, as well as guaranteed slots for students of color.
So, despite these gains why have you likely never heard of Pat Salaver?
While the student strike was successful, activism took its toll, as many activists today are experiencing. In addition to leading his student organization and fighting for educational support for students of color, Pat was the oldest of seven children, making him the primary breadwinner and father figure to his siblings in a family going through a divorce and suffering from poverty.
“Back in the 1960s, at a time when white supremacists were allowed to recruit on campus and conservatives ruled the California establishment, Pat was very aware of how Filipino Americans were struggling when it came to getting a college education. ”
After the end of the student strikes, Pat dropped out of college to work and help support his family. No longer being exempt from the draft as a student, he was later imprisoned for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War, despite claiming economic hardship. Because his family lost their primary breadwinner, they also lost their family home during the 12 months that Pat was in federal prison.
Rolling Stone magazine published an article called "Letters from American Political Prisoners" on March 16, 1972, by Timothy Ferris, an editor of the magazine who was not much older than Pat. In the portion of Pat’s letter that was published, he wrote, “By birth I am Filipino, a native of Southeast Asia and all too aware of the imperialistic and racist nature of the war. I am also aware as a human being of the nature of oppression that kills people and their culture — babies, women, old men and all. It is the same oppression that keeps third world people in the ghettos of the cities. . . My crime was not a violent act. It had no victims, other than myself perhaps. My crime was confronting a brutal system that denied me and others around the world the right of self-determination. . . This is the 10th year of our participation in the war in Southeast Asia, and it has been clear for some time to many that it was wrong. This being an election year, many politicians will at least say it was wrong. Yet, I suspect that many of us will still be in jail this Christmas. . . Set us free” (Ferris, 1972).
The San Francisco Pilipino Writers in 1984. Pat Salaver is seated in front.
Though Pat was later given a full pardon when he was released from prison, he was burnt out and never stopped feeling that he had been targeted to be sent to prison for his activism.
Being imprisoned removed a key piece of stability for Pat’s brothers and sisters; so, in the latter part of his life, Pat made it his mission to keep his head low and focus on creating stability for the family he made with his wife, Marcy. He built a career as an Information Technology Systems Administrator and fathered two children, Sherelle and Marc. His experience as caretaker of his younger siblings also led him to become a father figure to many of his nephews, nieces, as well as neighborhood children. He was known for fixing up bikes he found at Goodwill so that all the neighborhood children could have their own bikes.
Though he was interviewed occasionally by graduate students writing papers on the strike, he was very dedicated to living a quiet life. He did not come to PACE’s 25th Anniversary and almost did not receive his honorary college degree, which he received in 2003!
After a life filled with love and purpose, he passed away at home on August 28, 2019, surrounded by his family.
The student organization he founded over 50 years ago continues to fight for equality and self-determination. The impact of the student strikes in 1968-1969 continues to be significant and Filipino Americans should be proud that we were a key part in gaining expanded access to college for students of color and the establishment of ethnic studies in America.
Bibliography
Ferris, T. (1972, March 16). Letters from American Political Prisoners. Retrieved from RollingStone.com: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/hometown-folks-181918/
Gardiner, D. (2020, August 31). Ethnic studies requirement for California high school students passes Legislature. Retrieved from sfchronicle.com: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Ethnic-studies-requirement-for-California-high-15529224.php
Lott, J. T. (2018, October 10). PACE A Critical Link in Filipino American History. Retrieved from positivelyfilipino.com: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/pace-a-critical-link-in-filipino-american-history
Quidachay, R. (2020, 8 10). Pat Salaver Interview. (T. Salaver, Interviewer)
Umemoto, K. N. (1985). Asian American Students in the San Francisco State College Strike, 1964-1968. Los Angeles: UCLA.
Tim Salaver
Tim Salaver was only a child when Pat would take him to PACE meetings at members’ homes, grape boycotts at Safeway stores, peace marches at Golden Gate Park, and the TWLF revolution at University of California, Berkeley. Pat and Tim’s parents, Canuto and Estrella, inspired Tim’s lifelong love of music. After bearing witness to Pat’s activism on behalf of the Filipino community in the ‘60’s, Tim became a member of the San Francisco Boys Chorus. He now sings with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and the UC Alumni Chorus at Berkeley. Pat also inspired Tim’s career in Information Technology. Tim earned a B.S. in Information Systems and an MBA in the Executive MBA Program at Golden Gate University.
Pat Salaver, Asher and Sherelle Johnson
Sherelle Johnson is a copywriter with a master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is also a wife, mother, and the proud daughter of Pat Salaver. She grew up listening to her very peaceful father tell unbelievable stories about his life as an activist, like the time he thought he could get away with hitting a riot gear-wearing cop in the head with his protest sign because he thought no one would notice in the chaos. Later in college herself, participating in Katipunan, and starring in Philippine Cultural Nights, she found his trove of college papers. It was then that she fully understood his impact, that she could learn about and celebrate her culture without having to face off with riot police.
