Detailed Study Notes on Women and Families in the Little Manila Community of Stockton

Camila Labor Carido grew up in a barrio in Hinundayan, Leyte, Philippines.
Her teachers told her that there was gold to be picked off the streets in America.
In 1929, Camila's father, Manuel Labor, invited her to join him in Stockton, California, after working in Hawai’i.
They arrived in San Francisco on June 26 and promptly travelled to Stockton.
Camila had a background similar to many Philippine immigrants, being a Visayan teenager with a grade-school education.
Due to the overwhelming male population, Filipina women like Camila were rare and seen as valuable, described by Camila as "diamonds" in the community.
Camila married Leon Carido, a native of Bohol, within two years of arriving in Stockton.

Instead of picking gold off the streets, Camila worked in agriculture: picking fruits, vegetables, and cooking.
Few Filipinas immigrated to the United States before WWII due to gender roles tied to Catholic colonial culture, which limited women to domestic spheres.
Many Filipinas who did immigrate sought economic opportunities, a better education, and the promise of American opportunity.
Most early settlers in Stockton were Visayans leaving sugar plantations in Hawai’i after 1924 labor strikes.

The demographic imbalance was extreme: by the 1930 Census, there were 2,500 women out of 42,500 Filipinas/os in California.
About 40% of the female immigrants were married and traveled with husbands.
The count reflected significant gender disparities: 10-to-1 in Hawai’i, 14-to-1 in California, 33-to-1 in Washington, and 47-to-1 in New York.
Despite being a minority within a minority, Filipinas influenced the formation of community structures and familial expectations.

The gender imbalance facilitated shifts in traditional gender roles and family expectations.
Filipinas were seen as crucial in the construction and preservation of Filipina/o American culture.
Changing views on femininity and family occurred as Filipinas entered wage labor and encountered new roles away from traditional expectations.

Traditional perceptions of Filipina womanhood clashed with the realities in America.
Feminist scholars highlight a historical trajectory showing pre-colonial equality contrasted with the patriarchal structures introduced by Spanish and later American colonial regimes.
The “New Woman” emerged by the early twentieth century, characterized by education, wage-earning capability, and independence.

Courtship in the Philippines was traditionally family-centered, involving negotiations over resources and parental oversight.
Many elaborate courtship rituals became obsolete in Stockton due to the lack of extended families and the predominance of men.
Imbalanced gender ratios led Filipino men to look for companionship beyond their community, sometimes marrying outside their ethnicity, including Mexican, Native American, white, and African American women.

The attraction between Filipino men and women from other ethnic backgrounds was intensified by the implications of racial hierarchies and anti-miscegenation laws.
Interracial marriages faced societal backlash, with families often disowning individuals who pursued cross-ethnic relationships.
Mixed marriages increased in prevalence after WWII, particularly after anti-miscegenation laws were lifted in California in 1948.

Filipinas took on roles that transcended domestic responsibilities, engaging in community organizing and facilitating kinship networks essential in immigrant survival.
Many second-generation Filipina Americans were involved in significant community events and efforts for economic support.
They contributed culturally, particularly through foodways and social activities that fused both American and Filipino traditions.

During WWII, Filipina women had increased visibility as community leaders in support of the war effort, contributing through organizations and fundraising events.
The cultural identity of Filipina/o Americans continued to evolve, incorporating mixed influences from integration into mainstream American society while retaining Filipino heritage.
Post-war, new generations began to challenge established norms, expressing their identity through clothing, social engagements, and community events.