CAMP ROXAS FILM PROJECT Camp Roxas, Agat, Guam (1946—1972)

Bernie Provido Schumann, Producer Burt Sardoma Jr., Director Alex Munoz, Producer Josephine Garrido, Associate Producer Norman Analista, Special Projects

177 B Mall Street, A401, Tamuning, GU 96913 (671) 649-8412 Website: www.camproxas.com Email: [email protected]

PROJECT BIOGRAPHY

An independently produced 60-minute documentary film, Under the American Sun (Camp Roxas Film Project), will trace the epic post-World War II migration of Filipinos laborers to Guam. The U.S. military recruited skilled laborers and professionals to help rebuild an island devastated by war, resulting in the initial 1946 influx of Filipinos to Guam. The recruitment process lasted for two decades, resulting in a migration of over 10,000 Filipino men and women to Guam. Under the American Sun (Camp Roxas Film Project) tells the story of Filipino immigrants to Guam, the Ilonggos from Iloilo Province, who arrived in 1946 at Camp Roxas in Agat, Guam, after World War II as part of the military reconstruction effort. Their arrival and settlement laid the foundation for four generations of Ilonggos to become Filipino-Americans and part of the Guam community.

The year 2006 marked the 60th anniversary of these first Filipino immigrants to arrive in Guam. Marked by struggle, perseverance, hard work, adaptation and ultimately success, theirs is a true immigrant story. This project will entail collecting oral histories and archival research of their journey from the Philippines. One of the largest ethnic minorities on Guam, the Filipino community has a long and complex history on the island that began during the Spanish colonial period in the 1600s. In recent times, the history of Filipinos in Guam is associated with the Ilonggo influx. The postwar recruitment of Ilonggo labor lasted for two decades, resulting in a migration of more than 10,000 Filipino men and women to Guam. Because of a succession of colonial and strategic occupations, Guam was, in 1946, already a diverse and thriving community. But the Ilonggo community flourished in unexpected ways, creating a successful social network in the local community, and contributing to the political, economic, and social life of the island territory. Not surprisingly, the population of the largely Catholic Ilonggos boomed. Today, the Flipino American community makes up approximately 30 percent of the island's population - about 45,000 people. The Ilonggo experience is a true immigrant experience marked by struggle, perseverance, hard work, adaptation and economic cultural success. As is the case in most migrations, the Ilonggo men were the first to arrive. They came primarily as skilled laborers and professionals - accountants, carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians and engineers. This diverse workforce was tasked with the rebuilding of the U.S. military facilities and infrastructure. In the ensuing years, Ilonggo women, many of whom were trained as nurses and other professional and semiprofessional positions, were hired to work in Guam. They began to join to men of Camp Roxas after 1946. The passage of the Organic Act in 1950 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, often referred to as the McCarran Act, enabled many of the workers to become permanent residents by working on Guam before December 1952, and to later apply for US. citizenship. Under the American Sun will be told principally through the reminiscences of a "veteran" of the Ilonggo migration, Loreto Parenas Provido, and his wife, Bernadita Confesor Juadiong. Mr. Provido is the father of Producer Bernadette Provido-Schumann. Because of his advanced age and infirmity, Ms. Provido-Schumann felt it imperative to record his moving oral history. In the process of preparing for the film project, Ms. Provido-Schumann is discovering much about the family she had not previously known, and, just as important, is discovering her own attitudes about the migration. Shame, disdain and grief are typical "second generation" feelings about the Camp Roxas experience. Ms. Provido-Schumann will examine her own belief system in Under the American Sun, a process that will be likely be enlightening to all westernized children of native-born Asian-Pacific and Pacific Island people. Other oral histories from the initial immigrants, many of whom are now in their eighties, as well as their descendents, will supplement Mr. Provido's account. Under the American Sun will also be told through extensive archival content documenting the Ilonggo journey from the Philippines to Guam. Under the American Sun will provide vivid visual representations of place - Iloilo Province from which the Ilonggo people were recruited, and Camp Roxas, Guam - to give viewers a sense of what the Ilonggos left behind, and what they faced as they entered the war-ravaged U.S. Territory.

The film’s outreach and marketing effort will target audiences throughout the Pacific Islander, Asian Pacific, and West Coast communities, and will also be directed toward film festivals and other exhibition opportunities throughout the United States and Europe. Naturally, the Filipino and non-Filipino communities in Guam will be the film's most significant target audiences, edifying and inspiring future generations.

PRODUCER

Bernadette Provido Schumann, producer, is a professional public health advocate who utilizes the creative power of film to showcase the uniqueness of Guam and Pacific Islander communities.

The daughter of Ilonggo migrant workers, Schumann began her career in public service with the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services. Her professional experience includes collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Office of Minority Health, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the World Health Organization. She co-produced Prutehi Hao (Protect Yourself), an HIV prevention youth video, and Matto Saina-Ta As Hurao (The Return of the Elder), a short film about an ancient Chamorro chief. She also served as the site location coordinator for the documentary, Out In Silence, a fear of disclosure project. Schumann is the co-founder for the Rotary Club of Guam Sunrise Films For Youth, a program which engages at-risk youth in the film making process. She also is a member of the Rotary Club of Guam Sunrise and board member for the Pay-Less Supermarkets Community Foundation. Schumann earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Guam. She is also an avid runner competing in short- to long-distance events.

DIRECTOR

Burt Sardoma, Jr., a Camp Roxas descendant, started his career in television production more than ten years ago. Over the course of this time, Burt gained invaluable experience as an editor, cameraman and lighting technician while working on numerous projects on Guam. Other experience included work as a grip and production assistant for Fast Forward Productions for Discovery Channel, 1998 on Storm Warning, a recreation of Typhoon Paka devastating the island.

Seven years ago, Burt teamed up with other talented videographers and started his own production company, Videoworks. In the four years since their opening, Burt has landed projects involving large local companies including the Bank of Guam, DFS, Louis Vuitton, Citibank, Guam Humanities Council Guampedia.com website and a public service announcement on Drunk Driving funded by the Office of Highway Safety. Video Works recently expanded its marketing capacity and added years of valuable and proven service in research and public relations work for the Government of Guam as well as the launch of numerous products for private sector companies throughout Guam and the CNMI. He has gained exceptional experience working as the cameraman with Los Angeles-based Director Alex Munoz and the island's youth on a film production team. With Director Alex Munoz in conjunction with the island's youth he worked on three short films which included Prutehi Hao (Protect Yourself), an HIV/AIDS 15 minute video, Chief Hurao, a :60 second film spot, and recently, Who Took My Kelaguen? In addition, he served as a Video and Editing instructor for Guam Community College. He attended the Independent Producer's Academy Beginning and Advanced Workshops sponsored by Pacific Islanders in Workshops sponsored by Pacific Islanders in Communications. He is the son of Felixberto "Burt" Sardoma Sr., former Camp Roxas resident.

PRODUCER

Award-winning Chamorro filmmaker Alex Muñoz supervises the Films by Youth Inside program. A native of San Jose, Calif., Muñoz received his MFA from the Graduate School of Cinema and Television at the University of Southern California. He began directing television commercials while still a student. Interested in portraying the minority experience with honesty and insight, Muñoz made his first short film, Por Vida, which won several awards and was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival. He went on to direct Riot, a film about the LA Riots of 1992, for Showtime Networks. Riot premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, won the Jury Prize at the Geneva Film Festival and won the Best TV Movie award from the NY Daily News.Muñoz' first feature film, Living The Life, won Best Domestic Feature film at the New York Latino Film Festival and was released in 2004.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Josephine Garrido (Associate Producer) brings to the Camp Roxas Film Project an in-depth knowledge of strategic marketing based on her experience over two decades as a writer in advertising agencies and corporate in-house advertising departments throughout Hawaii, California and Guam. A journalist by training, Josephine held positions early in her career as reporter and editor in newspapers in Guam, Hawaii and California, including the Pacific Daily News, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Tracy Press. In California, her work as an Asian-American journalist earned a number of journalism and marketing awards.

With the rapid development of information technology in the early 1990s and work experience as marketing manager of a major computer retailer, Josephine developed an expertise in the emerging field of desktop publishing, expanding her skills in website development and design in conjunction with the world-wide expansion of the Internet. Josephine then opened her own advertising agency, specializing in developing advertising strategy for small businesses with minimum budgets. She currently helps market and support social service organizations, small nonprofit community groups and specialty commemorative projects. She received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Seattle University in Seattle, Wash., and her MBA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Josephine, an Illonga and the daughter of a pioneer immigrant Filipino worker to Guam, is a long-time practitioner of shido-kan shorin-ryu karate.

CREATIVE TEAM

Patrick Rosal (Writer, narration) is the author of Uprock Headspin Scramble and Dive (Persea Books, 2004), finalist for the Asian-American Writers' Workshop Literary Awards and winner of the AAWW Member's Choice Award. His chapbook Uncommon Denominators won the Palanquin Poetry Series Award. His work has appeared in journals such as North American Review, Columbia, Folio, and many anthologies including The NuyorAsian Anthology, Pinoy Poetics, and The Beacon Best. He has been a featured reader at many venues around the country, in Buenos Aires, London, and on the BBC radio program "The World Today". His second full- length collection, My American Kundiman, was published by Persea Books in fall 2006.

Therese Matanane (Director of Photography) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Picture/ Video, from the Brooks Institute of Photography and the Arts and Sciences in Santa Barbara, California. Therese has extensive experience in the media arts. She has served as Director of Photography on numerous productions, including Hurao Series I and 2, Prutehi Hao (Protect Yourself), Megan, Series I and 2, Buckle up for Safety, and the promotional reel for the documentary, Camp Roxas: The llonggo Story. She served as Executive Producer, Editor and DP on Catholics On The Move, a 60-minute, monthly television program.

Therese spent a decade as Creative Director for Images Advertising, where she was responsible for conceptualizing, realizing and implementing advertising campaign strategies to include radio, television, print production and corresponding collateral material and public relations events. Images' client list included Bank of Guam, GTE, Motorola, Nikko Hotel, and numerous candidates for public office. Therese's contributions to the community includes past service on the Board of Directors of Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC). She is a Recipient of the Interpacific Fellowship. She recently founded Matanane Creative, an advertising and television production house in Guam.

Chris Worland (Editor) discovered his craft while working as a sound editor. Since then he has learned, fine-tuned, and applied that craft to a wide variety of projects. Worland has edited more than sixteen features, including festival winners Welcome to September and The Gold Bracelet. In addition to these features, Worland has also edited television series and MOWS, documentaries, and many shorts, among which Alex Munoz’s Dilemma. As a native of Sweden, Chris Worland entered the dark world of the editing room through the dark world of the movie theatre, where he spent much of his youth admiring the films of Ingmar Bergman, Eric Rohmer, John Cassavettes and many others. Since relocating to the United States, Worland has edited Raven for New Line, Little Bigfoot for Republic Pictures, The Silencers and Magic Kid 2 for Showtime and Steel Frontier for HBO as well as Inferno, a movie of the week for Paramount. Television series include Son of the Beach, Team Knight Rider, Silk Stalkings and Land of the Lost. He also edited Beyond the Page, an award winning children's series for Disney Educational. Worland's editing experience editing also includes numerous promos for BBC Worldwide and many other trailers and promos, as well as behind-the-scenes pieces for The Apartment Complex, The Glass Jar, Wrinkle in Time and Scarecrow.

Aaron Symonds (Composer) combines sensitivity to the drama of a scene with knowledge of traditional orchestral techniques, and a strong melodic sensibility. His musical style ranges from the big and epic to the small and intimate, often incorporating elements from various cultures, electronic textures and contemporary classical techniques. He has scored numerous projects, including five independent feature films, and his most recent projects include Beyond the Big Bang (History Channel), a Mercedes commercial, a CGI film for AMD/ATI Radeon, an animation for Joe Dante/Elizabeth Stanley, and conducting his music on the Fox Studios Scoring Stage.

He has also contributed to studio projects such as George of the Jungle 2 (Disney), Renny Harlin's Exorcist: In The Beginning (Warner Bros), Coach Carter (Paramount), the Dreamworks TNT mini-series Into The West for executive producer Steven Spielberg, including as lead orchestrator for twice Academy nominated composer David Hirschfelder on his score to Five People You Meet in Heaven (Hallmark Entertainment). Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Aaron Symonds grew up in Israel where he studied composition, orchestration, conducting and numerous instruments from an early age. As a teenager he moved to Australia and began working on films, TV series and theatre productions for some of Australia flagship theatre companies. After several years, he moved to Los Angeles where he resides with his wife, Abigail, his state-of-the-art film scoring studio and his conducting baton.

ADVISORY BOARD

Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, delegate from Guam, has graciously accepted to become the honorary chairwoman for the Camp Roxas Film Project to help build project support in Filipino-American, Chamorro and Pacific Islander communities on Guam and the U.S. mainland. A lifetime public servant, in 2003 Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo became the first woman to represent Guam in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ms. Bordallo brings to Congress over forty years of public service experience in the executive and legislative branches of the Government of Guam and numerous non-governmental organizations. The 110th Congress is Ms. Bordallo's third term.

Congresswoman Bordallo is a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and serves as the Chairwoman of Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. She also has a seat on the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, which has jurisdiction over issues affecting the insular areas. Congresswoman Bordallo is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, and is a member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces.

In addition to her committee responsibilities, Congresswoman Bordallo serves as Secretary of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and also serves as the Chair of the Healthcare Task Force for CAPAC. She is the Co-Chair of the China Caucus and the Co-Chair of the Congressional Arts Competition for 2007, "An Artistic Discovery." She is a member of the U.S.-Philippines Friendship Caucus, the Korean Caucus, the Army Caucus, and the Navy/Marine Corps Caucus, the Travel and Tourism Caucus, and the Women's Caucus.

During the 110th Congress, Congresswoman Bordallo will continue the work she began in the 108th and 109th Congresses. She is working to ensure that the relocation of U.S. Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam and the military build-up on Guam is accomplished in a way that is beneficial to the people of Guam. In the 109th Congress, Ms. Bordallo secured the passage of legislation that designates all of Guam as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone, "HUBzone". This new designation will help to ensure that Guam small businesses have competitive access to the federal marketplace.

Ms. Bordallo's legislative efforts have benefited from the close relationships she has established and fostered with other Members from the U.S. territories, the Hawaiian delegation, and House leadership on both sides of the aisle. She has also worked in a bipartisan approach with other government officials from Guam to address federal issues that are important to the island.

Congresswoman Bordallo began her public career with local radio and television broadcaster KUAM in 1954. Her involvement in the community has also been extensive, with Bordallo founding the Guam Council of Women's Clubs, the Guam Symphony Society, Y Inetnon Famalaoan (Women for Service), and the Marianas Association for Persons with Disabilities. She was also a past President of the Federation of Asia Pacific Women's Associations and has been in dozens of leadership roles in other community organizations throughout her life.

Ms. Bordallo was introduced to public service through her husband Ricky, who served as Governor of Guam from 1975-1978 and 1983-1986. As First Lady of Guam, Madeleine was a strong advocate of promoting the indigenous Chamorro culture and the arts, both of which are lifelong passions. In between her husband's two terms as Governor, Madeleine Bordallo became the first woman from the Democratic Party to serve as a Guam Senator. She was a member of the 16th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Guam Legislatures. Following the death of her husband, she ran for Governor in 1990, and in securing her party's nomination, she became the first woman on Guam to head a gubernatorial ticket. Although she was not successful in 1990, she teamed up in 1994 with Senator Carl Gutierrez as the Lieutenant Governor candidate on the Gutierrez-Bordallo ticket. She served two consecutive terms as Guam's first woman Lieutenant Governor from 1995 to 2002. In this role, she championed the cause of island beautification as a way to enhance Guam's tourism based economy.

Madeleine Bordallo, who is a resident of Tamuning, Guam, was born in Minnesota. She graduated from George Washington High School in Mangilao, Guam, in 1951. She attended St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana from 1951-1952, and the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota from 1952-1953, studying music with an emphasis in voice. In the summer of 1953, she married Ricardo J. "Ricky" Bordallo and they have a daughter, Deborah, and a granddaughter, Nicole.

Dr. James Sobredo is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, Asian American Studies Program, at California State University in Sacramento. He has an MA & BA in Philosophy (Ancient Greek/Plato/Aristotle) and a PhD from UC-Berkeley in Ethnic Studies. His latest book publications are on early Filipino migration to the Americas, the Manila galleon trade and 16th-century economic history. He is interested in how race and ethnicity are interpreted within a global/world history context. Sobredo is a multimedia specialist who utilizes photography, video and online learning in his teaching curriculum.

Dr. Sobredo is currently Vice Chair of the University's Faculty Senate and member of the University Budget Advisory Committee (2007-2010). He also served on the University Budget Taskforce (2006-2007). In 2005-2006, he was Chair of the Faculty Council, SSIS College. He has also served as Co-Principle Investigator for the Hiram Johnson Program (2002-2005), a federally funded program that implemented a service-learning project with inner-city schools, community collaboration, and provided tutoring services in the classroom for over 500 students; a "college bridge" program to Sacramento State University for students and parents; and teaching ethnic studies in high school to promote ethnic understanding and tolerance. In his spare time he continues his work on documentary photography (Canon digital SLRs). When on assignment, he shoots primarily with Canon EOS digital bodies, with lenses from 17mm to 200mm. He never leaves home without a Canon digital camera. His graphics, photographs and articles have appeared in The New York Times, AsianWeek and magazines such as Filipinas and Pacific. He is also a lifetime member of the Filipino American National Historical Society. He practices the Giron style of escrima under the tutelage of Grand Master Tony Somera, with whom he is producing a made-for-public television documentary Tracing Filipino Footsteps. Aside from sailing in Sausalito and San Francisco Bay, he is also a practioner of Vispassana Buddhism and spends a little bit of time each day meditating and trying to understand life, peace and embrace "metta." He and his wife Lou and son Adrian spend their time living in three worlds: Sacramento, Davis and Sausalito.

RELATED PROJECTS Photo Exhibit & Discussion Series The Guam Humanities Council and Isla Center for the Arts at the University of Guam presented, "A Journey Home: Filipino-American History in Guam," an interpretive photographic exhibition.

Preview Night and Opening Reception for "A Journey Home" was held on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Isla Center for the Arts at the University of Guam, #15 Dean’s Circle.

Programming in conjunction with the exhibition included a film and discussion series featuring:

Feb. 14: "The Ilonggo’s Story: Return to Camp Roxas," A Sizzle Reel with Dr. James Sobredo, Associate Professor in Ethnic Studies from California State University, Sacramento. Feb. 28: "Cockfighters, An Untold Triumph, Strange Land and Remember the Boys," A Film Montage with Stephanie Castillo, a Hawaii-based filmmaker. March 13: "Manongs," a film by Linda Mabalot.

All events took place at the War in the Pacific National Historic Park, T. Stell Newman Visitor Center at 6:30 p.m.

"A Journey Home" ran from Feb. 7 to March 21, 2008 at the Isla Center. Center hours were Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission was free. Donations were appreciated.

Sizzle Reel The Guam Humanities Council also funded a 10-minute informational Sizzle Reel film describing the project which was part of the photo exhibit. The short 10-minute Sizzle Reel film was shown April 5, 2008 at the film's first fundraiser, "An Afternoon At the Theatre" which raised over $2,500.

PROJECT STATUS With the April 18, 2008 notification by the Guam Humanities Council that funding is no longer available, the Camp Roxas team continues to pursue alternate grant funding for an independently produced 60-minute documentary film.

The Guam Humanities Council has ceded the rights to the completed Sizzle Reel to Alex Munoz, director, and Bernie Provido Schumann, producer. The Guam Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities will only be credited for funding the photographic exhibition and the Sizzle Reel. The Guam Humanities Council has expressly requested that the Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities not be used in any other context associated with the 60-minute film.

Munoz arranged and signed a contract with Visual Communications in Los Angeles to make the organization the Camp Roxas Film Project’s official fiscal sponsor. Funds received by Under the American Sun will be handled exclusively by Visual Communications, fiscal administrator.

Since 1970, Visual Communications is the pioneer in the development of Asian Pacific American film, video and media. Visual Communications has evolved from its early days as a filmmakers' cooperative into the preeminent media arts center dedicated to honest and accurate portrayals of Asian Pacific peoples, communities and heritage through the media arts. The organization has created award- winning productions, nurtured and given voice to our youth, promoted new talent, present new international and national Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema, and preserved our history.

Further information regarding the fiscal support provided by Visual Communications for the Camp Roxas Film Project is available by contacting Visual Communications, Southern California Asian American Studies Central, Inc., 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3805, Phone: (213) 680-4462; Fax: (213) 687-4848; Email: [email protected]; Website: http://vconline.org. The Camp Roxas Film Project, Under the American Sun, made its national and international debut July 3 through 5, 2008 at the 12th Biennial National Conference of the Filipino American National Historical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.

Independent film producer Bernie Provido Schumann from Tamuning, Guam, discussed the project’s current on-going research and film production in Alaska at the invitation of the organization. She joined foremost Filipino-American research historians from throughout the world to seek national support and major grant funding. On Guam, Schumann recently coordinated successful fundraisers and made historical presentations regarding the Camp Roxas Film Project to interested local community groups.

Founded in 1982, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) serves “to preserve, document, and present Filipino American history and to support scholarly research and artistic works which reflect that rich past. . .” The national office and archives in Seattle, Wash., supports 27 chapters across the United States. The organization is recognized as the primary informational resource on Filipino Americans for organizations, educational institutions, museums, creative artists and researchers.

To handle the greatly accelerated filming schedule, local filmmaker Burt Sardoma, Camp Roxas descendant and co-owner of Videoworks, a Guam production company, was named director. In turn, Los Angeles-based Chamorro filmmaker Alex Munoz expanded his role to supervising director.

“I have been working closely with Burt on this project for over two years and am deeply committed to this creative effort envisioned by Bernie,” said Munoz. “I have great trust and belief in Burt’s professional expertise as director and will continue to closely supervise the filming of this important historical effort documenting Filipino migration to Guam.”

The 10-minute informational film trailer (Sizzle Reel) of Under the American Sun successfully screened at the 2008 Sine! Sine! Filipino American Film Festival on Aug. 22 and 23, 2008 in San Francisco, Calif. The film festival, which features Filipino-American film writers, producers and artists, was part of the Filipino-American Arts Exposition's (FAAE) mission to embrace culture through arts. The film event coincided with the 15th Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival and the First Annual San Francisco Filipino- American Jazz Festival.

The Camp Roxas team continues to receive enormous local, national and international community and media support for this groundbreaking film project, which documents the little-known history of Filipino-American migration to Guam. We are humbled by the community’s warm encouragement and generous donations. Please visit our website at camproxas.com for future developments. For further information, contact Bernie Provido Schumann, independent film producer, at [email protected].