Halo-Halo: A poetic mix of culture, history, identity, revelation, and revolution

ISBN: 163676911X

Author: Ramos, Justine

Condition: New

Book DescriptionIn this small foreign body / under this heavy, twisted tongue / is the fighting spirit of / three golden stars and a sun / still gleaming with pride / even if / fifty stars and thirteen stripes try to strangle it.Justine S. Ramos Halo-Halo is a poetic Pilipino treat that exchanges the traditional components of a halo-halo-munggo beans, jackfruit, leche flan, and ube jam-for culture, history, identity, revelation, and revolution. Readers of all backgrounds will enjoy traveling with Ramos on the path toward cultural rediscovery and reconnection.Ramos had to adapt to immigrant life in the U.S. She struggled to hold on to her native tongue, juggle cultural identities, and be the fruit of her parents labor, in a land not made for her to thrive. She writes not only about her experiences with immigration but also about the gifts of humility, knowledge, and a passion for advocacy she found along the wayThrough Ramos fiery, whip-smart, slam-style poetry, this book is a fascinating portal into the Pilipinx identity and the collective experiences of immigrants and communities of color. Above all, Ramos insists that change, revolution, and growth are possible in unity.Notable Reviews[An] awakening to the deep social issues that we face as a community and a testament to the resilience of Filipinos across the diaspora. [Ramos] immerses us in the true realities of our history which is both tragic and beautiful. - Kirby Araullo, Co-Founder of the UC Davis Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, Author of Black Lives & Brown FreedomPowerful and poignant. A profound creative reading for those well-versed in Pilipinx experiences and those desirous of learning more. Ramos writes openly, honestly, and scathingly of contemporary politics, police brutality, patriarchy/misogyny, and the hypocrisy of American ideals. - JoAnna Poblete, PhD, author of Islanders in the Empire and Balancing the TidesJustine writes with a visceral intensity that evokes your deepest experiences in growing up Filipino. Halo-Halo builds on historical and cultural moments to create an immersive collection of stories for us to reflect, research further, and rediscover. - Leo Albea, Director, Producer and Co-Founder of One DownRamos layers history, culture, and identity into a cohesive narrative of revelation that leads one to the heart of revolutions- passion, strength, self-awareness, and power. Halo-Halo is a mix of all these characteristics without compromising the collective soul. - Ashley Lanuza, author of My Heart of RiceAbout Justine RamosJustine Ramos is a first-generation Pilipinx immigrant who holds a Bachelor's degree in English and global health from UCLA and a Doctoral degree in occupational therapy at Tufts University. She is interested in a plethora of things, but most especially the intersection of creativity and rehabilitative medicine. To quote one of her college professors, she is "intellectually engaging, empathetic, and genuinely funny, though occasionally snarky and unapologetically blunt."Justine has performed, competed, and judged in the Slam Poetry/Spoken Word world throughout high school and college. She has coached her own slam team, mentored young poets, founded UCLA's only slam poetry organization, and won awards with the LA Youth Poet Laureate Program. She's been published with WriteGirl, Teen Ink Literary Magazine, and Cornell University's literary magazine, Rainy Day.