Recommended Readings

Before we end this chapter, here are some books that have great insights on living abroad.


1. “America is in the Heart” by Carlos Bulosan. Carlos Bulosan holds the distinction of being the first Asian American writer in the US. “America is in the Heart” covers the very painful experiences of Filipino migrant workers in the 30s. We think it is a must read if you plan on living in the US even it it’s only for a short time.

2. Pico Iyer’s “The Lady and the Monk, Four Seasons in Kyoto” and “The Global Soul.” “The Lady and the Monk” provides wonderful descriptions of the author’s adjusting to Kyoto culture. “The Global Soul” challenges us to think about the travel and the global village that we live in today.

3. E. San Juan Jr.’s “From Exile to Diaspora Versions of the Filipino Experience in the United States” discusses thoroughly the Filipino diaspora.

4. Luis H. Francia and Eric Gamalinda’s “Flippin': Filipinos on America” – an anthology works of Filipino and Filipino American writers and poets.

5. Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo’s “Why I Travel and other Essays,” “Skyscrapers, Celadon and Kimchee: A Korean Notebook,” “Sojourns, I Remember: Travel Essays” cover the author’s experiences as she accompanied her husband in his diplomatic assignments. She writes about her perspective of the places she's seen, people she met, and how she learned and coped with all her experiences. She lived in Korea, Burma, Beirut, New York, and many other locations.

6. Merlinda Bobis’s “The Kissing.” The author writes stories and poems about Filipinos and Filipinos living in Australia.

7. Criselda Yabes’s “Journey of Scars. ” A well-written book where the author describes her year in Eastern Europe and in Paris.