As the nation recognizes Filipino-American History Month, students at Cesar Chavez High School in Stockton are learning about their heritage through a class that connects their family histories to the broader story of the United States.
The Stockton Unified School District is among the first in the country — and the first in California — to allow students to take ethnic studies courses as an alternative to traditional U.S. history.
For Jerick Ladaro, who teaches Filipino-American Studies and Intro to Ethnic Studies at Cesar Chavez High School, the course offers students a chance to better understand their identities and the generations that came before them.
"When you learn about yourself, you have a stronger sense of identity, belonging," Ladaro said. "You understand your history in a personal way, it connects between generations."
Ladaro's own family has ties to the Philippines. His mother is from Boracay and his father is from Ilocos. They met in Stockton, where Ladaro was born and raised before becoming a teacher.
Now in its second year, the class is taught in a city that was once home to the largest Filipino population outside the Philippines.
"I think that having that as an alternative is powerful because it shows our students that our history is U.S. history," Ladaro said.
He said the course helps students see how Filipino-American experiences are woven into the history of their own community.
"Dr. Jose Rizal talked about how he who does not know where he came from will never get to his destination," Ladaro said. "This class is very powerful for the students because not only is it grounded in Filipino-American experience, when students see themselves in the history, it's also grounded in our city."
During a class on Oct. 22, students worked with the Claramo sisters of the Filipino Farm Center to explore their family trees and learn more about their ancestry.
Brothers Jayden and Ryan Tenorio took part in the activity. Jayden said his father is from Sorsogon in the Philippines and his grandmother, known as "Lola" in Tagalog, is from Cebu.
"It's amazing, it's nice to experience things with my brother," Jayden said. "For my dad, they came to California for a better life with my grandma."
Cesar Chavez High School senior Camila Fernandez said she was surprised to find a connection between her own name and her family's history.
"It's really surprising," Fernandez said. "My family, they told me I was named after my great-grandma, and I see it on here. We have the same name."
Classmate Santanah Alvarado said learning about her ancestry made her reflect on the people who have supported her.
"I'm just shocked, it's like, 'Wow' … what makes me grateful today, my loved ones, everyone I'm around, I love them, they do a lot for me," Alvarado said. "And I just want to be able to repay that one day. And I feel like me finding a little piece of our ancestry kind of like repays that in some way."
Senior Amahnti Chanhkal said Ladaro has helped the class understand what Filipinos experienced throughout history, including under Spanish colonization.
"I'm very glad this is a class where you get to learn about your identity and your history," Chanhkal said.
Charlotte Margate, president of the school's Filipino club, said her mother's decision to bring the family to the United States required significant sacrifice. Margate also helps teach traditional Filipino dances, including tinikling.
"I really like this class a lot," Margate said. "I feel like it's really important, not just for Filipino-Americans here, but also just for students in general because even though you're still learning about American culture, it connects to other cultures as well."
Stockton Unified also offers Native American, Black and African American, Mexican American and Asian American studies as alternatives to U.S. history.
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