My Ancestor’s Dreams
It began with finding a 2 x 3 inch black spiral mini album buried in my dad’s desk. A gift and magical clue left behind by him. I love my dad’s hand-drawn cover in his doctor-signature-meets-dad-font swooshes + swirls. My sweet dad passed on Sweetest Day on October 18th from cancer in 2003. I ran a marathon on Father’s Day in Alaska during the summer solstice in his honor raising $9,500 for cancer research. I think of him + his light every day. I wanted to remember the dreams that lived in him + now in me — inspiring our 1st + 2nd floor gallery walls. My dad showed me how to not be afraid – how to live + die – with everyday grace, gratitude, optimism + adventure. Other Brown Girl is a modern, multicultural community storytelling space that I created + dedicated to Antonio Arbarillo Lauengco, my sweet + loving dad, + to our son who is named after him.
When people talk about being + living their ancestors’ wildest dreams, I can relate. When I discovered these photos, it literally took my breath away. I imagined my ancestors + my parents as kids – leaving me deeply humbled seeing my history + heritage in this way for the first time ever.
My ancestors are from Bataan, Manila + Dumaguete. I took a trip in 2017 during the travel ban with my mom to visit her childhood home that changed my life + how I see the world forever. To Vigan, 10 hours north through the Filipino countryside, rice fields + along the coast by the China Sea, like stepping back in time. Where are your ancestors from? What trip has changed your life?
My grandfather, Antonio Solomon, was the mayor of his Bataan province. His wife, my maternal grandmother Marina, had 8 children. My grandfather, Pio Lauengco, was a doctor who was spared his life because he treated WWII soldiers + prisoners - American, Filipino, + Japanese - with the same respect for all human life beyond race. His wife, my paternal grandmother Isabel, had 13 children.
My grandparents stayed on the family farms to let their siblings go to college to have a different life. My dad came to start his clinic in the US with the same dream for his family + me. I love this photo + series, reminding me of all of my family history + the sacrifices made before me - for me.
