Danilo Serranilla (DS): Can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in librarianship?
Jaena Rae Cabrera (JRC): I am Filipina -American, born in LA and primarily raised in Carson, a small city that is part of the LA South Bay. It’s a very diverse city with a large Filipino population. I’ve always wanted to help people and communities. I initially started out as a journalist working for The Center for Investigative Reporting’s Reveal podcast, a national investigative news outlet. I ended up gravitating toward librarianship because I didn’t feel like I was making much of an impact sitting behind a computer as a web producer, and I also didn’t feel personally fulfilled. Working for a public library, I see the fruits of my labor on a daily basis.
Mel Reyes (MR): Before librarianship, I was a dedicated community organizer and activist in San Francisco’s Filipino community. I was active in neighborhood and city-wide campaigns focused on youth empowerment and housing justice, and I organized alongside intergenerational and multilingual communities to mobilize around local issues. I worked as a case manager and program coordinator for many years, serving working-class immigrant families in San Francisco, providing employment, housing, immigration, and other rights-based services and advocacy. I have also played leadership roles in Filipino organizations like the League of Filipino Students, GABRIELA USA, Migrante, and the Justice for Brandon Lee coalition.
My previous (and current) community organizing background and activism is foundational to my worldview, which has cultivated in me a deep sense of responsibility to work alongside everyday people to harness their collective agency and power. This inspired me to pursue a career in librarianship because I’ve known that beyond books, public libraries serve as crucial community hubs that support the social and political well-being of entire communities.
DS: What attracted you to the San Francisco Public Library Filipino American Center specifically?
JRC: The FilAm Center is the only institution of its kind in the public library realm. As far as I can tell, no other public library system in the country has a dedicated department for the Filipino American experience. Aside from this fact, it’s become very important to me to uplift and preserve our culture while educating the broader public. The existence of the FilAm Center is one of the reasons why I wanted to work specifically for the San Francisco Public Library, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before I found myself a part of the Center.
MR: I’ve known about the Filipino American Center since I started college at San Francisco State University 18 years ago. Growing up in my hometown’s public libraries (Chula Vista/San Diego represent), I have always loved libraries. I would frequent the SF Main Library to study and do homework as a college student, and the real treat of being at the library was always browsing the poetry and Filipino American Center collections. As a student of Ethnic Studies at SFSU, I devoured the books I found in the Center, eager to get my hands on anything I could by Filipino writers and thinkers like Carlos Bulosan, E. San Juan Jr., and Jessica Hagedorn, among many others.
After I graduated college and became an organizer, I continued to gravitate towards the library and the Filipino American Center for research and community archives with help from then FAC librarian Mitchell Yangson. I also attended several community programs hosted by the most recent FAC librarian, Abe Ignacio. When I finally became a librarian three years ago, I helped steward my neighborhood branch’s Filipiniana collection, where I had the opportunity to dive in not just as a patron, but as a librarian charged with developing and promoting the collection.
As Jaena mentioned, the Filipino American Center is the only center of its kind in the country. It makes my role to steward this collection more meaningful for me, especially as an organizer who dedicated many years to the upliftment of the Filipino community and other immigrant communities. I do not take stepping into this role lightly for this reason, and I cannot wait to continue to co-create the legacy of our center with Jaena.
DS: How do you envision your role at the Filipino American Center, and what are your main goals for the coming year?
JRC: My role is a newly created position for SFPL. As program manager, my specific goals align with SFPL’s strategic plan, Vision 2030. For example, our strategic priorities challenge us to be Literacy Champions, Cultural Amplifiers, and Community Catalyzers, as a few examples. My goals are to amplify Filipino American culture, not just in the SF-Bay Area, but even more broadly. I plan to highlight Filipino literature, culture, and values throughout my outreach and programming throughout the year.
MR: I envision my role at the Filipino American Center as a community collaborator and resource, supporting our intergenerational community’s needs and aspirations through literacy, culturally relevant activities and programming, and ensuring that the local Filipino community knows that the library is a welcoming space for them.
The main goals I have in mind for the coming year include reacquainting with the local Filipino American community in this new capacity, and gaining insight from them on the needs and aspirations they have in 2025 and beyond. Sustained relationship building starts with outreach efforts and showing up for the communities we serve, so that is definitely one of the priorities. I would love to see us continue to work with old and new community partners and stakeholders to be our thought partners and from there, develop diverse programming reflective of community needs. One of my big dreams is to have someone like my dad, a working class Filipino immigrant, feel excited about the library because we are offering something to him and his demographic that reflects their interests.
DS: Can you describe a project or initiative you’re particularly excited to bring to the center?
JRC: My initial push this year is to promote the Filipino American Center as a resource for everyone. I want folks to know about us, and use and access our materials.
MR: Like Jaena said, this year’s push is to promote the Filipino American Center far and wide so that people use and access our materials.
DS: How do you plan to engage with the Filipino American community in San Francisco and beyond?
JRC: To this end, I’ve started attending and participating in more Filipino-centric programs and events throughout the Bay Area. I view myself as the “face” of the Filipino American Center, and I plan to be front and center wherever and whenever I can. Again, I want folks to know we exist and that we are here to champion our community.
MR: It begins with getting out in our community! Developing and sustaining new and existing relationships in the San Francisco Filipino American community and beyond, and staying abreast of the social and political life of our community are important ways to engage.
DS: What unique challenges and opportunities do you see in serving this community, and how do you plan to address them?
JRC: I don’t know about unique challenges, but funding is always a big issue in public libraries. Obviously, I have a budget I need to adhere to, which may inhibit me from doing everything I’d like to do this year. Something has to rein me in! I am buzzing with enough ideas for the next five years.
MR: (See Jaena’s answer)
DS: What are some of your favorite books or resources that you recommend for those interested in Filipino American history and culture?
JRC: I was a children’s librarian for the last 3.5 years, so many of my recent recommendations will technically fall under the youth categories. However, there is value in literature at all levels. Three contemporary authors I recommend are Randy Ribay, Elaine Castillo, and Jen Soriano. Gina Apostol and Ninotchka Rosca are also literary powerhouses. For the younger crowd, I recommend Erin Estrada Kelly and Lynnor Bontigao, among so many others.
MR: I love history and poetry, so some of my favorite books include “Philippine Society and Revolution” by Amado Guerrero/Jose Maria Sison, “On Becoming Filipino” by Carlos Bulosan, “My American Kundiman” by Patrick Rosal, “Letters to a Young Brown Girl” by Barbara Jane Reyes, and “Walang Hiya: Literature Taking Risks Toward Liberatory Practice,” an anthology I was published in among many other Filipino writers in 2010.
DS: How do you stay inspired and motivated in your work as a librarian?
JRC: Being able to see the impact you make in people’s lives is a great source of inspiration. Public libraries provide so much for their communities, and sometimes patrons barely scratch the surface of what we offer. I love being able to help people learn or access new things. It’s like opening doors to new possibilities.
MR: My brilliant colleagues and their commitment to serving our diverse communities in San Francisco every day, through their programming and excellent frontline public service.
DS: What do you think sets the Filipino American Center apart from other cultural centers within the library system?
JRC: What sets us apart from the other affinity centers here at SFPL is our community. The passion and care we see within the community are special. Our cultural values of kapwa and bayanihan shine throughout everything our community organizes. I hope we at the Filipino American Center can contribute and uplift this legacy.
MR: The Filipino American Center and our other affinity centers (African American Center, Chinese Center, James Hormel LGBTQIA Center, and soon-to-be Latinx Center) are important hallmarks of San Francisco’s diverse communities. Within our library system, they represent our past, present, and future appreciation and commitment to the upliftment of our communities.
DS: Lastly, what message would you like to share with the patrons of the Filipino American Center?
JRC: We’re here! And we’re excited to work with and for our community.
MR: Contact us, come visit us, and collaborate with us to do amazing things with and for our community!
This interview was conducted by Danilo Serranilla, with editing assistance by Amanda Cheung. Photo courtesy of Mel Reyes.