Bulosan, Carlos, America is in theHeart, University Of Washington Press, Washington and Landon, in 1973

Book Review by: Stephanie Lamp

In America is in the Heart, Carlos Bulosan is telling us the story of his life as a struggling Filipino. Bulosan tells us how he lived in a small town in the Philippians working with his father on their land. They had a big family so money was always tight. He wanted to go make something of himself so he decides to save his money to go to America, “the land of opportunity!” or so he thought.

From this point in the book Bulosan explains to us his struggles through life in America; how it was difficult to find a place to eat, live and even travel. He had a hard time trusting white people because just when he would give them the benefit of the doubt and feel they were genuinely kind, they would turn on him. It becomes clear that socially he much preferred to spend time with white women then with Filipino women. For one, there were hardly any Filipino women in his circle of friends and two, he felt white women understood him and how his mind worked better then his own native women.

Bulosan does not wrestle with just one subject, but his analyses seems to go along with his story chronologically. He does specifically deal with the developing culture of Unionism throughout the Pacific West, and ties together how it helped, and hurt his countrymen and himself. When he begins to write in the “new world” he gives us insight into the structure of his writing and how it developed overtime and the famous people who influenced him. He always stays on task with what he’s talking about, so it’s a very easy read even though at times the story can become quiet gruesome and difficult to accept. As the reader I did not find myself questioning the truth of what he said, it’s just so hard realize the hardships he, and people like him endured. At the time that other parts of society were not struggling near as critically as these poor immigrants were.

I chose this book because the title caught my eye, and I was interested in reading a biography of a man who went through these kinds of difficulties throughout his life. After reading this book I’m very glad I did choose this specific book. I didn’t have too much insight into the Filipino- American struggle. I learned much.

Buloson did a great job writing his story. There was never a dull moment throughout this book. He obviously had great difficulty finding the time and resources to complete this task, but over the decades it covers he completed it well. He explained in his story that he only had three years of formal education, so in my eyes he did a great job writing a three hundred and twenty five page biography. Since the title of the book indicates how America is in the Heart he does a great job in summing up the way all Americans have toiled, suffered and known oppression, from the first Indian to the Last Filipino pea picker.

Bulosan helps us to understand that America is not merely a land or institution, but America is in the hearts of men that die for freedom and also in the eyes of those that are building a new world. He concludes with a strong statement that

America is the nameless foreigner, the homeless refugee, the hungry boy begging for a job and the black body dangling from a tree. We are all that nameless foreigner, from the first Adams to the last Filipino, native born or alien, educated or illiterate.
We are America!