Beginnings
The Japanese invasion of Manila in 1941 would prove a defining moment for three young sisters growing up in the Philippines. Born successively 10 years apart, each would blossom from rubble of that national trauma into young adulthood, weaving into an American timeline that, in their own separate decade, would define the narrative of the Filipina nurse.
The Story
America in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s went from a longing for normalcy post World War II into a cultural warfare that pit the young against government institutions. From Father Knows Best to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., each sister experienced three different decades through the eyes of youth. For each of them, their steps towards independence represented another layer of bricks on a profession that itself was still finding legitimacy. They helped define nursing. And in the process, found their way in a strange new land.
The Hope
In this exciting, foreign, inspiring new place, could each find their own happiness? America was the dream, but would promise turn into true satisfaction, reward and security? At every turn, each sister started the process of building. They were creating a path for each other, offering their younger sister opportunities that most of their countrymen could not attain.
But at what cost? What price would they ultimately pay? And could they ultimately shelter each other from tragedy even in this newfound land of opportunity and hope?
Immigration has always been a contentious topic for Americans. Issues of racism and grievance always fought with the practical need for labor in a growing economic and political superpower.
For the Garcia family, the history of Guam and its importance to the United States played a key role in creating a pathway to U.S. citizenship. In addition to the claiming of Guam, several other changes in American policy opened additional doors.
1898: United States Acquires Guam
As part of a bloodless takeover, the United States acquired Guam as part of the Spanish-American War. The island came under official U.S. Rule in 1898. The bigger interest was the Philippines, but Guam was only 1,500 miles away. Taking Guam would allow for a greater range of territory. With the Treaty of Paris signed in December of that year, Spain officially ceded the island to the United States.
Ending World War II
President Harry Truman announced the surrender of Japan, with formal documents signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945.
This policy allowed for 100 Filipinos per year to come to America and naturalize as citizens. But the number exceeded that quota going into the 1950s.
The Guam Organic Act of 1950 made Guam an unincorporated, organized territory of the United States and granted residents U.S. citizenship.
Also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the new policy abolished racial restrictions but retained a quota system tied to nationalities and regions. It also created a preferred category of immigrants inclusive of those with special skills and those with family already in the United States.
Also known as the 1965 Immigration Act, the measure addressed what were essentially discriminatory immigration polices targeting Southern and Eastern Europeans, Asians and people from non-Western or Northern European countries.
Angel Garcia Abcede Jr. was born in Guam, a North Pacific island territory of the United States on November 25, 1963. His parents were Angel Chato Abcede and Luz Garcia Abcede. Three days before Angel Jr. was born, John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas. On his birthday, Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald.
When he was five, Angel Jr.’s family moved Honolulu, Hawaii, where his father landed a job as an engineer in a local construction company. Angel Jr. graduated from Roosevelt High School and the left the islands for Northwestern University in a suburb just north of Chicago. He graduated in 1985 with a degree in journalism.
He spent most of his professional career as a freelance writer, but took a permanent job at a business magazine targeting owners and operators of convenience stores. He was let go during the COVID crisis and became press manager for a digital marketing firm.
While in his youth, he danced with a local modern-jazz company called the Joel Hall Dancers. He performed all across the United States and traveled dancing lead roles in venues as far as Europe and Russia.
In 2018, a visit to his ailing aunt led to a long discussion about the family’s history with his cousin, Elizabeth “Lilibet” Correos. Angel Jr.’s mother was the half sister of Lilibet’s mother. An afternoon of looking at old photo albums led to the writing of House of Nurses.