Helen Agcaoili Summers Brown
Helen Agcaoili Summers Brown (May 16, 1915 – January 25, 2011) was a Filipina-American educator and librarian. Brown established the first library in the United States to focus on the Philippines and the Filipino-American experience. She was an educator at the Los Angeles Unified School District for 34 years, where she worked to help Filipino-American children connect with their heritage and educate all students about Filipino culture.
Helen Agcaoili Summers Brown | |
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Born | May 16, 1915 ![]() Manila ![]() |
Died | January 25, 2011 ![]() |
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Librarian, teacher ![]() |
Employer |
Early life and education
Helen Agcaoili Summers was born in Manila on May 16, 1915.[1] She was the third of seven children born to Trinidad Agcaoili Summers, a Filipina woman, and George R. Summers, an Anglo American man.[2] Her father had emigrated to the Philippines to teach English as part of efforts to establish Western-style schools following the acquisition of the Philippines by the United States through the 1898 Treaty of Paris.[2]
She graduated from Manila Central High School in 1934.[1][2] Her family moved to Arcadia, California soon afterward, where Helen enrolled in Pasadena City College.[2] After choosing to write a report on the Spanish influence on Manila, Helen found no resources in the college's library or the public library, and completed the assignment using her father's scrapbooks and memorabilia.[3] The experience inspired her to become a lifelong collector of resources about Filipino culture.[3]
Brown transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor's degree in education (1937) and a master's degree in social work (1939).[2][4]
She married Bill Brown in 1941; they traveled to Colorado to get married because California's miscegenation laws, then in place, would not permit a mestiza to marry a white man.[4] Brown and her husband both worked in shipyards during World War II.[4] They had four sons.[2]
Work as an educator
Brown worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) for thirty-four years, retiring in 1974.[4][3] She held multiple roles in the system, including making home visits as a Pupil Personnel and Attendance Counselor.[4] She also taught third grade at schools within the district.[2]
During her time at LAUSD, she lobbied the district to recognize the specific needs of Filipino-American school children.[5] She also lobbied on behalf of Filipino-American schoolteachers, working to increase the number of teachers and to see them promoted within the system.[5]
Establishing the Filipino American Library
After retiring as a teacher, Brown focused her energy on the collection of materials she had gathered for four decades.[3] The collection became a home library, and in 1985, a church near downtown Los Angeles donated space in their basement for the library to reside.[3] The Pilipino American Reading Room and Library (PARRAL) opened to the public on October 13, 1985.[5] Brown hosted visiting hours two afternoons a week.[5]
In 1988, the Pamana Foundation was established by Helen Brown, Tania Azores, Brad Bagasao, and Ming Menez to encourage interest in Filipino-American culture and history, with the library as a research center.[5] PARRAL was moved to Luzon Plaza in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles in March 1994, providing more visibility.[5] The Los Angeles Times described the opening as "a milestone in the history of the local Filipino community."[3] Another relocation in 2000 moved the library to Temple Street and inspired a renaming of the library to the Filipino American Library (FAL).[5] At 6,000 items, including books, pamphlets, photographs, and artifacts, it was the largest collection of Filipino and Filipino-American reading materials in the United States.[6]
A short documentary titled Got Books? was created by Florante Ibanez in 2005 to recognize Brown and the founding of the FAL.[7] In the film, Brown is interviewed by her son and discusses her upbringing in the Philippines as a mestiza.[7]
When the Filipino American Library closed, the collections were distributed to the Echo Park branch of the Los Angeles Public Library and the University of Southern California Libraries.[6] The USC Libraries have digitized materials in the Filipino American Library Collection, including materials written in English, Tagalog, and Ilocano.[6]
Later life and death
Brown and her family lived for over fifty years in Hermosa Beach, California.[2] She spent her last years in an assisted living residence in Hermosa Beach.[5] Brown died there on January 25, 2011.[2]
References
- "In Memoriam: Helen Brown, 95". LA As Subject. University of Southern California Libraries. June 4, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "Helen Summers Brown". Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- Kang, K. Connie (January 10, 1996). "'Auntie's' Pride and Joy : 'Loving librarian' Helen Brown, 80, shares her passion for her Filipino heritage with the public through her library". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "School social worker". Calisphere. University of California. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "Helen Brown". The Filipino American Library. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "Filipino American Library Collection". USC Digital Library. University of Southern California. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "Got Book? : Auntie Helen's Gift of Books". Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. May 24, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
External links
- Got Book? 9-minute video documentary about Brown and the founding of the Filipino American Library (2005)
- Get to know Fil-Am education pioneer Helen Agcaoili Summers 3-minute video about Brown from Balitang America (2020)
- Filipino American Library Collection materials from the USC Digital Library