Cross-posted from Philippine News

by Erin Pangilinan

Unionist reflects on gay bullying

APALA chief

WASHINGTON D.C. – He's lost count of the number of times he's denied ever being related to the former spokesman of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, but Gregory "Greg" Cendana is used to it by now.

Son of Quezon City immigrants, Cendana leads the D.C.- based Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (Apala), the first and only national organization of Asian Pacific American union members.

"The Apala board's decision to hire another young executive director, is a sign of their continued investment in leading the labor movement in involving young workers and creating leadership development pipelines for another generation of labor organizers," the board said in a statement.

Cendana is a progressive leader who has labor activism running deep in his blood. This Guam-born and Sacramento native was exposed to the labor movement at a young age. His father worked as a mechanic at the University of California, Davis and was a member of AFCME 3299, a statewide labor union representing university employees. He also was a participant of Summer Activist Training, a leadership program that partners with the Pilipino Workers Center in Los Angeles.

At 24 years old, he has already served as president of the United States Student Association (USSA), a national membership-based education policy advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.

As the youngest and first openly gay executive director of Apala, Cendana's promotion affirms the intergenerational shift in the labor movement.

As a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student, he worked with AFSCME 3299 to build stronger student and worker solidarity. He organized service workers in the dining halls and was a part of a campaign to unionize part time student workers.

"I would not be here if it weren't for the courageous, selfless and labor leaders that have blazed a trail before me, including Manong Larry Itliong, Manong Philip Vera Cruz, Mark Pulido, Kent Wong and John Delloro," Cendana told Philippine News, recognizing the founding fathers of the immigrant labor movement.

The UCLA graduate served in a number of leadership roles during his time there: he was vice president of the student body, and campus organizing director for the statewide University of California Student Association (UCSA).

He also served as Kabalikat coordinator (Gender & Sexuality Coordinator) as a member of the executive board of Samahang Pilipino.

"I grew up facing bullying from my classmates at such a young age starting in elementary school, even though I was not "out" yet," he said. "It's continued to haunt me all my life and built a lot of internalized homophobia. I came out to my parents and family because I wanted them to know about an important aspect of my identity--an aspect that has continued to challenge me but give me so much strength as I continue my organizing and advocacy."

Being an openly gay Asian American is not easy, said Cendana, "but I gain hope from the resilience of the youth, especially Asian American and Pacific Islander youth, who persevere and create strong community for themselves and others."

"From being told by a high school counselor that I wouldn't qualify for college to working three part-time jobs throughout my four years of attendance and graduating with $40,000 of debt, despite having a Pell grant, Cal grant and work study, I realized that the state and federal governments were not prioritizing higher education as they should have been. Additionally, with the 2008 election coming up later that year and a resurgence of a national student movement, I knew there was something that students and young people could do to change the priorities of government. We knew if we worked hard enough that we would see change that could, should and would be in the world if we made it happen," he said.

Cendana certainly has proven his high school counselor wrong and is an example to aspiring youth organizers.

He recently started his own firm to provide training and peer coaching to young leaders from people of color and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities who want to organize, advocate and take leadership roles in the progressive movement.

When Cendana is not busy organizing unions and sitting on boards of various organizations, he enjoys dancing and spending time in the kitchen trying new recipes with friends.