BENJAMIN PIMENTEL grew up in Quezon City and was educated at the Ateneo de Manila, the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the University of California at Berkeley. He moved to the United States in 1990 and earned a master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 1993. He was a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle for 14 years and now covers technology for MarketWatch. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and kids.
A Q & A with Benjamin
Pimentel on Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama's America
What will readers find interesting about the book?
Pareng Barack is an account of how Filipinos responded to the historic election campaign. The book also examines the Filipino American story filtered through my own experiences and insights as a journalist based in Cailfornia.
What makes Pareng Barack different from other books about Barack Obama?
The book offers a look at the historic campaign and racial issues in the
Are there little known facts about Obama in the book?
I was struck when I read Obama's memoir Dreams from My Father that he had tried dog meat when he was growing up in
How will the presidency of Barack Obama impact on the lives of Filipino Americans?
Because race has played such a critical role in American politics for a long time, I think Obama's election as the first person of color to serve as
How did you gather materials for this book? Did you encounter any problems in information-gathering and writing?
I had followed the media accounts of the campaign and how Filipinos reacted. I also talked to some Filipinos who were involved in the campaign or were affected by the election battle. The book also was based on past issues and stories I covered as a reporter for the
What do you like most about Barack Obama?
He is an intellectual who also has worked at the grassroots level as a community organizer. So his intellectual depth is impressive, but he can also be pragmatic having worked at many levels of public service. And he has displayed a steady temperament that is very much needed right now. As others have noted he is perhaps the most even-keeled American president in a generation.
The least about him?
He is a politician and thus will likely have to make compromises once in power. That's the part about him that's untested. How will he be affected by power and the trappings of the presidency? I have no delusions about his presidency and the challenges he faces. As one Filipino American told me, Obama now has the worst job on the planet.
What attributes made him win the presidency?
I think Americans were tired of the old order and ready to embrace a major change. Obama's intellect, temperament and his impressive campaign were enough to win the support of even the most skeptical voters.
What does Obama need to turn around the
There are no easy answers. The key I think will be to consult with as many groups and experts as possible, unite and rally these sectors around a strategy and pursue that plan.
FAST FACTS about the Author:
Full Name: Benjamin Pimentel
Literary Byline: Benjamin Pimentel
Nickname: Boying
Spouse: Mara Torres
Children: Paolo, Anton
Current job: Business journalist
Works published by Anvil: UG
An Underground Tale and Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama's
Other works: Mga Gerilya
Awards: National Book Award Juan C. Laya Prize for fiction for Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street (2007); Golden Gate Award, 1994 San Francisco International Film Festival for Toxic Sunset, a documentary about the environmental damage caused by the
Web page: bpimentel.blogspot.com
Benjamin Pimentel's Top Five Books:
- Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
- The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
- The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
- Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal
Favorite lines from books:
From The Grapes of Wrath
“I’ll be all aroun’ in the dark, I’ll be ever’where—wherever you look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a copy beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there….”
From The Wisdom of No Escape
“So whether it’s anger or craving or jealousy or fear or depression—whatever it might be —the notion is not to try to get rid of it, but to make friends with it. That means getting to know it completely, with some kind of softness, and learning how once you’ve experienced it fully, to let go.”
Now, for some random questions:
Do you read the story or book first before you watch the film?
I usually read the book first. I did watch The Motorcycle Diaries, by Che Guevarra, first, before reading the book.
But with other works, such as The House of the Spirits,A Civil Action and Snow Falling on Cedar, I read the books first before seeing the film.
Do you write on your books?
Not usually. But I did underline passages—and I still do, actually this—in my copies of American Pema Chodron's inspiring books, such as the The Wisdom of No Escape and When Things Fall Apart.
Have you ever named someone or something after a literary character, a book title or a writer?
I once had two pet hamsters named Alex and
Have you ever stolen a book from a library?
Never, I'm proud to say. One of my biggest concerns, in fact, is forgetting to return a book and getting hit with a whopping penalty years later. I've read a news story or two about something like that happening.
Name at least 2 writers or literary characters you won't invite to your kid's wedding.
Dmitri and Ivan Karamazov, Padre Salvi, Padre Damaso. Just can't imagine having a fun, memorable wedding with these neurotic or devious characters at the party.
What literary character did/do you have a crush on?
Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. I have this vague memory of wishing I were Darcy while reading the novel. And also Alba in The House of the Spirits.
What's your fantasy pen name?
Hmmm. Don't have one. And if I did, I'd probably want to keep it secret.
Which 3 writers or literary characters you want to have coffee with?
I'd love to have beer with John LeCarre and listen to him talk about his experiences as a spy and a spy novelist.
Coffee with Jose Rizal would be fantastic, of course. I'd ask him about the other novels he had planned to write.
I'd be also great to have beer with Tom Joad. I've always wondered if he ever came across Filipino migrant workers, like say Carlos Bulosan, during those tough times.
And I also would love to have a beer and sisig with my late mentor Roger Sicat, and then have other writer-friends join us, led by Pete Lacaba, Greg Brillantes and Juaniyo Arcellana. We won’t run out of things to talk about.
