The sampaguita flower is a species of jasmine, and the national flower of the Philippines. In this story, it stands for the idea that the process of generations becoming more American does not mean losing many generations worth of rich culture and history. It does not detract from a flower in America to have sampaguita roots.

I have been writing stories for and about Filipino Americans for a few years now - I have been fascinated by stories of culture, adjustment, and change. The sad truth is that as generations pass, culture is often lost - but Sampaguita Roots is not about that. Sampaguita Roots is about culture found through stories of love, family, joy, sadness, hurt, and betrayal, especially in times of war and unrest.

In Sampaguita Roots, we follow the journey of a young woman travelling to the Philippines and reading a series of letters chronicling her family's history, starting with the seldom-discussed Philippine-American War, following through to her family's immigration to the United States. She begins with the goal of tracing her father - the family's former hired help - to fulfill her mother's last wish, but she soon finds herself on a journey of her own, where she will begin to question her ideas of success, strength, and self.

How close is Sampaguita Roots to being finished?

Sampaguita Roots is currently all written, and just needs to be edited, formatted and polished. I will be updating you all along the way as I hit milestones in finishing this project!

An Exclusive Preview from The First Draft of Sampaguita Roots

How will the raised funds be spent?

Your contributions will go towards the self-publication costs and initial publicity/distribution push for Sampaguita Roots - publicity materials such as posters, postcards, and ads, as well as copies for libraries and bookstores. Any surplus funds, if any happen to come in, will go towards starting production and promotion of Portraits of a Massacre, a full-length novel I am currently writing which is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

Will I be recognized for my contribution?

YES! Contributions of all amounts will be recognized and listed in the 'Gracious Contributors' section in the book.

Love the artwork?

The cover design seen above for Sampaguita Roots is by Quezon City graphic designer Obey Llamas, who you can learn more about by viewing his website and portfolio here!