In Cowboy America

In Cowboy America" is just as much a coming-of-age memoir about a young writer as it is about the Filipino-American experience. In 16 chapters I recall memories of family members—Grandmother, aunts, uncles and parents—as well as memories of my own. The stories capture events from my childhood years to marriage. The text also encapsulates family events of the past, before I was even born, and brings them to the forefront to show how they have shaped who I am today: a writer who has chosen a career most Asians, and Asian-Americans in general, have decided not to pursue. The memoir also explores the dynamics of a family divided between cultures—in this case, the Philippine and the American. What is America? It is one thing to those who come here and something else to those, like me, who are born here. In this sense, the memoir takes the reader through a journey of the heart of one family—my family—as well as a physical journey from East to West, both in-country and internationally. This is a story of how we are molded by the landscape we live on and the landscapes we dream about. This is a story of whom we are shaped by, the people we come from and the people we meet. This is a story of wanting to leave the past behind and push forward on roads frequently traveled by others. But most of all, this is a story of how past becomes the present and no matter how hard we try to fight it, there are some memories that are meant to be revealed, even if it means taking "the road less traveled by.