Who were the women who immigrated to Detroit from the Philippines following World War Two? What challenges did they face? What strategies of survival can readers learn from these experiences?

This book examines the lives of three Filipina American women, Tomasa Balberone, Rosalina Regala, and Isabel Galura, as they tell their stories in their own words. Grouped along the themes of War, America, Community, and Family, these women’s oral histories reflect the different types of Filipina women who immigrated to Michigan during the post-World War II era: a war bride, a descendant of an American citizen, and a student interning in health care. Their transcripts and photographs chart the patterns of Filipino American migration, housing, labor, courtship, family systems, ethnic identity, and community formation in urban and suburban areas of Michigan. Several features have been included about Filipino American and Detroit history to help the reader contextualize the narratives. Through these oral histories, we gain insight into the world of three friends, now retired in their 70s. Rooted in community service and learning, this book encompasses the work of students, faculty, staff, and community members involved in the Filipino American Oral History Project of Michigan.