Oakland, CA - Essays by two master of fine arts students at Mills College are featured in the new anthology, WAKING UP AMERICAN, COMING OF AGE BICULTURALLY (Seal Press 2005).  The writing of Patricia Justine Tumang (Class of 2006) and Jenesha (Jinky) De Rivera (Class of 2007) are part of the collection edited by Angela Jane Fountas.  WAKING UP AMERICAN features work by women either American-born or of at least one foreign-born parent or who immigrated to the United States during childhood. The writers explore their experiences and identities in balancing between two cultures.

A first-generation child of immigrant parents from the Philippines, Tumang said “I must fight for my right to be in this country that renders me invisible, foreign, and other.” Her essay is titled “(Un)American.”  De Rivera’s essay, “A Lesson in Posture,” is an intimate account of how a Filipina-American navigates the complexities of race, culture, sexuality, and gender.

Readings with five of the writers featured in the anthology including Tumang and De Rivera will be presented at Black Oak Bookstore (1491 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley) on October 4, 2005 at 7:30 pm and at Modern Times Bookstore (888 Valencia Street, San Francisco) on October 5, 2005 at 7:30 pm.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently ranked among the top 75 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of the country’s 20 most diverse colleges. The Princeton Review selected Mills as one of 11 colleges for first-time inclusion in its Best 361 Colleges - 2005. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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Deborah Dallinger
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