DON’T CALL ME A PERSON OF COLOR, I’M A PRODUCT OF EMPIRE

To my beloved English conductor John Wilson, who shares his May 25th birthday with my dad

“I Shall Return.” The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Paglusob sa Golpo ng Lingayen), was an amphibious operation in World War Two led by General Douglas MacArthur, 6–9 January 1945

My father — who was born near the beach where, thirty-nine and a half years later, MacArthur returned like he said he would (Lingayen Gulf, meeting place of the provinces Pangasinan and La Union) — made it to the US early in his adult life. How he actually made the journey has…