speaker: Are you paying attention?

The films you're about to watch are part of the San Diego Film Week Documentary Block.

These films are made right here in San Diego and address important topics to all of us in our community.

We'll be watching these films and more on KPBS or check out our streaming channel, filmcontv.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy.

♪♪♪ [waves crashing on the beach] [waves crashing on the beach] [waves crashing on the beach] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Arturo Madrid: [speaking in Tagalog] It means if you plant, you harvest.

Twelve midnight, there's no light.

I grab two buckets, hang them across my shoulders with a bamboo bar.

We walk in the dark to the well and fill our buckets with drinking water.

I have to go number two.

Good thing I'm already outside, just need a newspaper or a piece of bamboo to scrape myself off with.

The floor is made of bamboo.

We sleep on it with just woven mats spread across the living room floor.

Flour sacks washed out and stuffed with old clothes for pillows.

[speaking in Tagalog] ♪♪♪ Arturo: It rains often, I usually walk barefoot, I prefer it.

My feet get covered in mud, and I just wash them when I get wherever I'm going.

I carry my shoes over my shoulders, fingers hooked into the thong of my flip flops.

We bathe and wash our clothes in the river.

We're lucky to have two sets of decent clothes.

I know I want to marry her when I met her while she was going to nursing school.

We write letters to each other.

Whenever she replies, she sends me my letters back marked with correction.

She's editor in-chief at school.

♪♪♪ Arturo: There's an ad in the local paper recruiting Filipinos in the US Navy.

So I applied and my call card comes in in the mail a few months after.

I haven't even graduated high school yet.

There are 1,700 of us when I showed up.

There are tests, written, oral interview, and physical exam.

By the end, I'm still standing with only 23 other guys.

My position is a steward, because it's the only job I'm allowed to do.

I see mostly Filipinos, few Guamanians and few Black Americans in our rank.

I'm told these positions used to be reserved for Black men, but it's frowned upon now because of the civil rights movement.

Filipinos will have these jobs now because of the contract between the US Government and the Philippine Government.

I can be a perfect sailor, ace my tests but we see the system is built to make it impossible for stewards to climb the ranks.

[speaking in Tagalog] Along the way, I learned something.

I am a slow learner, but I can also tell myself that the only difference between me and someone smart is that I just have to work twice as hard.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Arturo: We work hard, we work through the night, we work through the rank.

We work so hard that the barriers we face cannot stop us.

When people work hard to bring us down, we show them our hard work.

I started picking up tennis balls for Americans on a US Air Force Base in Baguio City, Philippines, when I was 12 years old.

I have been a houseboy, a caddy, a steward, a janitor, and a waiter among other things.

Our family started renting room in South Philadelphia and climbed our way to our own home in San Diego.

We have petitioned and brought our parents and siblings to this country, 25 of them total.

We have been nurses, postal workers, served food, worked in factories.

We have come here as engineers, accountants, doctors in our origin country and had to come back to school to retake exams we've already taken, and get licensed again for jobs we have already worked.

My father came here at 57 years old, used to work night shift at Jack in the Box.

Our people are never too good, never expecting anything, but always willing to do what we have to do for our families to thrive.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Arturo: We have struggled.

I am full of mistakes, but we have kept our struggles to ourselves.

So you wouldn't grow up thinking that you are different or any less capable.

But even in my old body, I can still learn from younger generations, it's time we share our stories.

People can hate you.

People can even lay their hands on you, but we can push back with love.

We can use our hands for hard work.

We can because it is who we are and that can never be taken away, apo.

[speaking in Tagalog] If you plant, you harvest.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [waves crashing on the beach] ♪♪♪ speaker: We are people of Karens, and we are also Californian.

This land is beautiful and bounty.

May the name of our grandparents Kawthooles, be beautiful and peaceful again.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ announcer: A murder case took place in Anan Kwin village, Karen State in which seven people being killed and one severely injured in the accident.

Two Burmese soldiers planned to escape from the battalion during the festival where the battalion is deployed close to the monastery and the children's school.

The community and the villagers feel threatened and harassed for their behaviors.

According to the NCA article nine K, both parties agreed that to avoid the construction-- speaker 1: Excuse me.

Open the--open the door.

Okay, excuse me, guys.

Excuse me, excuse me.

speaker 2: How are you?

speaker 3: Good.

speaker 2: Put the soup right there.

speaker 4: So this time I just want you to gain more knowledge about what's, you know, the history of San Diego.

This will be so simple for you guys I know that you all are smart.

Okay, you guys ready?

speaker: In our community, it's very family oriented.

We give them this opportunity so that you know, their eyes will be open to see what's around them and also think about what's out there for them.

speaker 5: What's up?

I'm Karen, he's right here, everybody here is Karen people.

Except him, he Barese.

speaker 4: [speaking in Karen] ♪ I gave you all my love you ain't giving it back.

♪ ♪ Trying to give you some-- ♪ speaker 4: Before coming here I didn't know what's outside of the camp.

You know, we heard about lives in America and lives in the current state, but we haven't experienced that.

The only life we know and everything we knew is just in camp.

And most people feel like it's home to them.

If we look at the situation right now in Burma, even though there is cease fire, in reality the Burmese military is going into villages.

They want Karen, Shun, Kachin like all the ethnic groups to be called Burmese.

Like you're not allowed to speak your language, you're only allowed to speak Burmese and you have to learn about Burmese history.

Well, I don't know if Burma will ever change.

speaker 5: This is our general.

Oh, shoot.

This is our general.

♪♪♪ [singing in Karen] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ speaker 6: [preaching in Karen] [singing in Karen] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ speaker 7: I don't know why they have a chicken here.

There are different camps, but there are a lot of Karen people, different zone and different camps and the way we speak is a little bit different too.

It's the same, but like some of them speak, it's kind of hard to understand, but they're Karen and some of them are like Karenni, Chin, Kachin, there are a lot.

It was really crowded, and there are a lot of trees.

speaker 8: [speaking in Karen] Okay, tell me in Karen.

[speaking in Karen] speaker 8: When we identify ourself as a group of people, language is the most important thing to identify ourself.

If we lose our language, it means we lose our people.

We might have our culture, we can wear our clothes, but if we forget to speak our language or to write it means, like we are not really sure that we are still Karen people.

We become American.

[singing in Karen] speaker 9: No, no, no, no it's like this.

So you have two strings you put it over.

speaker 10: What?

Oh yeah, yeah, like that.

speaker 9: Like that.

speaker 10: And then you put on top of the other one.

speaker 9: You just keep going.

Yeah, put it through like this.

[speaking in Karen] speaker 9: Okay we go first then.

But you cannot touch it.

Anthony, don't touch it speaker: You can jump over it.

speaker: What, that's it?

speaker: You can't touch the rope.

speaker: You cannot move it.

speaker: One, two, three.

[speaking in Karen] speaker: Did you call me the D word?

[speaking in Karen] speaker: Wait for me.

Wait for me.

speaker: Who are you?

There you go, dog.

speaker: Can I jump?

speaker: Yeah.

Is your house?

speaker: No.

speaker: This is my house.

This my house.

speaker 7: My baby brother, he died in my mother's stomach.

It was raining, and I think she slipped.

My baby brother got so mad at her like after he died he got, he was really angry at her.

So he came to her dream and he was trying to stab her, but then like he met this old man.

My mother was running and met this old man and then the old man was like, "It's not good to do that to your mother.

You have to respect her."

And after that, he never came to her again.

It's not her fault though.

Cause it was raining, my father wasn't there, so she slipped.

I don't blame her.

[speaking in Karen] It's a long time already.

I don't know if she gonna go, but I'm gonna go because I might step on the wrong thing.

This woman.

Oh shoot, I'm sorry mom.

I didn't mean to step on it, but right there, it's a big one.

Right here.

I'm stuck, I don't where to go.

And if I step on something, she's going to yell.

She had to run away from the Burmese army with her mother and she was really young.

She never saw her father, but, like, his head was cut off.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ speaker 11: In Karen community, we're very involved in social issues, things that can benefit immigrants and refugees.

We ask our community to participate, talk about community issue in this country and we motivate them to get involved more.

speaker 11: So I need to know who is really going.

speaker 11: You know how in America [speaking in Karen] Okay, pencil, pencil, pencil, pencil.

speaker: Anyone who considers him or herself political.

translator: [speaking in Karen] speaker: Anyone who feels that he or she knows very little about his or her cultural heritage.

translator: [speaking in Karen] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ announcer: [speaking in Karen] announcer: When they're not fighting the enemy, the guerrilla soldiers are fighting each other.

On first impression, Namdah does not come across as a typical guerrilla leader.

announcer: It is really ethnic cleansing, there's no other way to describe it.

They don't stand a chance against the Myanmar army.

It's a very, very sad and harrowing situation.

speaker 7: All true, they burned down the houses, everything.

They burned down the wheat, I mean, they burn the wheat so that they cannot get food.

[speaking in Karen] speaker 7: They tell the Karen people to go back to Burma, saying that they won't threaten them, but that's a big fat lie.

speaker: We learn how to weave from our older generation.

They have a lot of wisdom and they share their history, our Karen culture, and our struggle back in the country, in the camp, in Thailand refugee camp.

It's like a bridge to connect.

Because of our ancestor, we can survive.

speaker: Go and try, we have to make sure I don't tangle.

[speaking in Karen] speaker: Yeah, it has this, that's what we have on the flag too, similar.

Karen.

Young women back in the days we only wear, like, we wear bright colors and older women they wear darker ones.

This is pretty.

And for us we wear like white dresses, but nowadays in the modern day, nobody really care.

speaker: Monkey.

Monkey.

Monkey, monkey.

speaker: Sometimes when we see a person and they look different than us, we may start, you know, judge them or somehow, but when we bring them together, they're going to start developing their friendship and also make the community stronger.

We are here in this country and we have freedom of speech, but those people back home, they don't have that.

As a Karen American, our role is just to raise awareness and not forget about who we are.

In this country, if you don't do that, the second generation will just disappear.

[speaking in Karen] [singing in Karen] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Julie Tran: Born and raised here.

I felt that if my generation didn't do something about maintaining our culture, we would lose it.

I mean, it wasn't that long ago that my mom and dad were refugees here and yet I can barely speak the language and I struggle and I strive to understand the culture.

My parents never talked about what happened.

They didn't talk about how they got here, what got them here.

For me to maintain a culture is through funeral services.

It feels good because as I continue, I feel more of a connection.

I may not speak the language to a standard native that was born in Vietnam, but at least I can share with my family that even though our loved ones did not pass away in Vietnam, it doesn't mean that the culture cannot continue.

I didn't go to school thinking I'd be a funeral director.

I attended a lot of funeral services growing up, you know, unfortunately I lost a lot of friends and family members.

I always helped out at funerals and currently I run cemetery and funeral homes.

Julie Tran: How was the service at the Holy Spirit Church?

Were you able to do the Vietnamese setup and stuff?

Eric: Yeah, it was nothing.

Julie Tran: You know how nervous I am that I'm not there setting up, right?

Eric: Yeah, I know.

Julie Tran: So what have you done so far?

I know you don't wanna bother me 'cause I'm at the hospital, but I feel like this, like, I'm gonna be here, I have to be here, I'm here for my dad and he needs me here.

But also on the other hand, like being in like how I feel I feel now, you know, I would want this type of customer care, you know if it was my own family, you know what I mean?

Like, oh, I'm not gonna call in sick from the funeral.

No, like.

Eric: If I need any more information, I'll, like, text or something.

Julie Tran: Do not hesitate.

Do not hesitate.

Eric: Okay, yeah, I think I have everything down, I'll send you pictures as-- Julie Tran: Okay, thanks, Eric.

I'm so proud of them.

speaker 1: Dude, he's got it.

You freaking--you've trained him well.

Julie Tran: I'm so proud of them.

speaker 1: If she doesn't have her stuffed animal bunny, she has to have a towel.

Julie Tran: My secrets dude.

speaker 1: You're being exposed right now anyway.

Julie Tran: I know people think I'm badass all the time, strong whatever.

Go home, sleep with a towel or a bunny.

speaker 1: You know, Uyen even bought you special towels for that.

Julie Tran: It was so funny, like one time when I was a kid, the whole running away from home thing, my dad dropped off a towel, my towel that I sleep with in my car with a note.

speaker 1: See, it's a known thing, right?

Julie Tran: Yeah, run away from home, but I just wanna make sure you can sleep at night, so here's your towel.

He's a cool pops.

'Cause I think the love that my dad had for grandma, like, I felt it.

Each of these headstones has a granddaughter like me who missed their grandma, grandpa, family members and you know so many people on this lawn that it becomes natural cycle of life.

Twenty years ago, I lost my grandfather and soon after my grandmother.

When I was at the funeral, there was a funeral director, and the way she just guided us through the whole process was very memorable.

When doctors gave up hope on my grandparents, the funeral director gave us our hope during the funeral process.

Like how many percentage was your funeral services?

Do Thai Uyen: Oh, that was since 19--since 1982, 1982, and to now still.

Julie Tran: I wasn't even born yet.

Do Thai Uyen: I know.

And I'm still burying them.

I just buried the one over there with the sugarcane.

You see that, you know that that burial is a new burial.

The person just passed away.

Julie Tran: But how many people do you think you buried?

Do Thai Uyen: So many, I don't know.

Julie Tran: You think 30%, 50% of this lawn, 80%?

Do Thai Uyen: A lot.

Julie Tran: I would say 70% with yours.

Do Thai Uyen: Yeah, I know.

[speaking in Vietnamese] Do Thai Uyen: In this community, they joke.

Okay, if you don't behave, I'm gonna call Do Thai Uyen.

She's gonna take you away.

Or they just say that I am so smart to choose like this industry, which is the funeral industry and the tax business, you know, because that's what everybody needs, you know, in America.

speaker: [praying in Vietnamese] Julie Tran: He's so sick right now.

We know he's listening because every time we talk to him, he'll show, he give us signs through his blood pressure, through his heart beating, but he's not, like he's, I haven't heard his voice for a long time.

Mom, she's so strong.

speaker 2: No, it's okay, I can drive.

Julie Tran: But I can drive better.

You drive too slow.

speaker 2: No I like to drive myself.

Julie Tran: Do you miss your bed?

But I thought this hospital gives you free ice cream?

speaker 3: What?

Julie Tran: My father recently passed away, and I may be in the industry, but to experience losing a loved one firsthand, you know, you're never prepared for it no matter how much you try.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Julie Tran: When they asked me, "If it escalates to that point, which funeral home?"

And there was a sense of pride because I'm in this profession because he motivated me 21 years ago.

But there's also the feeling that is foreign that we've never experienced and I'm not ready to experience.

'Cause when they asked, "Which funeral home would you like us to call?

Because your dad has 1% chance of survival."

And the reply was, "Goodbody Mortuary.

I will conduct the removal myself.

He's gonna go into my care, my funeral home."

Do Thai Uyen: I'm gonna fill out the information, okay?

Are you sure that you know all of the information, like how, where was he born in Vietnam?

How long, how many years of school he had?

How many years-- Julie Tran: I sent it to you already.

Do Thai Uyen: [speaking in Vietnamese] Julie Tran: I called Uyen, and I said, "I'm so confused."

Like with her, I just feel like I can tell her like how I'm feeling, I don't know it is weird.

Like, I show her I'm vulnerable, and I'm like, I'm so confused.

I am like, the emotions like this, I'm confused.

I don't know what I'm supposed to feel.

And my heart felt like it was frozen and then like a hammer hit it and it shattered.

I'm thinking if I don't, like, I'm gonna say maybe a short thank you, you know, in English.

I thank you everyone for coming and then maybe Tuzi can translate it for me in Vietnamese.

And then you guys do like one last tribute song and then I'll close the casket and then we go to the grave site.

What do you think?

Hugo: Hello?

Hello?

speaker 4: Here is Hugo.

Hugo: Hello.

Julie Tran: Hi Hugo.

Hugo: Sorry for your dad's loss.

Julie Tran: Oh, thank you sweetie.

I do everything, I catch rats.

I do services.

This is helpful in the coffin.

speaker 2: [speaking in Vietnamese] Julie Tran: You know how we upgraded the casket?

So we have the compartment for the letter and I-- Do Thai Uyen: The compartment for the letter?

Julie Tran: There's a compartment in the top where you can put letters and pictures in them.

Do Thai Uyen: [speaking in Vietnamese] Julie Tran: Is it against our culture to do that or can I invite the little kids to do that for my dad?

Do Thai Uyen: You can do it.

Julie Tran: So, if Kenly wants to draw a picture or leave a little note, there's a compartment, really nice compartment, a drawer that you can put it in.

Julie Tran: Then we should take the president instead of the of the premier Mahogany.

Julie Tran: Yes, I really wanted the president casket you guys, it's so bad.

Oh, it's so pretty.

[speaking in Vietnamese] Julie Tran: You watch this person conduct the perfect funeral for your grandma and then you get to work aside this person again to prepare the perfect service for your father.

And I felt as if she came into my life, perfect timing.

Because if she wasn't part of my life during that time I lost my dad, and I wasn't in my profession, then I wouldn't been able to be there and be my dad's, you know, director.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ announcer: This program was made possible by funding from Panasonic Lumix, Nelson Photo and video, Heartland Films, KPBS and viewers like you.

Thank you.

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