Cawaling Family Collection
Dublin Core
Title
Cawaling Family Collection
Description
Florencio “Encio” T. Cawaling was born on February 25, 1909 in the Aklan province of the Philippines. His parents, Lorencio and Lapaz Cawaling, had four other children after him. On March 16,1929, Florencio immigrated to the United States with Eliseo Taytayon, a close family friend also from Aklan. They traveled together on the S.S. President McKinley and arrived in Seattle, Washington on April 6, 1929.
After their arrival, Florence and Eliseo moved to Alhambra, CA where he worked as a migrant farm laborer for twenty years. He traveled alongside other Filipino laborers to work on agricultural fields located along California’s central coast and into the central valley. Alongside his farming duties, Florence also worked as an occasional mechanic and fixed farming equipment such as tractors.
In 1955, Florencio traveled back to the Philippines with the intention of finding a bride. He met Aladina “Dining” Torres Garcia through his family’s connections with the Taytayon family. Eliseo was married to Rosalinda Taytayon, the niece of Aladina. Aladina was the youngest daughter of Ermito Torres and Encarnacion Garcia Torres who lived in the municipality of Kalibo in the Aklan province of the Philippines. At the age of 24, Aladina married Florencio who was 45 at the time.
On March 15, 1956, Florencio returned to the United States and five months later Aladina joined him. They settled in Watsonville on Calabasas Road where they had four children: Florencio Jr. (Loren), George, Halario (Larry), and Isidro. Florencio continued to work in the fields including Shikuma Brothers Ranch, Kenzo Yoshida Farms, and Green Giant where he worked until his retirement in 1977. Aladina worked at the Green Giant cannery. The Cawaling family engaged in many community activities including cockfighting or picnics and participated in cultural associations such as the Filipino Visayan Association and Aklan Civic League.
The Cawaling Family Collection was contributed to Watsonville is in the Heart in 2022 by Florencio and Aladina Cawaling's son, Loren Cawaling. The collection contains twenty-four items total. It includes two oral history interviews with Loren in which he discusses his father's and other manongs' labor and leisure activities as well as his experience growing up in a tight-knit Filipino American kinship network. The collection also includes twenty-two photographs depicting the Florencio and Aladina Cawaling as well as other manong who were part of their extended family network.
After their arrival, Florence and Eliseo moved to Alhambra, CA where he worked as a migrant farm laborer for twenty years. He traveled alongside other Filipino laborers to work on agricultural fields located along California’s central coast and into the central valley. Alongside his farming duties, Florence also worked as an occasional mechanic and fixed farming equipment such as tractors.
In 1955, Florencio traveled back to the Philippines with the intention of finding a bride. He met Aladina “Dining” Torres Garcia through his family’s connections with the Taytayon family. Eliseo was married to Rosalinda Taytayon, the niece of Aladina. Aladina was the youngest daughter of Ermito Torres and Encarnacion Garcia Torres who lived in the municipality of Kalibo in the Aklan province of the Philippines. At the age of 24, Aladina married Florencio who was 45 at the time.
On March 15, 1956, Florencio returned to the United States and five months later Aladina joined him. They settled in Watsonville on Calabasas Road where they had four children: Florencio Jr. (Loren), George, Halario (Larry), and Isidro. Florencio continued to work in the fields including Shikuma Brothers Ranch, Kenzo Yoshida Farms, and Green Giant where he worked until his retirement in 1977. Aladina worked at the Green Giant cannery. The Cawaling family engaged in many community activities including cockfighting or picnics and participated in cultural associations such as the Filipino Visayan Association and Aklan Civic League.
The Cawaling Family Collection was contributed to Watsonville is in the Heart in 2022 by Florencio and Aladina Cawaling's son, Loren Cawaling. The collection contains twenty-four items total. It includes two oral history interviews with Loren in which he discusses his father's and other manongs' labor and leisure activities as well as his experience growing up in a tight-knit Filipino American kinship network. The collection also includes twenty-two photographs depicting the Florencio and Aladina Cawaling as well as other manong who were part of their extended family network.
Contributor
Loren Cawaling
Collection Items
Three Manong in Suits (2)
A photograph of three manong all wearing suits. Starting on the left is Unknown, Florencio Cawaling, and EliseoTaytayon.
Florencio and Loren Cawaling on a Tractor
A photograph of Florencio Cawaling with Loren Cawaling on his lap riding a tractor on their family property on Calabasas road. Florencio is helping Loren drive the tractor in order to lay the irrigation pipes.
Three Manong in Suits (1)
A photograph of three manong all wearing suits. The man on the right is Disgracias Inguillio
Florencio Cawaling and his Cousins
A group photograph taken in front of a car. In the middle is Florencio Cawaling. His cousins (names unknown) are standing next to him.
Rosalinda Taytayon and Loren Cawaling in a strawberry field (2)
A photograph of Rosalinda Taytayon carrying Loren Cawaling in a strawberry field. This photogaph was most likely taken on a day they went to visit the men working in the field.
Rosalinda Taytayon and Loren Cawaling in a strawberry field (1)
A photograph of Rosalinda Taytayon holding Loren Cawaling in a strawberry field. This photogaph was most likely taken on a day they went to visit the men working in the field.
Aladina Cawaling Gardening
A photograph of Aladina Cawaling gardening at their family home on Calabasas road.
Aladina Cawaling in front of a Tree
A photograph of Aladina Cawaling standing by a tree on the Cawaling family's Calabasas road property.
Group Photograph in front of Estelita Tabios' Car
A group photograph was taken on the Cawaling family's Calabasas Road property in front of Estelita Tabios’ car. In the back starting on the left is Estelita as well as Clemente Tana Jr., Elizabeth “Liz” Taytayon Tana, Loren Cawaling, Fred Tejada,…
Cawaling Social Gathering
A black and white photograph of a social gathering. The woman on the far left is Medy Tejada and the tall man in the back is a manong known as Uncle Albert. Everyone else in the photograph are currently unidentified.
Salvador Maagma Holding a Baby at a Birthday Celebration
A photograph of Salvador Maagma, also known as "Manong Badung," holding a baby, possibly Loren Cawaling, at a birthday party at home on Calabasas road. The inscription at the top of the photograph reads "Father Birthday."
Florencio and Aladina Cawaling's Christmas Card
A photograph of Florencio and Aladina Cawaling on a Christmas card at their home on Calabasas road.
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