What was your undergraduate life like at Cal? The soundtrack was Mary J’s, "What’s the 411?" blasting on repeat on my boombox. There was a mix of students dressed in tie-dyed everything, others in blue and gold Cal gear, some in XL houser fits, lots in all black, and bold political t-shirts everywhere. Houseless peoples found partial shelter in doorways. The stench of urine intertwined with the smells of Asian street food, bougie coffee, and Drakkar Noir provided a distinct aroma that was strangely nostalgic. There were always protests at Cal but I was there during the time of the Rodney King rallies, 500 years of Native American resistance hunger strikes, and the continued fight for Ethnic Studies. I remember Cal in the 1990's as a time in my life where I learned to become. I learned to become a critical thinker, a community organizer, and what it meant to be part of a Pinay/Pinoy/Pinx community. I was a transfer student from Ohlone Community College and I often felt out of place in UC Berkeley’s highly competitive setting. Coming from a mom who was an accountant at Oakland Scavenger Company and a dad who was a janitor at Kaiser, I didn’t feel like I could relate to the other students who had parents who were doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. But, I was able to find my way with the help of my three Chicana roommates, Ofelia, Francesca, and Sandra. All of us were transfer students and I learned so much from them about how to navigate Cal.
Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales ’93 on the megaphone leading chants at a rally to support farmworker rights in 1993.
One of my most life-changing experiences was when I was appointed by Cal's first African American woman student body president, Margaret Fortune, to be the Commissioner on the Advancement of Ethnic Studies. To be honest, this was the first time that I ever held an official leadership position. I worked with a coalition of students and student organizations to collaborate with faculty to fight for the autonomy and institutionalization of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. We wanted a College of Ethnic Studies at Cal. I remember learning how to develop relationships and partnerships with peers from all kinds of backgrounds and interests. I remember learning how to work with faculty who I looked up and was intimated by. I remember disagreeing with some and being challenged by others. I remember taking over California Hall and being arrested on campus. I also remember the life-long friendships and mentorships that came out of that time. I also remember that we didn’t win everything on our list but that Ethnic Studies continues to live on Berkeley’s campus and it continues to be a force to be reckoned with. I also learned I would spend the rest of my life fighting for Ethnic Studies. Along with fighting for Ethnic Studies, I also was involved with the Filipina/x/o American student community on campus. To be honest, as a transfer, it wasn’t that easy to get involved in student organizations, especially those that were dominated by traditional students who knew each other since Freshman year. I was able to find community in a student group that produced Maganda magazine. Maganda became a place where I learned the love for writing, poetry, and spoken word.
My story would not be complete if I didn’t mention that I also came into Berkeley during a time when Cal experienced a community tragedy when Grace Asuncion was killed. This traumatized the whole campus, especially the Filipina/x/o community. It continues to be a significant part of the lives of her friends and family who loved her. Many of Grace’s close friends are Pinays whom I consider my sisters.
Lastly, I also learned that people who look like me were not getting tenure in places like UC Berkeley. To be honest, my time at Cal was marked by the tenure denial of Amado Cabezas, the only Filipino professor in Ethnic Studies at the time that I was going to school there. He was only one of two Filipino professors on campus. And he was my first Filipino professor. The Filipina/x/o American community was in an uproar and fought tirelessly to get the university to reverse the decision to deny him tenure. We even created Pinoy/Pinay Education Day, where we spoke in front Sproul Plaza to fight for Amado Cabezas and also to fight for more Filipina/x/o American Studies. We were also fighting against being invisible at Cal. Although we didn’t win the Cabeza’s tenure battle, many of us who were involved continue to be politically active. Many of us are in education, law, public policy, social services, community organizing, and in the arts and in those spaces, we often are the leaders in the fight for social change, justice, and liberation. Cal was our training ground.
What advice would you give your undergraduate self? Don’t give up! Even when people tell you that you are too radical, don’t give up! When people in power may disagree with you and it feels like change won’t happen during your time at Cal, don’t give up! It’s a protracted struggle and you are part of a larger movement that needs you not to give up.
Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales ’93 speaking at the PEP community show, where the students and teachers share their participatory action research through presentations and creative performance in 2011.
What life lessons did you learn at Cal that still impact your daily life?
Lesson 1: Be purposeful and principled. Know your purpose and root yourself in principles that will guide your work and how you move in the world.
Lesson 2: Be the catalyst. When there’s a need to address a problem, don’t be afraid to be the first one to speak out.
Lesson 3: Be collaborative. Don’t do things alone. Strong genuine humanizing relationships are the key to effective community organizing.
Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales ’93 with Cal and UCLA Alumni, posing with highly acclaimed filmmaker, Angel Shaw.
Left to Right: Ricardo Reyes ’93, Christine Balance ’93, Dawn Mabalon, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales ’93, Angel Shaw, Olivia Malabuyo ’99 in 2003
