Bruce Occena
Bruce Occena is a Filipino American activist and scholar involved with the Asian American movement in the San Francisco Bay Area. He played a major part in the International Hotel as a resident, a student who renovated the hotel, and a member of the hotel's United Filipino Association. His activism was largely built upon a Marxist–Leninist framework, addressing issues such as Anti-Marcos sentiment and those raised by the Third World Liberation Front. He is a co-founder of the Union of Democratic Filipinos, also known as Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino.
Early life and education
Occena grew up in New York City. His father had emigrated from the Philippines in pursuit of education in the United States, but ended up staying and marrying a white woman. Both parents worked various factory jobs as well as in canneries. The three of them lived in tenement housing together throughout Occena's childhood.Occena was first introduced to higher education after transferring to a Catholic school in New York, and was later accepted to several colleges on the east coast as well as the University of Hawaii. He ended up attending the University of California, Berkeley, where he and many of his fellow Filipino students benefited from the "Equal Opportunity Program or went to college through special admissions as disadvantaged students". From his time at the University of California, Berkeley, Occena began to become deeply interested in Marxism and Communism.
Activism
While a student at the University of California, Berkeley, Occena was involved in the 1968 Third World Liberation Front strikes, commonly understood as essential to the establishment of Ethnic Studies in higher education. He was a key member of the Asian American Political Alliance and one of its few Filipino members alongside Emil de Guzman, Trinity Ordona, and Lillian Fabros. He later was an educator at Berkeley, teaching a Philippine studies class. AAPA's work centered on national and international solidarity against imperialism, basing their political views on Maoism. The students of AAPA worked to emphasize the importance of collective unity and understanding their community's needs, which in turn allowed their political power to grow substantially.He was part of the KDP's National Executive board.
Following the Third World Liberation Front strikes for ethnic studies at San Francisco State College in 1968, young student activists at the University of California, Berkeley, were moved to support the cause. The core issue that solidified the Asian American Movement was diverse access to universities, particularly, the University of California. Occena was focused on the question of representation in the curriculum, especially for Asians. If the institution was responsive to this issue, student activists, such as Occena, would take measures such as meeting with chancellors, organizing walk outs, and other events on campus. The TWLF was a vehicle for AAPA's activism, as it heavily influenced a strong sense of solidarity for other communities of color and identification with Third World struggles in the resistance against institutionalized racism.
Occena is notable as a founding member of the Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino, and his participation in the Alaska Cannery Workers Association. Additionally, he was part of the original team for the International Hotel struggle, a member of the Line of March, and was one of the first Americans who participated in the Venceremos Brigade to Cuba, where he began to develop Marxist–Leninist politics. Occena's influence continues to shape the present state of Asian American and multinational activist organizing.
The International Hotel Struggle
The International Hotel in San Francisco, California, was a residential building in Manilatown, housing primarily low-income Filipino and Chinese residents. Plans to demolish the building were set in June 1968, however, the tenants did not receive an eviction notice until October of that year. Its elderly residents, especially, had very few options, leaving many of them at risk of homelessness, along with losing their place in a vital community.Occena was one of the AAPA Berkeley students who moved into the I-Hotel and worked to renovate the hotel while resisting the eviction of its tenants. In its early days of renovation, he worked at the I-Hotel as a student supporter, then helped found KDP and led all aspects of its work from its National Executive Board. He acted in the United Filipino Association, which advocated for welfare, housing, and medical care for the elderly living in the I-Hotel. He joined the association's board after an inexplicable fire cost lives, pushing the UFA to invite students into leadership positions.
Radicalization
Occena's radical ideals were based in the relations between the United States and the Philippines, as well as the communities that his parents grew up in. His political standing originated in student activism, became transnational, then locally focused, holding the influence of Filipino liberation close to the core of his work. Occena studied Marxism and joined the Venceremos Brigade. In 1969 he traveled to Cuba among of the first groups of Americans to break the blockade of travel and goods from the United States. His name was listed as one of the potential people Congress wanted to keep on file in case there was any conflict with Cuba. His participation in breaking the blockade contributed to Occena becoming interested in Marxism and Communism. At the University of California, Berkeley, Occena joined a study circle outside of an academic setting led by a Korean intellectual where he and other Marxists read works by Marx and Lenin in-depth. In addition, Occena also had connections with the Black Panthers on campus, who would sell newspapers and essays to those interested in both the Black Panther Party as a whole but also Marxism–Leninism. Being involved in both the Venceremos Brigade and Marxism helped lead to his radicalization that would later set the foundation for the Third World Liberation Front and the KDP.Founding the KDP
The Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino had a significant international influence, as they were able to connect with the Philippines, especially during the 1972 declaration of martial law under Ferdinand Marcos. The KDP was modeled after Kabataang Makabayan in the Philippines, supporting the political work Occena referred to as the "dual line program", which simultaneously called for the struggle against racism and socialism in the US, as well as against imperialism in the Philippines. The KDP had chapters across the country and were the main opposition to Marcos' dictatorship. Thus, to Occena and his chapter members' discovery, high-level operatives of the Marcos government made connections with the president of the union due to their concerns about the KDP's radical political views and worldly influence.Occena's involvement in the KDP and the Asian American Political Alliance drastically shaped and radicalized the way he and his chapter members saw themselves as equal members of Third World empowerment.
Cannery Union activism
Occena played a key role in shaping the activities and strategy of the Alaska Cannery Workers Association in the 1970s. The ACWA was established to address racial discrimination and labor exploitation in the Alaskan salmon canning industry, particularly as it affected Filipino and other Asian American workers. During his involvement, Occena contributed to both legal actions against discriminatory employers and political engagement with labor unions.One of Occena's main areas of focus within the ACWA was supporting the organization's legal efforts, which included class action lawsuits against major seafood processing companies, alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lawsuits targeted discriminatory practices in hiring, promotions, and housing. Filipino workers were frequently assigned the lowest-paid and most physically demanding jobs and were often housed separately from white workers in inferior conditions. These cases aimed to eliminate racial segregation in employment and worker housing within the canneries.
As the lawsuits progressed, Occena supported a shift in the ACWA's strategy from relying solely on legal remedies to incorporating union reform. He advocated for direct engagement with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 37, which represented many of the cannery workers. At the time, leadership within Local 37 had been criticized for a lack of responsiveness to the needs of rank-and-file members, particularly younger and more progressive workers. Occena was involved in organizing efforts to elect new leadership within the local and to increase worker participation in union governance.
Occena worked with other ACWA members to develop internal educational initiatives that encouraged political involvement and leadership among Filipino-American cannery workers. These efforts included holding meetings, workshops, and election campaigns that helped challenge existing power structures within the union. Through these activities, ACWA members sought to make Local 37 more democratic and responsive to issues such as racial equity, transparency, and fair labor practices.