3:00 - 5:45
This program has been postponed to Sun., Sept. 14, 2 p.m. Thank you for your interest in our programs.
Authors Jill Damatac and Jose Antonio Vargas will be in conversation about Damatac's new book, Dirty Kitchen, in which Damatac dissects the complex layers of migration and perception through food, colonial history, and her own stories of being undocumented in America.
The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A, wrapping up at 4:30 p.m., and then a meet-and-greet.
Jill Damatac is a writer and filmmaker born in the Philippines, raised in the US, and now a UK citizen, she lives in the SF Bay Area. Her film and photography work has been featured on the BBC, Time, and film festivals worldwide; her short documentary film Blood and Ink (Duo at Tinta), about the indigenous Filipino tattooist Apo Whang Od, was an official selection at the Academy Award–qualifying DOC NYC, winning best documentary at Ireland’s Kerry Film Festival. Jill holds an MSt in Creative Writing from Cambridge University and an MA in Documentary Film from the University of the Arts London.
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated theatrical producer.
A leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, he founded the non-profit immigrant storytelling organization Define American, twice named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, and explores all facets of immigration as host of its YouTube show and podcast Define American with Jose Antonio Vargas. He is also a co-founder of 1587 Sneakers, the world's first Asian American sneaker brand.
His best-selling memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, was published by HarperCollins in 2018. An updated edition with new material was released on June 17, 2025. His second book, White Is Not a Country, will examine America's foundational Black and White racial binary, and where everyone else fits within and outside that binary.
Connect:
Filipino American Interest
Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Filipino American community.
Food
Discover new flavors, build cooking skills and try something tasty. For food programs, please be aware of food allergies.