By Marjorie Gorospe

Whatever is happening in America affects everyone. This is a bitter sweet reality of the globalization. This is also the reason why the world stopped to watch the US elections and subsequent victory of President-elect Barack Obama.

Benjamin Pimentel, a reporter and Filipino immigrant in America, is one of the millions of Filipinos who got interested in the US elections. Seeing the possibility that for the first time in history an African American would be ruling the America, Pimentel wrote a book aptly titled, “Pareng Barack, Filipinos in Obama’ America.”

Pareng Barack is a book about the reactions of Filipinos residing in America. The book is also a collection of stories Pimentel gathered from fellow Filipinos in America during the US Presidential campaign.

Pimentel felt uncertain while writing the book. “It is a gamble whether he would win or not,” said Pimentel. It was also a challenge putting all the stories together and using the narrative style of writing.

If Obama did not win the US Presidential elections, he would have just scratched the book project.

Pimentel said “Pareng Barack” was the fastest book he has ever written, putting it all together in three weeks. His enthusiasm was boosted mainly by watching Obama’s campaign and his potential victory.

Pareng Barack is a man of color and a representation of race precisely not of the dominant one. Many awaited his victory since his winning also means equality of races in America.

Although race has always been tackled in other books, Pareng Barack’s discussion of race is filtered though the Filipino’s experience and his own experiences, Pimentel said.

Pareng Barack’s victory is also seen as hope for everyone and Filipinos abroad.

“A person of color, African American winning the presidency is something significant. As a Filipino immigrant and father of 2 Filipino-Americans; it is exciting in terms of how this change affect my sons’ future,” Pimentel confessed.

“There is this barrier, now a shattered wall which many people think would be shattered for many years,” he added.

Pimentel’s book is now out in the bookstores nationwide.