Christy Poisot Filipino-American materials

Collection

Identifier: MS 0912

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Content Description

The materials in this collection reflect the activities of the Houston Filipino American community, over several generations. These activities include political and historical achievements, such as Filipino American WWII Soldier Recognition project materials, Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act celebrations; celebrating Filipino American History Month; as well as cultural resources such as a community cookbook, and a Filipino American history book. The collection also includes a Certificate of Outstanding achievement presented to Christy Panis Poisot, a primary organizer of the Houston community, and the donor of this collection. Highlights of certificates and awards include a Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition which was to be presented to Jesse Baltazar by Beto O'Rourke is an unclaimed certificate for Jesse Baltazar, who was ill and unable to attend a ceremony when the certificate was issued in O'Roarke's congressional district, El Paso, Texas. Sadly, Baltazar passed away a few months before the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015. A famous photo of Baltazar during the Bataan March on March 20, 2016 shows him in tears as the WWII veteran roll call was announced. He was the only veteran representing Filipinos to say he was "present". The bill was announced to be passed in December of 2016, one of the last acts of President Barack Obama before the end of his administration. Certificate of Congressional Recognition for gold medal pinning from Sheila Jackson Lee was issued during the WWII Filipino Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony at the Lone Star Flight Museum on January 27, 2018. Twenty-five veterans were issued the Congressional Gold Medal. Congressman Pete Olson was also in attendance since the ceremony took place in his district as well as State Representative Gene Wu. Robert Dembo III, Senior Outreach Specialist from the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs issued the Proclamation of WWII Filipino Veterans Day. Books within the collection include "Fables of Agoo," a cookbook by M. Christy Poisot. In addition to recipes, this work includes introductions to each recipe, written by a community member, to explain the significance of the dish and the context in which it would usually be served. Agoo is the family home town of Poisot, in the province of La Union, Philippines. Additonally, a signed copy of "Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong" by Dawn B Mabalon and Gayle Romasanta. The significance of the “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong” book was that one of the authors started Bridge+Delta Publishing as a way to ensure that the stories told retain the integrity and spirit of the narrative, culturally undiluted. According to the publisher and author, Gayle Romasanta, “Bridge + Delta was founded on the spirit of ‘home’ and immigrant journeys that are absolutely American at their core. We publish stories for families and communities to understand their past, present and future, so that their immigration story gives them a better understanding of who they are. That way, our communities are not just almost home. They are home. Here’s to the bridges and deltas that connect us.” In 2018, soon after the book was published, Dawn Mabalon, PhD., the champion for Filipino American stories from Stockton, California, passed away in a tragic accident. The book marked a milestone in her life’s work to ensure stories of Filipino American history are told. Her death resonated with many Filipino Americans seeking their identity, looking for a place to belong in community, country and history. This signed copy of the book was a gift from author Gayle Romasanta to Christy Poisot during her visit to Houston during Filipino American History month for a book talk held at the People Caring for the Community Center or Philippine Community Center on September 14, 2019.

Dates

Creation: 2014 - 2018

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research.

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Christy Poisot Filipino-American materials must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

The Woodson Research Center use policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials. In addition to any restrictions placed by donors, certain kinds of archival materials are restricted for the life of the creator plus 50 years. These materials include, but are not limited to, student grades, transcripts, and any job applications or recommendations.

Biographical / Historical

Maria Christina Panis Poisot’s parents came to Houston in 1971-1972 following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Violeta Sison immigrated as a nurse, but it was her father, Rolando Panis, who had the “papers” to become an American citizen. After Violeta immigrated, Rolando followed, they married soon after. Although Rolando’s degree was in accounting, he worked most his life as an electrical engineer with Stewart and Stevenson, which was later bought out by General Electric. The Panis family grew to five children over the years. Rolando brought his mother, Valeriana, or “Lola Cording” from the Philippines to help raise his brood of children to offset the cost of daycare. Violeta continued work as a nurse on the night shift. All the children attended Catholic School until 1987. After Catholic school for five children became too expensive, Rolando moved the family from Missouri City to Sugar Land, Texas. The children continued schooling in Fort Bend Independent School District. Christy graduated in 1991 and went on to the University of Houston in pursuit of a graphic design degree. As a freshman, she had her first job, and her own office desk, as the academic section editor of the Houstonian Yearbook. Later, she changed majors to pursue her Bachelors in Business Administration in Computer Information Systems at the University of Houston-Downtown. In between, she worked jobs in the restaurant industry while attending university. For one summer, she completed an internship at the Houston Chronicle and eventually graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown. She later acquired a Masters in Finance at the University of St. Thomas and an Associates in Multimedia and Web Design from the Art Institute of Houston.

Recruited straight out of university, Christy began working in the oil industry as a systems analyst. Her role evolved to Cybersecurity, specializing in Legal and Regulatory IT. She has lectured about risk management topics in the Houston community and several industry conferences. She served the Houston community as President of the Filipino American National Historical Society – Houston Chapter from April 2015-January 2020.

Certifications include: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Corporate Governance in Enterprise IT (CGEIT), and Project Management Professional (PMP).

Memberships: 2007 President for Shell Oil Company’s professional women’s network Women Adding Value Everywhere (WAVE), 2011 Asian Pacific American Women Leadership Institute (APAWLI) fellow for the Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW), 2017 American Leadership Forum (ALF) fellow class 37, 2020 American Petroleum Institute (API) Chair, International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) member, Project Management International (PMI) member, Advisory Board member of Rice University Chao Center for Asian Studies, and Filipino Young Professionals.

In 2016, she was recognized by Shell Oil Company with the “They Serve With Honor” award. The event was hosted by the Organization of Chinese Americans of Greater Houston (OCA-GH) to ensure that Asian Americans are recognized in the community by businesses and corporations. Her most recent accomplishment, as Board member of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, was the passage of a bill through Congress to recognize WWII Filipino Veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal and co-authoring the 2018 book Filipinos in Houston. Her dream is that Asian American history becomes part of sustainable education programs.