Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP) [Union of Democratic Filipinos] records, 1966-2017

Scope and Content: Records, publications, photographic slides, and research files collected by the KDP in its activities. The collection also contains some materials on the history of the organization and its members.

Scope and Content: This accession documents the KDP Member History Project, a retrospective initiative launched alongside the donation of the first accession of this collection by KPD members. Though the organization is no longer active, members have periodically reconvened to work on book projects, anniversaries, and archival projects such as the one that generated this collection. While the initial segment of the collection primarily consists of organizational records of the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP), this project sought to capture the longitudinal impact of the KDP on its members—both during their active involvement and throughout their subsequent careers.

The records highlight how former KDP members became accomplished activists, academics, documentarians, artists, and community organizers, often specializing in Filipino American history and Philippine politics. These materials illustrate not only the diverse skills members brought to the KDP but also how the organization’s model of activism influenced their later work. As such, this collection serves as a unique documentation of the reciprocal relationship between members and the KDP.

These materials contain personal papers and organizational records from key KDP members:

• Gregorio (Greg) G. Santillan
  • Newsletters, flyers, news clippings, and correspondence
  • Essay drafts, mailing lists, event brochures, and programs
  • Photographs, posters, and a convention banner
  • Personal notes, correspondence, and books
  • Records related to his leadership in the KDP Los Angeles chapter, Anti-Martial Law Coalition (AMLC/CAMD), and National Alliance for Fair Licensure for Foreign Nurse Graduates (NAFL-FNG)
• Ermena Vinluan
  • Creative project files, including plays, films, and writings (drafts, manuscripts, articles)
  • Photographs, illustrations, sheet music, contracts, and promotional materials
  • Activism-related flyers, articles, and correspondence
  • Documentation of her work as director of Sining Bayan (People’s Art), the KDP’s cultural wing
• Alonzo (Glenn) Suson
  • Correspondence and research materials
  • Records of union organizing campaigns, particularly with ILWU Local 37 (Alaska Cannery Workers Union)
  • Internal documents from Line of March (LOM)
  • Materials related to the Domingo and Viernes justice campaign