Activist-Turned-Author Maya Butalid Showcases Memoir of Her Life Migrating Amidst the Marcos Dictatorship
It is a little-known fact that the many Filipinos who protested the regime of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. included a number of those who went to work abroad. Maya Butalid was one of these overseas activists. Recently, she published a rare glimpse into that life as told in her memoir “Chasing Windmills.” The book will be exhibited at two upcoming book events in Los Angeles in April 2025. Through it, Butalid hopes to inspire the younger generations of Filipino migrant workers.
“Reading Maya Butalid’s “Chasing Windmills” was like reading about myself. As an activist, immigrant, mother, and lola, Maya’s stories resonated with me very well. I can vividly imagine what she went through. The first time I got hold of the book, I couldn’t bring it down. Each story was very engaging you would like to listen to the next, and then next. I have decided to share the book with other friends.” - Chona
Born in 1957 in Cebu, Philippines, Maya Butalid would eventually join the countless number of Filipinos protesting then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. during the Philippines’ Martial Law years.
However, this same period would also see her join the many ranks of her countrymen who sought refuge abroad. At this point, the population of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has seen a massive surge, and she thought to take her activist work overseas in order to break the dictatorship’s hold on her nation. Together with her husband, she traveled to bring her pro-democracy campaign to the Netherlands. She has stayed there ever since.
Hers is a unique perspective that is rarely discussed among Filipinos today, which was what prompted her to pen her memoir “Chasing Windmills” and have it showcased at a number of book events.
“Chasing Windmills” shares a number of reflections on the challenges she has faced. Aside from the Philippines’ loss of democracy during those years, she also confronted many of the hurdles of migration and maintaining one’s Filipino identity. Her writings touch upon issues of social justice, raising kids in cross-cultural environments, and continuing to support one’s homeland via working abroad.
Lately, Butalid has decided to have her memoir showcased at various book events in the country and the world. Two of them will soon to be taking place in Los Angeles, California. The first is the Los Angeles Book Confab, organized by the self-publishing and book marketing company ReadersMagnet. The Los Angeles Book Confab will place at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City on April 23-24, 2025. The second will be at the L.A. Times Festival of Books 2025, which will be at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles on April 26-27, 2025. The book will be displayed at ReadersMagnet’s exhibit at booth #225.
“Chasing Windmills” is available on Amazon. For updates on any upcoming works, readers can simply check her personal website at https://www.mayabutalid.com/.
“Chasing Windmills”
Author: Maya Butalid
Published date: January 9, 2025
Publisher: 8Letters Bookstore & Publishing
Genre: Inspirational
Author Bio
Maya Butalid, born in 1957 in Cebu City, Philippines, is a Filipina author, former political activist, migrant advocate, and former city councilor in the Netherlands. While studying at the University of the Philippines, she became a political activist opposing the Marcos dictatorship. In 1983, she was sent to the Netherlands to continue her activism. After leaving the political movement in 1993, she learned Dutch and earned a Master’s degree in Psychology from Tilburg University. She has worked in various Dutch institutions and served as a city councilor in Tilburg. Throughout her journey, she has reflected on the challenges of living as a migrant, balancing her Filipino identity while embracing her life in the Netherlands. She continues to contribute to the development of the Philippines.
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Maya Butalid- Contact Information
- ReadersMagnet
- Publishing & Marketing
- ReadersMagnet LLC
- info@readersmagnet.com
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