Lily and Pedro Aradanas Collection

Lily and Pedro Aradanas were born in the Philippines and immigrated to America in the early and mid twentieth century in order to work and foster a family together. They were important members of the Filipino community of Lompoc, demonstrated by Pedro's commitment at the Philippine Islands Market and Lily's role as a religious educator.

Pedro Duadua Aradanas was born in the city of Sili, in the municipality of Binalonan, in the province of Pangasinan, in the Ilocos region in Luzon on May 13, 1905. He immigrated to American in 1925, at age 20. He worked as a laborer in farms, canneries, construction, and as a houseboy along the West coast, from Alaska to Southern California. Pedro joined the American military during World War 2 in the first Filipino regiments, and he dedicated much of his life to support the Fiipino community in Lompoc, CA. Pedro worked as a clerk in the Philippine Islands Market (P.I. Market) in the Chinatown of Salinas and maintained close ties to the P.I. Market in Pismo, CA. In 1953, Pedro and Lily married. They raised their family in Lompoc upon Lily's successful immigration in 1958. Pedro Aradanas passed away at his home in Lompoc on November 20, 1998 at the age of 98.

Angeles "Lily" Maquiling Trinidad Aradanas was born on August 30, 1924, in the village Tigao in the municipality of Tandag, in the provinence of Surigao del Sur, in the Caraga region of Mindanao. Lily was very active in the Catholic church. She started the first Santo Niño mass in Lompoc, a Catholic practice which originated from the Philippines after Catholic introduction by the Spanish. Lily prepared children for the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion and led adult choir. She also worked as an elementary schoool teacher and bilingual educator from 1964-94. Lily obtained her bachelor's degree in social work from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO), while working full time, conducting research on social, cultural, political, and religious changes expereinced by the indiginous peoples of the Philippines. Her research was specifically focused on her home region of Tigao. Lily Aradanas passed away in Santa Barbara on February 4, 2017, at the age of 92.