Hail to the Chefs

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Despite the teeth-gnashing and pity-parties about Filipino food not getting its due recognition in the international foodie universe, young Filipino chefs in various countries are innovating and creating unique dishes that celebrate their Filipino heritage. They have started fun pop-ups, restaurants and bakeshops. They are coming out with cookbooks inspired by traditional recipes and methods but are elevated to new heights. And they have gained recognition among foodies and critics.

Now comes proof that in the US, Fil-Am chefs and food establishments are now at par with the best of them: in the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards for the James Beard Awards (the culinary Emmys), ten of them made it to the semifinals, an impressive feat considering that just a few years back, hardly anyone who's not Filipino has heard of Filipino cuisine. Here they are, the emerging culinary stars, in this compilation by our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco. 

Anti-Asian hate is presently resurgent but it definitely is nothing new. One of the most celebrated tragedies happened in 1982 when Vincent Chin, a Chinese American in Detroit, was brutally killed, a consequence of the implosion of the US auto industry. PF editor Rene Ciria-Cruz writes about this instance of xenophobic scapegoating and the rise of the Vincent Chin Institute which has come out with the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide, a teaching tool against anti-Asian hate.

PF's LA correspondent Anthony Maddela profiles Patricio Ginelsa, the filmmaker who made the movie Lumpia in 2003 and who has come out with its sequel, Lumpia with a Vengeance, which, in turn, has spawned a comic book. The movie has been doing the rounds of the film circuit for two years and it's available now on Blu-ray.

Toronto-based traveler/adventurer Odette Foronda takes us on another trip to Egypt, this one on a luxurious riverboat sailing the mythic Nile river. Her piece is a history lesson, a languid journey and an inspiring photo diary all at the same time.

First-time PF contributor Rashaan Alexis Meneses writes about Wildflowers, Beverly Parayno's first short story collection. Published by PAWA Press of San Francisco, the book explores what it means to be a woman in today's world.

[Video of the Week] Dinagyang Festival 2024

[Partner] Welcome In The Lunar New Year With A Free Bystander Intervention Training

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Elderly man books one way ticket back to China after several beatings, it’s ‘too dangerous’ in San Francisco
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/02/01/elderly-man-books-one-way-ticket-back-to-china-after-several-beatings-its-too-dangerous-in-san-francisco-1432976/

Anti-AAPI Hate Resource Guide Book For Elected Officials and Public Affairs Professionals
https://mailchi.mp/363754eca954/aapi-anti-hate-guide-book

Been there. Escaped that. History credited for Palestine sympathy among Asian Americans in Colorado
https://www.kunc.org/news/2024-02-03/been-there-escaped-that-history-credited-for-palestine-sympathy-among-asian-americans-in-colorado

US Schools Not Immune From Rise in Hate Crimes
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-schools-not-immune-from-rise-in-hate-crimes/7461751.html

“The first time I’ve been harmed physically”: The Boys Star Karen Fukuhara Brought Light to a Grave Issue After a Stranger Assaulted Her in Public
https://fandomwire.com/the-first-time-ive-been-harmed-physically-the-boys-star-karen-fukuhara-brought-light-to-a-grave-issue-after-a-stranger-assaulted-her-in-public/

Funding provided by the State of California.

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Staff

[Updated] Women of Peace and of a Just War

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We are updating this newsletter without the article on Emma Rotor. 

The author Erwin Tiongson requested that it be removed because Science News is planning to publish it in its printed magazine. Erwin apologizes for the confusion.

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, is the first female chief negotiator in the world to sign a final peace accord with a rebel group. That rebel group was the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), then at war with the Philippine government. In 2014, the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed, ending the 17-year conflict that killed more than 120,000 Filipinos on both sides, and ushered in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Manila-based contributor Manuel Hizon writes "A Stouthearted Peace Builder."

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In trying to heal from a deep sadness, FilAm cultural torchbearer Chiara Cox embraced the depth of Filipino culture through music and art. From there, she has organized an impressive array of cultural events to celebrate FilAm History Month in her community in Columbia, South Carolina. Check out the schedule of festivities in "The Calling of My Soul."

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Anti-Asian hate is alive and festering not only in California but in other states as well. Here's a report on recent incidents in Portland, Oregon.

What to do when you or someone you know is a victim of a hate crime in California? These guidelines and resources keep you informed.

Funding provided by the State of California.

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The production team that brought you the acclaimed movie "11,103" has come out with a series of short videos on how the Marcos dictatorship destroyed the sugar industry in Negros. The first of these docus is on The Escalante Massacre, which you can watch here as our Video of the Week. 

In The Know

On board the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal: A journalist’s first-hand account

https://verafiles.org/articles/on-board-the-brp-sierra-madre-in-ayungin-shoal-a-journalists-first-hand-account?fbclid=IwAR3nsF_Q5aOp7mK5Wh0EVTJCFJ0RJcSMiV1zaUdmuCFPWAN5DZzgjeBU--A

PH ‘learning poverty’ still among region’s worst

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1835164/ph-learning-poverty-still-among-regions-worst?fbclid=IwAR1i4WPD2VVRp0NDB9-YjoRw-5ToggPoBfU5rd2fYB2FO25O7z9FCqwTLIA#:~:text=In%20the%202023%20WB%20report,New%20Guinea%2C%20Tonga%20and%20Tuvalu

Olivia Rodrigo wants to perform in the Philippines

https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/olivia-rodrigo-wants-to-perform-in-the-philippines-3501645?fbclid=IwAR1i4WPD2VVRp0NDB9-YjoRw-5ToggPoBfU5rd2fYB2FO25O7z9FCqwTLIA

Jun Urbano: Mr. Shooli, a plate of peanuts, and the lost art of satire

https://philstarlife.com/geeky/105588-jun-urbano-profile?page=3

It’s Never Too Late to Find Love, Just Ask These Octogenarians

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/style/emilio-quines-jr-angie-cruz-wedding.html?fbclid=IwAR1Ras8LG4yEHLO5-TAYPlb_setJz1HPDNoFXJThpytGQAGQP7fJOK9P4-g

David Byrne’s Broadway Musical Celebrates a Monstrous Fascist

https://hyperallergic.com/845782/david-byrne-broadway-musical-here-lies-love-celebrates-a-monstrous-fascist-imelda-marcos/

Filipino Restaurant Archipelago Brings Identity, Culture, and Empowerment to the Center Stage of Fine Dining

https://southseattleemerald.com/2023/09/16/filipino-restaurant-archipelago-brings-identity-culture-and-empowerment-to-the-center-stage-of-fine-dining/?fbclid=IwAR2I8x1wXXIhml-7v25zYtz7Ap9xhzVnSvDwYbMi0ATxniLiMZFtDYvEarQ

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Staff

A September to Remember

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September is the month to remember the full impact of the Marcos dictatorship in our homeland. Here are some reminders from our archives:

Marcos’ Legacy and the Philippine Military

Martial Law Stories: My Thriller in Manila

The island of Negros in the 1970s and 1980s fell on hard times when the US ended its market quota for Philippine sugar in 1974. Just two years after the declaration of martial law, President Ferdinand Marcos handed the reins of the industry to his cronies. What started out as an attempt to avert a crisis created the biggest crisis of all: the downfall of the once-formidable sugar industry which in turn led to families losing their farms and sugar farmers losing their livelihood. By the time the Marcos administration was forced to exile in 1986, social unrest and famine were widespread. Ian Rosales Casocot, whose family lost everything during the market crash, wrote about their descent to destitution (Read: "Raping Sugarland").

In February 1945, a daring rescue by US troops of prisoners of war (POW) at the UST campus happened. It wasn't exactly a clean operation -- while the POWs were freed, several of the rescuers were killed. Worse, the Japanese military retaliated with a massacre of civilians in Los Banos, Laguna.  Cecilia Gaerlan, head of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society tells us the story.

A Filipino/Indian/Canadian newscaster has been a constant presence in broadcast news in Vancouver, British Columbia for years. Jason Pires' recent career move confirms his upward trajectory in an industry and a market that reward hard work and talent.

In the US, the list of remarkable Filipino Americans in various fields continues to grow. Chapter 51 of our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco's, compilation is here.

Likewise, our series on Bridge Generation stalwarts by writer/historian Peter Jamero continues with a profile of Seattle-based civil rights activist Lois Fleming.

[Video of the Week] The Story of the Filipino: Dely Po Go

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Staff