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.