We are posting this week the key findings of the Pew Research Center's comprehensive study of Asian American experiences and attitudes, gathered from its national and multilingual survey done in 2022-2023 and its 66 focus groups in 2021. Though there are not many surprises, it's interesting to note some generational differences as well as attitudinal perceptions between first-generation immigrants and their children/grandchildren.

We're also running the four winning essays of the 2022 Doreen Gamboa Fernandez (DGF) Food Writing Award this month, starting with the first prize winner, "Reclaiming Philippine Ube" by Reynadel Cayetano. Did you know that ube is a healthier alternative to other yam varieties because of its higher antioxidant content? And that Bohol is the province best known for ube?

Enjoy too our other stories this week:

A poet's long drive to Albany, Georgia to watch a neighborhood Filipino basketball team play brought him back in touch with his roots, his culture and his palate.

A Fil-Am visual artist pays tribute to her late, unheralded great aunt who played a big role in winning WWII for the US.

More remarkable Fil-Ams whose accomplishments are nothing to scoff at.

As we smell and taste Christmas in the air, here's a reminder of a Filipino Christmas from one of our earliest issues:

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2012/12/12/karoling

And here's what our Filipino tastebuds hanker for every Christmas season:

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/our-christmas-table

[Video of the Week] Maria Ressa Interviews Leila de Lima

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Most Asian Americans say they face discrimination and are often treated as foreigners
https://www.npr.org/2023/11/30/1216121806/anti-asian-american-discrimination-pew-survey

Anti-Asian hate falls, but advocates wary of election-year impact
https://nwasianweekly.com/2023/12/anti-asian-hate-falls-but-advocates-wary-of-election-year-impact/

Anti-Asian is also an institutional, societal problem, new research finds
https://asamnews.com/2023/12/04/anti-asian-is-also-an-institutional-societal-problem-new-research-finds/

Was the Vermont shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent a hate crime? Under state law it might be
https://apnews.com/article/hate-crime-vermont-shooting-palestinian-american-students-03e051f7a7f5634ee220803bdbe4886c?user_email=626b6014b317ac1a97d9ea0359caf85d127d65af63608ac5859509ae17997764&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=MorningWire_Nov_29_2023&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers

Hate crimes are at a 21-year-high in LA County as political divides widen, report says
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/11/29/hate-crimes-are-at-a-21-year-high-in-l-a-county-as-political-divides-widen-report-says/

25 Most Racist Cities in America Ranked By Hate Crimes Per Capita
https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/25-most-racist-cities-in-america-ranked-by-hate-crimes-per-capita-1231397/?singlepage=1

Funding provided by the State of California.

In The Know

AFP chief sees retaliatory attack in Marawi bombing
https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/3/afp-chief-sees-retaliatory-attack-in-marawi-bombing

Will Philippines’ revived peace talks end rebel conflict for good or ‘aid the enemy’?
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3243573/will-philippines-revived-peace-talks-end-rebel-conflict-good-or-aid-enemy

Civilian convoy to South China Sea gets NSC nod
https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2023/11/28/560257/civilian-convoy-to-south-china-sea-gets-nsc-nod/

Ma’am Jo’s killing was a nightmare. Her dreams for the Teduray tribe are alive.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/jocelyn-palao-killing-nightmare-dreams-teduray-tribe-alive/

In Hawaii, a humble effort to give anti-Marcos cartoons from the past a second life
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/hawaii-effort-filipino-opposition-preserve-anti-marcos-political-cartoons/

Gov't, communist rebels agree to resume peace talks
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/23/govt-ndfp-agree-to-resume-peace-talks

The issue of not being "seen" or "heard" in race and ethnicity surveys has been a source of frustration for Asian Americans, who are often lumped together as one group despite the obvious cultural differences among the subgroups. This is being corrected by Pew Research Center's extensive -- the largest of its kind -- national survey on Asian American experiences and views. At the helm of this historic endeavor is economist Neal G. Ruiz, an impressively credentialed Fil-Am who leads Pew's New Research Initiatives. PF Editor Rene Ciria Cruz discusses with Ruiz his group's "deep dive into the Asian American condition" including the experience of anti-Asian hate prevalent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our motherland celebrates National Heroes Day this week, as it does every year around this time. Our chosen hero to focus on is Graciano Lopez Jaena, an Ilonggo who founded and edited the historic newspaper in Madrid in the 1890s - La Solidaridad. Historian and head of the Ortigas Library John Silva gave a speech about his fellow Ilonggo at the Museo Iloilo and we have it here. Lopez Jaena was an unlikely hero but an interesting character whose rhetorical skills matched the passion of his ire against the ruthlessness of the Spanish friars who ruled the towns and the lives of Filipinos under the Spanish regime.

And speaking of Ilonggos, Iloilo City has become the only Philippine city granted membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, for Gastronomy. Anyone who has tasted such native Iloilo dishes as La Paz Batchoy, Pancit Molo and other delicacies will not be surprised. And anyone who has visited the city in the last few years will understand. The redesigned Iloilo City is a destination worthy of accolades.

Read Again: Joe Mari Chan’s Enduring Heart Songs by Paulynn Paredes Sicam

[Video of the Week] Nora Galleros-Tinio