Prickly Heat

As spring morphs into summer, the political heat is also rising in the US, what with the November presidential election looming large. How are Asian Americans reacting to the increasingly unnerving rhetoric of Donald Trump and his fans? A survey report from the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote reveals that Asian Americans demand "Inclusion, Not Exclusion," and a full 40 percent of the 1,200 respondents who are registered voters say they will not vote for the candidate who spouts exclusionary rhetoric.  Candidates take heed. The full report can be found here: http://www.apiavote.org/sites/apiavote/files/Inclusion-2016-AAVS-final.pdf

Two very different men who are nonetheless similar in their ethnicity and their cultural advocacies are in our lineup this week:

Mamerto (Lagitan) Tindongan draws on his strong Ifugao roots for inspiration as a woodcarver, energy healer and a qigong and tai chi teacher. Regular contributor Lisa Suguitan Melnick writes, "The Spirit Carver," about this 8th-generation mumbaki (shaman) who is now based in Ohio.

In San Francisco, Filipino American Dean Dario conveys his thoughts and worldview through hip hop and is reaping success, as reported by Manzel Delacruz in "Shooting for the Stars."

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is probably not the first place you have in mind when seeking Filipino food in the Midwest. But a mobile Filipino restaurant called "Meat on the Street" serves up yummy fare for comfort food seekers in that neck of the woods.

And since it's summer, here's a refreshing and easy-to-make "Salad for All Seasons," from France-based artist Ofelia Gelvezon Tequi.

For our Video of the Week, NowThis features Hernando Guanlao who turned his home into a free library so that kids can learn to read.