A Living Archive of Fil-Am Achievement

History is not preserved by monuments alone. It endures because people choose to remember, to tell stories, and to honor lives that have shaped a community. That is what the annual Building Communities: A Tribute to our Manongs and Manangs, created by Mona Lisa Yuchengco, have accomplished year after year. Through Positively Filipino, the event is more than an awards program; it is a living archive of Filipino American achievement. The honorees come from different generations and walks of life, yet together they reveal a larger truth—that our history has been written by soldiers and teachers, scientists and physicians, artists and writers, entrepreneurs, public servants, and community advocates whose contributions have too often remained outside the pages of mainstream history. By bringing these lives into the light, the manong and manang honors affirm that every story preserved strengthens the story of us all.

This year's gathering is another opportunity to celebrate not only twelve distinguished individuals but also the enduring legacy of a community whose contributions continue to shape America. The honorees did more than achieve personal success; they widened the path for those who followed, opened doors once closed to Filipinos, built institutions, preserved our heritage, and enriched the fields they served. In honoring them, Positively Filipino honors our collective journey. 

We invite our readers to join us for this special occasion—to listen, to affirm, and to become part of a celebration that reminds us that history is a living inheritance, carried forward every time a name is spoken, a life is remembered, and a community comes together in gratitude and pride.

This Week’s Stories 

When the Youngest Manong Becomes the Elder by Alex S. Fabros, Jr.

Trans Man and Trans Woman Tie Knot in PH Catholic Church by Rene Astudillo

‘Subsaharan Mindanao’ to the World by Elaine Joy Edaya Degale

He Danced Before He Knew Why by Lani Domaloy

[Read It Again]

My Close Call on 9/11 by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba (Ret.)

Why the F in ‘Filipino’ and How Did It Get There? by Marne Kilates

[Video of the Week]

Why is America defending a shipwreck?

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In The Know

'Most exciting player' Eala shows 'Filipino heart' to make history
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cjwx9y96x90o

Nearly 10 months in ICE custody, a photojournalist’s case tests the limits of protected speech
https://www.therebelyellow.com/p/nearly-10-months-in-ice-custody-a?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

‘Little Manila is in the heart. 209:’ How a Stockton community preserved the stories of the Filipino migrants who built it
https://stocktonia.org/news/community/2026/07/30/little-manila-is-in-the-heart-209-how-a-stockton-community-preserved-the-stories-of-the-filipino-migrants-who-built-it/

[OPINION] Pax Silica and the Philippines: Will we build the future or simply build it for others?

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-pax-silica-will-philippines-build-future-or-for-others/?

'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr7nxve05go

5 Library Cafes to Visit Around Metro Manila
https://www.preview.ph/culture/food/library-cafes-manila-a6887-

Laperal, Not the Haunted Baguio Mansion
https://tribune.net.ph/2026/07/24/laperal-not-the-haunted-baguio-mansion

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American Tapestry

Fermin Tobera, a 22-year-old Filipino farmworker,  was asleep for the night when a mob of white men fired shots at the bunkhouse where he and other Filipino laborers were billeted. The lone bullet that pierced his heart inflamed what was already a powder keg between whites vs Filipino workers, and led to the infamous Watsonville riot of 1930.

[Here's more about the anti-Filipino riots in Central California: In the Heat of the Night: The Exeter and Watsonville Riots 1929-1930]

Ninety two years later, Tobera, largely unacknowledged in the annals of Fil-Am history, is being honored with a mural in the California town (now a city) where he lost his life. The Tobera Project, steered by Roy Recio Jr. and other community leaders, got a boost in 2020 when the Watsonville City Council issued an apology to the Filipino community for the 1930 race riots. Since then, an exhibit titled "Watsonville is in the Heart" has been set up to show Filipinos' pivotal role in shaping the history of the city. 

It's never too late to correct historical omissions and mistakes. PF contributing writer Harvey I. Barkin reports on "Fermin Tobera: From Historical Footnote to the Big Picture."

Two Filipino Americans are staking their claim in the American tapestry. Averie Danielle Bishop wowed judges with her articulateness and her community-oriented vision to win the Miss Texas title, the first Asian American to hold the title. Next stop: the Miss America contest in December. Texas resident Gus Mercado reports.

Recent Yale grad Reina Bonta completed her first film, LAHI, which pays homage to her Filipino and Hawaiian ancestries, and dedicates the film to her grandmother, Cynthia, a long-time community activist. PF Correspondent Cherie Querol Moreno tells us more.

From across the pond, the future of the West Philippine Sea, specifically the Ayungin Shoal, is at stake as a new Philippine administration takes over.  Retired editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Rosario A. Garcellano shares with us her piece on this issue.

Florentino Peñaranda was a revolutionary leader in Leyte during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the 20th century. More than a century later, his grandson, the writer/professor Oscar Peñaranda, by a lucky stroke of serendipity found the actual revolutionary flag of his lolo. Here's how it happened: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/a-reunion-of-strangers

Fifty six years ago this month, the Beatles performed in Manila. Marra PL. Lanot was there and here is her story: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-beatles-in-the-philippines

[Cook It Again] http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-nora-dazas-humba

[Video of the Week] Igorot Stone Kingdom

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In The Know

Drug killings leave agony, savage facet to Duterte’s legacy
https://apnews.com/article/religion-philippines-manila-rodrigo-duterte-government-and-politics-9bf4c87a395f6f0d90ebd4637e74c1ea?fbclid=IwAR26u4LW7WF1_TjtP8Rkea2_A9SNlclYiyxUmIr6uoF3fO0CB8y2PadxGu0#l533g1wla7upnglq9b8

Manila bakeshop says it’s anticipating ‘long fight ahead’ after advisory goes viral
https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2022/07/01/221086/manila-bakeshop-anticipating-long-fight-ahead-after-viral-advisory/?fbclid=IwAR24AzNdhxUG9BEQzxgoQgT2cAIDQJYTK1catTG4HS613lV3Q3ZBL2kkz20

A New Generation of Filipino American Chefs Is Finding Joy and Community in Cooking Their Heritage
https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/new-generation-filipino-american-chefs

'Kayo ang himala': Nora Aunor dedicates National Artist honor to fans
https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2022/06/30/2192050/kayo-ang-himala-nora-aunor-dedicates-national-artist-honor-fans?fbclid=IwAR0bD11TxuomfW_Bf8Lnm9uEbOF4ex7mDnL1YfUPiL-Jqr25Gms2SFcgwA4

This Filipino sneaker brand is leaving footprints of positive change and growing a fandom of creatives
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/style/necessary-style/06/21/22/pinoy-sneakers-proudly-made-with-sustainable-practices?fbclid=IwAR38bhSM3I9PU0P5zQB9u2XwhyM2UeVyH3r6nGd8bbVNsTxvnl9HW1_C9kA

"See and Missed": New York artist brings attention to Filipino history of Morro Bay
https://www.kcbx.org/arts-and-life/2022-06-28/see-and-missed-new-york-artist-brings-attention-to-filipino-history-of-morro-bay 

‘Whether It’s Charice or Jake Zyrus, I’m a Singer’
https://www.gq.com/story/jake-zyrus-profile?utm_source=facebook&utm_brand=gq&utm_social-type=owned&mbid=social_facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR0B_J8_4V0pgEjgHTh8aCzTmMjuNSF47s4ZucWp9abalDaBuVlV0splXM0

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Our Extended Family

Every week for the past four years, Lisa, Rene, Raymond and I do the editorial and technical work to bring you new stories and this newsletter. But we couldn't have done it without the commitment and the good work of our contributors who have been relentless in digging up stories and writing them up for our readers worldwide to enjoy. 

Those who have written at least 10 pieces we have designated as Positively Filipino Correspondents, and composing our latest batch are: Cherie Querol-Moreno; Penelope V. Flores; Rene Astudillo; Serina Aidasani; Lisa Suguitan-Melnick; and John Silva. Read about them and the previously designated correspondents in About Us. 

And speaking of Positively Filipino Correspondents, we have two of them writing for this issue:

Criselda Yabes submits "Portrait of Patriotism As a Ship Aground," a feature on the celebrated artist Jose Tence Ruiz's much heralded installation -- and political statement -- called Shoal.

Myles A. Garcia discusses the often-funny, always-perplexing "Filipino Terms of Endearment."

This week we begin a new section: In The Know. We will be compiling stories from various legitimate news sources/publications that we think you, our readers, will find interesting, informative and instructional. 

Our Happy Home Cook recipe: Tinapa Spaghetti from Rene Astudillo.

And our Video of the Week comes from an enthusiastic millennial about Iloilo.