Achievers All
/In celebrating Fil-Am History Month (FAHM), we focus not just on historical stories of Filipinos in America but, more importantly, those who are making history in various fields. These Fil-Am achievers are not only elevating the status of the Fil-Am community with their exemplary works, they are also forging new paths that expand the very definition of Fil-Am history. No longer boxed into specific sectors like farm work or day labor, these new Fil-Ams -- many born and raised in the US-- are thriving in fields that were unthinkable to the manongs or even to the first-generation immigrant wave that came after 1965.
Take Dr. Patricia Quebada-Clerkin, a noted pediatric neurosurgeon, who chose to go into one of the hardest specializations in the field of medicine. Not only is she an innovator in her field, she is also a consultant and a professor while actively bridging the divide between her two homelands by participating in medical missions to the Philippines and sharing her expertise with medical students there.
From a completely different field, Mark de Vera, a 36-year old Fil-Am creative skilled both in business and the arts, has reached the heights of a transformative industry: the publishing of the very popular manga and manghwa graphic novels whose origins are from Japan and South Korea, respectively. He leads the sales and marketing division of Yen Press LLC, one of the biggest publishers of these trendy literary genres.
Pushing for the recognition of Fil-Am authors especially during FAHM, Fil-Am bookstore owner Christine Bollow has come out with an art print that show 22 chosen books published in the US by Fil-Am authors, to highlight the variety of genres that they represent. Bollow's advocacy extends to championing Filipino-owned bookstores and Filipino content creators.
While we celebrate how young Fil-Ams are hacking through new fields, we also honor individuals like Lorraine Agtang who witnessed first-hand the lives and struggles of Filipino farmworkers.
On a sad note, the Positively Filipino staff pays tribute to one of our contributors, Pablo Tariman, who left this earth last week. He was a cultural writer and journalist par excellence and we have been honored to be one of his outlets. We are reposting below some of the 18 stories he wrote for us through the years. To read about him, check out our In The Know section below.
[Read It Again]
Pianist Cecile Licad Is a National Treasure by Pablo A. Tariman
A Concert for My Daughter and Son-In-Law by Pablo A. Tariman
The Filipino-Finnish Conductor as Music Sensation by Pablo A. Tariman
[Partner] FilVetRep statement by Jon Melegrito
[Video of the Week] Are Filipinos Hispanic? Why It's Complicated!
In The Know
Filipino artist arrested by ICE outside his home in Texas
https://usa.inquirer.net/180961/filipino-artist-arrested-by-ice-outside-his-home-in-texas?
Did you know the first Filipinos in Hawaiʻi were recruited in 1906 from a rural area of the Philippines called Ilocos Norte?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2520449318322492
Ken Guanga covering San Francisco 49ers tailgate parties
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1977745786323606
Redwood City couple blends cultures to launch an Indian Filipino food concept
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/food/feature-food/2025/10/08/redwood-city-couple-blends-cultures-to-launch-an-indian-filipino-food-concept/?
Pablo Tariman’s long goodbye
https://www.thediarist.ph/pablo-tarimans-long-goodbye/?
