Doing Us Proud

This week is about Filipinos who have crashed the international scene in their respective fields and have made us proud:

F. Sionil Jose, the grand old man of Philippine letters, the country's foremost chronicler of the Filipino experience, is paid homage to by author Rafaelito Sy, who writes about his recent encounter with the National Artist for Literature. ["F. Sionil Jose and a Nation's Memories"]

Cris Comerford, the White House chef of three US administrations (Bush, Obama and Trump), was recently awarded a doctorate honoris causa by her alma mater, the University of the Philippines (UP). Sonia Delen, current president of UP's alumni chapter in San Francisco, profiles Cris. ["Her Lola's Legacy: Chef Cris Comerford's Secret Sauce"]

This week is also about remembering, this one a painful episode in 1929-1930 when anti-Filipino riots broke out and ended tragically in California. Read Again Alex Fabros' "In The Heat of the Night: The Exeter and Watsonville Riots 1929-1930."

And speaking of remembering, we join the sports world in grieving the untimely death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Here's our Video of the Week showing him dancing the tinikling.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is for Chocolate Cake from Ballesteros, Cagayan baker Dondon Catli, who we featured earlier this month.

ICYMI, stories you may have missed or want to read again:

WOMEN OF THE EASTERN CALIPHATE: Hiding in plain sight
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/245849-women-eastern-caliphate-hiding-plain-sight-isis-part-1

WOMEN OF THE EASTERN CALIPHATE: By blood and marriage
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/245822-women-eastern-caliphate-by-blood-marriage-isis-part-2?utm_source=Rappler+Subscribers&utm_campaign=82d6b16cbd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_07_04_22_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d18b1557b8-82d6b16cbd-96223989&mc_cid=82d6b16cbd&mc_eid=0c0639d4af

'Kill Everyone Over 10' –Jacob Smith, the ‘Monster’ of the Philippine-American War
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/jacob-h-smith-philippine-american-war-a1926-20190919-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR0G4IHMUvqfn428wobgF_nFqUGTX7L5EX2IR3G5ev4llfrtHoK57TdtC64

Reviving ancient Cordillera textiles
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1211779/reviving-ancient-cordillera-textiles?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR26HEwT8pJLsvIYCnHdeHPVRapsWcjuEv__OCLhgRx8NWXiTWcCDa9WF8w#Echobox=1578786243

What Indigenous Folk Arts Tell Us

When the Americans colonized the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century, they sought to portray Filipinos to the American public as "savages", requiring lessons in literacy and democracy. To stress their point, they brought "Igorottes" from northern Luzon to the US as human exhibits in such events as the St. Louis World Exposition of 1904. This massive, historic lie discounts the fact that among our indigenous tribes and mountain cultures, a sophisticated, homegrown culture has evolved since pre-Hispanic times. This culture manifests itself in folk arts and textile weaving, techniques handed down through the generations. Prof. Michael Gonzalez, a board member of The Hinabi Project, explains the history behind the beautiful ongoing "Cordillera Textiles and Folk Arts Exhibit" in San Francisco. Don't miss it if you're in the area.

If you're thinking of getting married in a Catholic church in the Philippines, here's a helpful eye-opener from PF Correspondent Rene Astudillo on the costs of having one. 

We continue to collect and post personal stories on martial law (and will keep on doing so until certain parties cease to attempt revising history, so Send Us Yours). This week, lawyer/academic Mariel Toni Jimenez writes about her recollections when she was a young girl in Manila and her aunt, Professor Dolores Feria, was arrested. 

It's been a year since the Marawi siege, a horrific year when the picturesque city in southern Philippines was reduced to rubble. Read Again journalist/author Criselda Yabes riveting account of a crucial military operation, "Escape Through Death's Door," after which read her "Marawi Update."

From Rene Astudillo, we have a recipe for Pork Quinoa Casserole for our Happy Home Cook. 

Here are links to stories you may have missed from other publications:

New Podcast Shares Uniquely Filipino-American Stories
https://www.colorlines.com/articles/new-podcast-shares-uniquely-filipino-american-stories?fbclid=IwAR1UX97glI9dqmZdhpGSDdXqwUgva1Ob08QDxShlN5EYgThXIoSwmt0Ga0s

From salted duck egg to sapin sapin: Filipino ingredients become ice cream flavors at Wanderlust Creamery
http://www.asianjournal.com/life-style/eat-drink/from-salted-duck-egg-to-sapin-sapin-filipino-ingredients-become-ice-cream-flavors-at-wanderlust-creamery/?fbclid=IwAR1bvutrX-fhMh1xTqWBdhaESfwQOAS6XfBOUTKnimyxwfaKzz-L3mPa-yQ

Duterte camp spent $200,000 for troll army, Oxford study finds
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/07/24/1721044/duterte-camp-spent-200000-troll-army-oxford-study-finds?fbclid=IwAR2-T9seV-XNWKzRl0djmVvBnQKyU8Bmy7n1Pw3GcsKhoVYSp4cxvIEr1U0

Philippines plastic pollution: why so much waste ends up in oceans
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/2168819/philippines-plastic-pollution-why-so-much-waste-ends-oceans?fbclid=IwAR2HPr30UnmCZ6VisdjZ9RvYLn7KPwqouUngIQS8qeSf2YoqLFPHAaR8ezE

And in celebration of Larry Itliong Day for the Filipino American History Month, we are featuring a clip from Marissa Aroy’s “Delano Manongs” as our Video of the Week.