Myths and Monsters

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We close this year's commemoration of Filipino American History Month with a fact-check and correction. 

PF contributor and recently retired urban planner M.T. Ojeda parlayed her passion for history and geography by poring over old maps and demographic data of what used to be known as San Francisco's Manilatown, Kearny St. She disputes the assertions of a powerful 2020 video by media outlet Vox that 1) there were 30,000 Filipinos living in the area; and 2) those living in the area were so terrified of racist threats that they stayed within the boundaries of Manilatown. Read her story for a more accurate picture of the once-vibrant Filipino enclave in San Francisco. 

What better time to indulge our fascination with the supernatural than Todos los Santos time (celebrated in the Philippines on November 1 and its US equivalent, Halloween, on October 31)? 

For those who want to know more about the mythical creatures of our culture, here's a somewhat-creepy primer complete with sketches from Jean Karl Gaverza, whose research on this topic qualifies him as a resource person. 

From award-winning young writer, George Deoso, comes the question, "What is it about ghost stories that fascinate us?" He proceeds to regale us with his hair-raising tales which actually whets our appetite for more.

Not exactly a ghost story but a 17-year old aspiring writer, Lucas Q. Villaseñor, whose ancestor, Emilio Quisumbing, was one of the early pensionados (Filipino students given government scholarships to study in the US), reimagines the drama of the latter's return to the Philippines following his father's execution as a suspected spy.

October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Here's a Read Again that is a vital guide to recognizing red flags in a relationship: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/behind-the-charmer-may-hide-an-abuser?rq=abuse

In The Know

As Filipino American History Month comes to a close, take a peek inside the Field Museum’s Philippine Heritage Collection

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-filipino-american-history-month-field-museum-20221025-76xamuug6ncezm6kqla2n3zbge-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1hmCrGL9r9pT7RIU2cv0HHjbuElfLAsWto2SfMFvvFCPnSpZ4TytohTac

Americana vs. Camisa: The History of Filipino Men's Fashion

https://www.esquiremag.ph/style/fashion/filipino-mens-fashion-a2289-20190401-lfrm6?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20221020-fbnp-style-filipino-mens-fashion-a2289-20190401-lfrm6-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2PUNO3fc_-I58OKBMGXa5Up0gWeDDZj_qCp-0yLNjNpI4X28EUPU-Mot4

Nagtipunan, Quirino boasts scenic views, blend of culture

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186509?fbclid=IwAR3KeeQKamWtpu47eA2UIycVCzrU8W1kYC-MtmF2o9tmN2HW3aNHIP_PnxY

Filipino Americans Share Their Journey to Buddhism

https://www.lionsroar.com/filipino-americans-share-their-journey-to-buddhism/?fbclid=IwAR0Ng8AfhpRrrmbsggvsaLTlUhP5vzWZWGh7j7YYB9SesoiM8OMNAV9yEAA

The BTS concert in Busan: The travails of an ARMY husband

https://verafiles.org/articles/the-bts-concert-in-busan-the-travails-of-an-army-husband?fbclid=IwAR0vAgdUGQGYcrOMbRDpdcG1c5AQhYLHtLV4ZHfKzuvypEKiPI1cQDczUGU

Miriam Quiambao On Leaving The City Life: 'Kung Kaya Ng Bulsa, Buong Pamilya, Go For It'

https://www.smartparenting.com.ph/life/home/miriam-quiambao-boracay-island-life-family-a00050-20220408?utm_source=Facebook-SP&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20221021-fbnp-life-miriam-quiambao-boracay-island-life-family-a00050-20220408-fbold&fbclid=IwAR0xZotkg-Bx_xBqfZO-JqUdCRKiOD0Du29BTkcTJFNmmRtZprinakXUUPs

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Staff

Month of Months

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October is chock-full of commemorations; Wikipedia lists 17, among them National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, LGBT History Month, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness and National Bullying Prevention Month (which we should probably celebrate more, considering what's happening all around us). The big one for our community is Filipino American History Month, officially declared by the US Congress in 2009. We mark this annual celebration with the first of a four-part documentary entitled "Filipino Americans: Discovering Their Past for the Future" in our Video of the Week.

Award-winning Filipino American author Marivi Soliven writes about domestic violence in mail-order families, "Carino Brutal - Plain Talk About Domestic Violence," after getting angry about NBC's planned sitcom on the topic. NBC has since scrapped the series following massive protests from the Fil-Am community, but as Marivi reminds, the problem of domestic abuse remains a festering wound.

Celia Ruiz Tomlinson, life lover, cancer survivor and compelling raconteur, makes hospice real for us in her piece about her late husband's last days, "A Ringside View of Hospice." "After eight years of [second] marriage," she says, "I became a serial widow."

And speaking of deaths, Positively Filipino mourns the passing of three giants in their respective fields:

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, she of the quick wit and acerbic tongue, "the best president the Philippines never had" (according to an avid supporter), on September 29 in Manila, from complications of cancer;

Danungan "Danny" Kalanduyan, a master musician and teacher from Maguindanao who introduced and taught the tradition of kulintang to a new and appreciative generation of Filipino Americans, on September 28, in California, from a heart ailment; and

Ceres Alabado, esteemed author of children's books and young adult literature, on October 3. Mrs. Alabado's most famous book, Kangkong 1896, about a 15-year old Filipino who joined the Katipunan, introduced the Philippine Revolution to generations of young Filipinos.

On a lighter note, our Happy Home Cook feature this week is from LA-based chef and cookbook author, Marvin Gapultos: Sweet Corn and Coconut Panna Cotta, his own twist to the traditional maja blanca.

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

Beware

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Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothing, beware of the charmer who can turn out to be an abuser.  Community advocate Cherie Querol-Moreno, who has long championed the cause of domestic abuse survivors, issues this warning to women -- and men -- who may miss out on the warning signs of a potential abuser. It is someone who always says and does the right things and can quickly charm his way to a person's heart. It’s a timely warning on this Domestic Abuse Prevention Month.

Continuing our Filipino American History Month focus, a "bridge generation" (child of a first-generation Filipino immigrant) contributor, Robert V. Ragsac Sr., tells us about some of the close friends of his family whose life stories, he feels, should be told. "Forget Them Not" is his personal appeal for more throwback narratives on the unheralded men of the manong generation, especially those who didn't have families to tell their life stories.

In another part of the world, contributor Agatha Verdadero writes about the universal value of making friends across cultures. Having spent a few years in Somalia, she has some fascinating experiences with Somalians she now considers her lifelong friends.

For our Happy Home Cook feature, a personal recipe of macaroons, the rage among the hip crowd. Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino provides it.

Our Video of the Week: Mikey Bustos, the Filipino Canadian YouTube sensation, gives us a tutorial in rap on the Philippines' 81 provinces.

And I hope you enjoy my blog on some of the highlights of my ongoing road trip across the US.

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino