A Month of Remembrance and Reflection

It's Filipino American History Month once again, a month that reminds us of the long, difficult road our ancestors in this country trekked to pave the way for succeeding generations of immigrants. Positively Filipino joins the celebration by bringing you stories that make up the complex tapestry that our kababayans have woven in America.

One of these stories is the Delano Grape Strike that started in 1965 and lasted for five years. The massive strike for higher wages and improved working conditions for California farm workers was organized by Filipino union leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Veracruz, but popular history has pushed them to the sidelines in favor of Cesar Chavez. Linda Revilla's story, "Remembering Our Manongs and the Delano Grape Strike" corrects this historical error and retells the story of how 1,500 Filipino farm workers walked out of their jobs and changed labor history in the United States.

A good "Read Again" for this month is Abraham Ignacio Jr.'s "Where Exactly Did 'Filipinos' First Land in California?" to put Filipino American history in perspective.

An exciting exhibit on the famous piña fabric of the Philippines is ongoing at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Contributor Manzel Delacruz takes us there as she reports on the efforts of The Hinabi Project to promote the beautiful and indigenous Philippine fabric to an international audience.

From Manila, cultural historian John Silva reviews "Right Footed," the award-winning documentary film featuring the amazing Jessica Cox and how she overcame her disability with the help of her courageous Filipino immigrant mother, Inez.

And speaking of Manila, a young entrepreneur named Dianne Atienza tells us her story of risk-taking and determination when she chose to give up a corporate career in favor of striking out of her own as a "rentapreneur." Want to rent an Airbnb in Manila? This story will help you decide.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week, Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino's ropa vieja.

For Video of the Week, we feature a news segment from Fox-9 in Idaho, where a long distance romance began from a gift care package sent miles away to Joana Marchan in the Philippines.

‘Heneral Luna’ Rides Again

Even while the political circus heats up in Manila, a refreshing development is capturing the imagination of our kababayans: “Heneral Luna,” the highly acclaimed movie by young director Jerrold Tarog, is getting people to know one of our most famous and colorful historical heroes and also generating discussions on Philippine history.

We have two reviews of the movie -- one by Thelma Estrada, who saw the film in San Francisco and and another by Renato L. Santos, who writes from Manila. Both provide food for thought and get us all excited to watch the film, which we hear, will be the Philippines' entry for the Oscars next year.

Another brush with history is Lilia V. Villanueva's account of how she moved back to Bacolod from New York to embark on the enviable task of rehabilitating the glory days of her family's ancestral home, Daku Balay, once the grandest in the city. Her story is an inspiring tale for those who are thinking of returning to the homeland and those who want to preserve the houses they grew up in.

Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino features nurse/mother/marathon runner Anna Bretan in Watch Out World, This Is a Filipino.

It's October and Filipino American History Month once again. To commemorate the occasion, we will be posting various stories on our people's history in the US starting next week; but meanwhile, here's something to Read Again: "When Hilario Met Sally" by Alex Fabros.

For this week's Happy Home Cook, Richgail Enriquez provides a healthier alternative to fried rice with her low carb, low sugar version.

For our Video of the Week, NowThis' presents a feature on the Puzzle Cafe, which provides work for people with autism.

For Bay Area folks, The Third Filipino American International Book Festival happens this weekend at the San Francisco Public Library in the Civic Center. Our Partner post provides the details.

Initials of Greatness

A few years into our immigration to the US, my elementary school classmate and fellow UP campus brat Michael Gonzalez asked me if I could house-sit his parents' Hayward, California home while his dad was teaching in Southern California. It was a no-brainer for me. My children and I would have a whole house to ourselves and, best of all, we would be in the close orbit of the literary giant, NVM Gonzalez, Michael's father, who was then on this way to becoming a National Artist for Literature. Being able to have conversations with NVM was a great gift, as writer Lorenzo Paran III discloses in "Remembering NVM." On his centenary this year, NVM Gonzalez remains a formidable presence in Philippine literature, but my kids will always remember him as Lolo NVM who had a lot of stories to tell.

Another artist -- this time a painter -- also known for his three-letter initials is Vancouver, Canada-based SYM. Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza is known for his "neo-classical cubism" style and has earned a generous collection of accolades in his lifetime. Sandie Gilles tells us about this respected Cebuano who has made it big in Canada.

Positively Filipino correspondent Myles A. Garcia does another gem of a sleuthing job with "The Story Behind the Philippine Gold," the exhibit of which has been wowing Ayala Museum visitors for years. The priceless pre-Hispanic gold treasures have now been transported with extraordinary care and security to the Asia Society Museum in New York where it will be on exhibit through January 3, 2016. Behind the glitter however is a cloak-and-dagger story, so read it before you go.

We remember September 21, 1972 when Philippine history was changed forever with the imposition of martial law. Read again Patricio Abinales' account of his harsh coming-of-age in politics, "Note from the Underground."

Our Happy Home Cook recipes this week: Beef Pochero from yet another Positively Filipino correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino, and Rainbow Gelatin from Goldilocks.

Our Negrense readers will love our Video of the Week -- a loving tribute to island of Negros.

And some sad news: another Positively Filipino contributor, Aries Rufo, passes on. Aries, 45, was a staff writer of Philippine newsmagazine, Rappler, and a noted investigative journalist who covered church issues, among others. We join the Rappler folks in honoring the memory of Aries.