Some True Heroes and a Fake One

To our Muslim friends, we wish you all a joyous and meaningful celebration of Eid al-Adha.

Fifty one years ago, on September 8, 1965, the historic Delano Grape Strike began when Filipino farm workers led by Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz, Benjamin Gines and Pete Velasco walked out of their jobs to demand fair wages for all. The strike, which lasted five years, led to the founding of the United Farm Workers of America and turned Cesar Chavez, who had been reluctant to join, into a national icon. Not much credit was given to the brave Filipinos who initiated the strike. Our Video of the Week is a documentary that honors them, the "Forgotten Filipino American Heroes," and gives us a history lesson we shouldn't forget.

Taking up the legacy of Filipino labor leaders, first-time contributor Amihan David, writes about Filipino American Luisa Blue, the highest ranking Asian American official of the giant Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Another community icon that shouldn't be forgotten, Bob Santos of Seattle passed away recently, and his friend Peter Jamero writes a loving and informative piece on his fellow "Young Turk" of the bridge generation (children of Filipino immigrants of the early- to mid-1900s). Uncle Bob's role in strengthening the Filipino American community in Seattle is a legacy that must be honored.

From the other side of the pond, the dark legacy of Ferdinand Marcos is getting quite an airing as Filipinos debate the issue of whether he deserves to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Sociologist/columnist Randy David puts context to the debate in "Two Awakenings and a Funeral."

Our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, likewise weighs in on current events with her random notes on politics and aging.

On a lighter but no less impressive side, two Filipinas -- Jeraldine Mendoza and Christine Rocas -- are heating up Chicago's Joffrey Ballet company. Regular contributor Serina Aidasani profiles the two in "Of Grace and Grit: Two Filipinas Bring Ballet Front and Center on the Global Stage."

And for our Happy Home Cook feature, how about a vegan sans rival? Yes, it's real and Carissa Leventis-Cox shares her recipe for our culinary pleasure.

September Reverie

It's September once again, and those of us who have lived through many Septembers may be feeling anxious and somewhat discomfited. The month after all has not been kind, historically, to the US and the Philippines. We cannot forget September 11, 2001 (Read Again: “9/11, Day of Days”) and we are reminded starkly this year of September 1972 when martial law was declared. Will this September bring about cataclysmic events, or will it be a benign one? We can only hold our collective breaths.

If you are planning a trip to the homeland, do include Baler in your itinerary. Known more famously as the hometown of the Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon, Baler is the provincial capital of Aurora province northeast of Manila. Contributor Omar Paz writes about his visit to this emerging tourist destination in "Surf's Up in Baler."

In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Dr. Agnes Alikpala encounters a Filipina restaurateur about to open her own restaurant called Flavors of Manila. Meet her in our Pinoyspotting feature this week.

In Washington D.C., Contributing Writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino introduces Patrice Cleary and her Purple Patch DC restaurant, chosen one of the top 25 restaurants in the area in 2015.

For our Happy Home Cook recipe this week, we have another recipe from Louise Mabulo who we featured last week. This time, this young Filipino chef offers her unique take on baby back ribs.

Our Video of the Week is another CNN Philippines feature on The Story of the Filipino, this time focusing on musician Coke Bolipata.

Heroes

To commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Cry of Pugad Lawin (aka Cry of Balintawak) in 1896, which signaled the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against Spain, it's a good time to get to know better the hero of that hour, Andres Bonifacio. Here are "Seven Little-Known Facts About the Supremo," which we borrowed with permission from Filipiknow.net, the popular historical blog of Lui Batungbacal. 

Still on the subject of heroes, Read Again Robby Tantingco's tribute to the brave women of his forebears, "Why Women Rule Pampanga."

And for those seeking information on the heroes in their family, historical researcher Marie Silva Vallejo points the way. Marie has successfully done research on her father Saturnino Silva, a US Army soldier during World War II who valiantly led the Battle of Ising in Davao against the Japanese. The records are from the US National Archives and Marie is part of a massive digitization project that has made the records available to Filipino researchers.

Switching now to food, Contributing Writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino profiles Louise Mabulo, a 17-year-old Filipina chef who shares with us her own recipe for Kinilaw ng Tanigue Topped with Lechon-style Pork. Note: tanigue is Spanish mackerel. 

For fans of songwriter Jose Mari Chan, here's a treat for you, our Video of the Week. 

As you may have noticed, we have a new set of photos for our mastheads from Joni Ramos, a visual artist/photographer based in Santa Barbara, Pangasinan. Thank you, Joni, for adding color to our pages.