Shackled Art, Gran Oriente, the Oscars and Prince

In 1921, a group of 40 Filipino seamen, members of the Gran Oriente Filipino Masonic fraternity, pooled their earnings together to purchase a three-story Victorian in San Francisco's South Park. The Gran Oriente Filipino Hotel became a community center and residence for single Filipino workers. Today, in San Francisco's overheated real estate market, the building is worth millions, and therein lies the problem. Surrounded now by trendy cafes and restaurants, the Gran Oriente is clinging by a thread to its original mission, its outdated facade an anachronism in an area racing towards modernity. As backgrounder, we are re-publishing a story written in 1996 about the Gran Oriente (see "From Here to Fraternity") as segue to the current petition by Fil-Am community members to save the Gran Oriente as a Filipino heritage site (see Partner post). 

Today in history: the 44th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines, a turbulent period that continues to ignite politics, alliances, emotions and discourse in our homeland. We again borrow from the popular historical trivia site, FilipiKnow.net, its "Ten Little-Known Photos from the Martial Law Years That Will Blow You Away." Warning: some pictures (or one in particular) may be cringe-inducing.

From the detention centers of martial law to current-day prisons in the Philippines, political detainees continue to create notable art, as literary giant Ed Maranan, a former political detainee himself, reports in "Shackled Art."

And another very different art exhibition currently showing in San Francisco is "After Pop Life," a tribute to the late musical legend Prince. Without planning it, participating Fil-Am artists France Viana and Jenifer Wofford, both injected Filipino undertones to their exhibited works. Ube and karaoke - how Filipino can you get!

In the stiff competition for Oscar nominations that is going on right now, Ma'Rosa, Filipino director Brillante Mendoza's critically acclaimed movie, is in contention for nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film. The Philippines has been sending entries to this category for decades but has not yet bagged a nomination. Rene Astudillo and David Dezern give us the dirt on how a movie gets to be nominated in "The Philippines' Long Road to an Oscar."

In our Video of the Week, ABC's The Chew features the Filipino custom of eating with your hands at Jeepney Gastropub in New York.

I hope you also read my blog this week on "That Awful Four-Letter Word."

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.