Living It Up to Remember the Dead

Todos los santos, araw ng patay, undas. However you call the day of memorializing the dead, it all leads to the same thing in the Philippines -- a celebration that brings clans together, involves tons of food and transforms cemeteries into party sites, candies and costumes be damned. Ghoulish? No, it's like Christmas in November, just without the gifts.

Positively Filipino Contributing Writer and food expert Elizabeth Ann Quirino remembers the November 1 practices of her childhood and tries to recapture the celebratory feeling with Asian Fried Noodles, our Happy Home Cook recipe this week. We hope you enjoy it, even if, for you, the memory it brings forth may be different.

All Souls' Day won't be complete, however, without the requisite scare so here are some Read Agains both from contributor Alex G. Paman, in keeping with the, uhm, spirit: 

The Vanishing Hitchhiker, The White Lady And Hauntings Across The Seas

Some Things Wicked This Way Come

Another of our Contributing Writers Myles A. Garcia comes up with "Six Profiles -- Five in Valor, One in Villainy," an interesting piece about lesser known heroes and non-heroes in our history.

New York-based artist Lenore RS Lim's layered life is the subject of Serina Aidasani's feature story this week.

And the scourge of lupus, the degenerative and often misdiagnosed disease that disproportionately affects women and communities of color, is discussed by Rene M. Astudillo, formerly of the Lupus Foundation in California. Astudillo puts a Filipino face to lupus as he introduces Christine Von Raesfeld, who opens up about her battle against the pain and stigma of the ailment. 

For our Video of the Week, CNN's report on "the dramatic shift in Asian-American votes," shared by the National Asian American Survey.

Pride, Joy, Sorrow and Confusion

As Filipino American History Month 2016 draws to a close, we focus on Stockton, California, home once upon a time to the largest Filipino American community in the early- to mid-20th century. The city in California's Central Valley celebrates the opening of the National Museum of Filipino American History, a project of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). Read all about this seminal community achievement in our Partner post here. 

Another Stockton jewel is 22-year old singer/songwriter Kylle Thomasson, whose Filipino-African American- and Fijian roots define his music. First-time contributor Mariel Toni Jimenez profiles this adventurous performer in "Stockton's Pride and Joy."

While this month brings pride, it also brought sorrow with the passing of a beloved icon of the San Francisco Bay Area's FilAm community, Alice Bulos. Mrs. Bulos was the first FilAm to be appointed by a sitting American president (Bill Clinton) to a federal advisory panel. Cherie Querol-Moreno, one of the many who benefited from the late great lady's mentoring writes a loving farewell to "the most powerful Filipino American never elected."

Switching to our homeland, how do you explain a problem like [President] Duterte? Prof. Patricio Abinales attempts with "Kanto Boy Politics, the China Pivot and the Fil-Am."

And if you're visiting Chicago, be sure to visit the Mariegold Bake Shop and Fast Food where Millet de la Fuente Bagcus displays her entrepreneurial and culinary skills. Rey de la Cruz writes about this amazing lady who is often tagged "the Filipino mayor of Chicago." From Mariegold, enjoy a simple, everyday recipe for the Happy Home Cook: Garlic Butter Shrimp.

For Video of the Week, we feature the last segment of Filipino Americans: Discovering Their Past For The Future.

It's History

The beginnings of Filipino American history can be traced back to the Philippines in the late 1800s with the US colonization of the archipelago and the subsequent Filipino American War. During those tense early years, a little-known but anthropologically significant tragedy occurred. Filmmaker Collis Davis created a meticulously researched documentary called Headhunting William Jones, which our contributor Michael Gonzalez describes as a "whodunnit" in "An Ilongot Murder Mystery", his review of the film that made waves in this year's Cinemalaya film festival in Manila.

An article worth revisiting for this month is Elaine Elinson's review of Patty Enrado's debut novel, A Village in the Fields which focuses on the United Farm Workers historic strike in the '60s and '70s that was initiated by Filipinos. Read it again here: http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/book-review-a- village-in-the-fields

Another Read Again: "When Russians Came to Tubabao," Myles A. Garcia's account of the flight of White Russians from China and their eventual relocation to Tubabao Island in Samar, courtesy of the Quirino administration: http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/when-russians- came-to-tubabao

Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Serina Aidasani profiles New Jersey-based Athena Magcase-Lopez, "A Purpose-Driven Artist," who is both a visual artist and a children's book illustrator. Tenni, as she is known in artist circles, talks about the evolution of her art and the influence of her late husband, Melvyn Patrick Lopez, who collaborated with her in their most celebrated children's book.

It is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month and survivor Jo-Anne Agcaoili shares with us her personal story on how she was able to fight off the scourge of women worldwide. 

Our Happy Home Cook feature: Nora Daza's Pato Tim recipe.

The Video of the Week: Part 3 of the documentary Filipino Americans: Discovering Their Past for Their Future.