September 30, 2020

Bridge Generation

September 30, 2020/ Gemma Nemenzo

Many stories have been written, narrated, and documented about the "manongs," the first-generation Filipino migrants in the US who were recruited from the Philippines to work the farmlands of Hawaii and California. Not much have been written, however, of the "bridge generation," the children of the manongs/manangs who, because of legal and societal issues (including the law that prohibited minorities from marrying whites), are comparatively small in number but who nonetheless occupy a significant and consequential niche in Filipino American history.

This year, we are starting our celebration of Filipino American History Month tomorrow with a webinar that will feature three prominent members of the Bridge Generation taking us back in time on how it was to grow up in the era before civil rights, diversity and a new generation of Filipino immigrants.

We hope you join us in honoring these Fil-Am community trailblazers.

This Week’s Stories

A Poet Laureate Who Must Now Voice Sic Semper Tyrannis By Agatha Verdadero

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 9 By Mona Lisa Yuchengco

GAD And COVID By Rene Astudillo

[Partner] Visas Available For Filipino Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists & Other Healthcare Workers (Including Caregivers) By Lourdes Santos Tancinco

[Read Again] The Happy Home Cook: Vegan Longganisa By Chef Richgail Enriquez

Video of the Week: 100 Miles Apart, a video about two Filipino healthcare workers directed by Garveaux Sibulboro for A-Doc.

In The Know

How Covid has affected Asian American multigenerational homes
https://news.yahoo.com/covid-impacted-asian-american-multigenerational-100020665.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

Family Ordeal Catapults A Young Filipina To The U.S. — And The Pandemic Front Lines
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/09/24/916018250/family-ordeal-catapults-a-young-filipina-to-the-u-s-and-the-pandemic-front-lines?fbclid=IwAR2_7eK3dm8FZ6b6wHfDhz1_7_1cewyr_xICUzUkW7LkAQv0IT026LQSd60

The men behind QAnon
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/men-qanon/story?id=73046374&fbclid=IwAR3UKqi9ZC8ofC0UCFgTOEH2cLruPz0ohCkcMJ7W1upBOZpjk4Gejx4CqI0

Long-time Fil-Am Republican: ‘Why I reject Trump’
https://usa.inquirer.net/57091/long-time-fil-am-republican-why-i-reject-trump?fbclid=IwAR02J2dz820bVjoJnVnyD80lRT8wRXnZFrkF0_HS85u9HM_eJd2EQ8sm3Sc

When Ferdinand Marcos hid his illness from Filipinos
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/ferdinand-marcos-hidden-illness-philippines?fbclid=IwAR3prIdpMLiP5eXkvTol7YHNJe-QaupXvl5kgCqgGjntvqyGtbUTADFg5yI

September 23, 2020

Meet Malaka Gharib, Pinay Cartoonist

September 23, 2020/ Gemma Nemenzo

When I first saw the graphic memoir of Malaka Gharib, my first thought was, why is this author included in a Filipino American book festival? Turns out she is Filipino Egyptian, brought up in southern California by her Filipino mother, and spends her summers in Egypt with her father. This unique background is material enough for an interesting memoir, but Malaka is much more than the ethnicity of her genes. A cartoonist of no mean talent, she contributes to the New Yorker and works for NPR, in addition to some non-profit involvements. PF Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino profiles her. ["Watch Out World: Journalist-Artist Malaka Gharib Inspires Action with Cartoons]

Those who grew up in the Philippines in the 1950s to the 1970s will remember the "Weapons of Moroland," a wooden wall decor shaped like a shield with miniature swords pasted on it. We had one, I'm sure your parents or grandparents owned one too. Washington DC-based historical researcher Erwin R. Tiongson digs into the provenance of the decor and unearths some disturbing beliefs attached to this cultural icon. ["'Weapons of Moroland' and our Homes"]

Long-time Quezon City residents will remember its dynamic former mayor, Adelina S. Rodriguez, who was also the first lady of the province of Rizal since her husband, Isidro Rodriguez, was then the governor. Mrs. Rodriguez has just celebrated her centennial birthday, good enough reason for her nephew-in-law Men Sta. Ana to honor her with a tribute. ["Tia Daling: One Hundred Years of Zest, Happiness, and Meaning"]

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is the third of celebrity chef Sandy Daza's recipes that he is sharing with PF, from his recently released cookbook, "Cooking with Sandy." We hope you enjoy Sandy's version of "Vermicelli Spring Rolls."

Video of the Week: The world's "most under-appreciated cuisine" shows travel journalist Jonathan Legg exploring Filipino food

Our In The Know links this week, ICYMI.

Biden holds big lead over Trump with Asian American voters, survey says
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-09-15/biden-trump-aapi-voters?fbclid=IwAR3mHBKnI9cC83DbLX4gxsggHlofGFU5cToYt90bRUVq-rEHW2mysbKl_-k

Child Pornography Industry Booms in the Philippines, World Capital of Cybersex Crime
https://www.esquiremag.ph/money/industry/pandemic-revenue-child-exploitation-a00304-20200916?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20200916-fbnp-money-pandemic-revenue-child-exploitation-a00304-20200916-fbfirst&fbclid=IwAR2lMf9ouDzbC_yxZemkweNHGGmE_EdERaiknhAxXSa-izpJuDnUzODexNA

Martial law museum to rise on UP Diliman campus
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1337779/martial-law-museum-to-rise-on-up-campus?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1600642585

Pio Abad – interview: ‘The backbone of my practice is family: personal and political narratives entwined’
https://www.studiointernational.com/index.php/pio-abad-interview-the-collection-of-jane-ryan-william-saunders-ferdinand-imelda-marcos-phillilpines

Korean Dramas: Why Filipinos Can't Get Enough
https://www.reportr.world/news/why-filipinos-can-t-get-enough-of-korean-dramas-a4713-20200918-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR389V5n5hpH_HDSAz3GCYsico-I8IapPo8YWLkc63gv8HtpBF2FbqGbP3I

In Hawaii, a man lost his surfboard. It reappeared in the Philippines
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/in-hawaii-a-man-lost-his-surfboard-it-reappeared-in-the-philippines/ar-BB19g9rp?ocid=msedgntp

September 16, 2020

Unsettled and Unsettling

September 16, 2020/ Gemma Nemenzo

We live in unsettled and unsettling times. In both the Philippines and the US, we can almost feel the ground shifting at our feet as we deal with the pandemic and await the coming of the political maelstrom.

For those who lived in the Philippines and were attuned to the national mood in 1972, there is a feeling of deja vu, because around this time 48 years ago, the ground beneath our feet was likewise unsteady. A week later, martial law was declared and the country's historical arc bent towards authoritarianism.

Lest we forget those years under the Marcos regime (14 more years of it, from 1972) and to add to the collection of narratives of that era, here are our stories:

Ex-political detainee Ernesto M. Hilario writes of his prison experience in "Never Again to Martial Law"

In my column, I recall my personal stories of visiting prison in "Visiting YRC"

Read Again:
Martial Law Stories: House Arrest

Martial Law Stories: The “Torture” of Playing for Miss Universe 1974

For those who missed PF's webinar on the Anti-Terror Law, here's the recording:

[Webinar] The Anti-Terrorism Law And How It Will Affect You