Our Fil-Am History, Ourselves

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From the time the Luzones Indios set foot on American land on October 18, 1587 to today's officially designated (by the US Congress) Filipino American History Month celebration, Filipinos and Americans have had a rich but tangled relationship. Bloodied by colonization, smoothed over by education, enhanced by immigration and bound together inextricably by the significant and rapidly growing presence of Filipinos in all aspects of life in the US, the FilAm -- and everything that it implies -- is already an integral part of the American tapestry. 

Positively Filipino's Timeline of Filipino American History, updated to include this year's markers, provides the most comprehensive overview of this complicated relationship. Save it for yourself and share it with your family and your community. It's an important document to assert your rightful place in the US.

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We celebrate the lives of two significant Filipinos who recently left this earth: Greg Macabenta, the multimedia icon and community leader, lovingly honored by his friend, Rodel Rodis; and the poet/revolutionary and passionate Christian, Mila D. Aguilar, by her friend, Cecilia M. Brainard.

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The heartbreaking news of three Filipino caregivers, victims of the current Hamas/Israel war, prompted us to dig up a 2004 Filipinas Magazine feature story on Filipinos in Israel. Written by Israeli freelance writer Inacio Steinhardt, the article is timeless in its spotlight on our modern-day heroes, Filipino caregivers.

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Here's a fun story to break the grimness: Alex Fox, a 23-year-old budding entrepreneur in New York, who organizes rave parties for the young and the restless. Veteran journalist Cristina DC Pastor of The FilAm writes about this son of two journalists in "Rave Against the Dying of the Night."

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For our Video of the Week, here's a technologically vintage film (made in 1978) by Linda Mabalot that presents a significant record of the lives of Filipino manongs, a perfect watch for FilAm History Month. 

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Staff

The Best Things in Life Are Free -- Like Subscribing to Positively Filipino

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We all know how annoying and frustrating it can be when you want to read an item online and suddenly a screen comes up asking you to sign up for a paid subscription before you can have access to a story. 

But sometimes you luck out and find a site that doesn't have a paywall. Like Positively Filipino. With us you'll never hit a paywall because a subscription is always free. But we do ask you to hit the Subscribe button below so you'll get this newsletter every Wednesday with links to stories that you will enjoy.

Since 2013, Positively Filipino has been bringing you stories about the global Filipino diaspora, most of which you will not read anywhere else. As a general interest magazine, it covers a broad swath of topics about Philippine history and culture, and about Filipinos from all over the world. From our weekly Wednesday newsletter, you have access to a merry mix of original and exclusive (and some award-winning) articles, videos, recipes and a curated list of links to stories in other publications. There's something for every Filipino's heart and soul, no matter how old you are or where you are in this world.

So, if you haven't yet (and you just got this newsletter as a forward from someone who thinks you should be reading Positively Filipino), please subscribe. It's free.

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Stories This Week

Lahaina Is Rising! by Rose Cruz Churma

My Family And The 1939 Filipino Brussels Sprouts Strike by Richard Tenaza

Kapwa, Bayanihan, Makibaka! The FAJ Story by Susan V. Tagle

Singing Tagalog Favorites With A Touch Of Fil-Am by Elaine Elinson

Maria Orosa’s Legacy by Claire Mercado-Obias

[Act Against Hate] Despite Hate Crimes, Inflation Is Top Priority For Asian American Voters – Pew Survey by Sunita Sohrabji

[Recipe of the Week]  Maria Orosa’s Freedom Cookies by Norma Olizon-Chikiamco

[Video of the Week] An Update on Filipinos in Israel 

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Staff

October Rhymes With Remember

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This month marks the 31st year our FilAm community is celebrating Filipino American History Month (FAHM). October was the month chosen in 1992 by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), as initiated by the Seattle-based historians Fred and Dorothy Cordova [read about her in our In The Know links below].

Why October? The first recorded landing of Filipinos (then called "Luzones Indios") happened on October 18, 1587 in or around Morro Bay, California via the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza. For more information about this, read again Abraham Ignacio Jr.'s story. https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/where-exactly-did-filipinos-first-land-in-california

Since 1992, FANHS chapters and FilAm community organizations in various cities and states in the US have commemorated the month with events and activities to mark the presence of Filipinos in the US. And what a presence we have! Already, the Philippine national language is the dominant household language in 15 US cities, and the third most spoken (next to English and Spanish) in the state of Nevada [See "Tagalog Spoken Here"].

Finally in 2009, the US Congress made it official: October is FAHM, a designation that is recognized in all 50 states. In 2015, the Obama administration celebrated the first FAHM in the White House.

How to celebrate FAHM this year? Check out your local libraries and community centers; many of them have cultural presentations, film showings and exhibits on FilAms. [See our Community News section for information.] If you're in Northern California, visit Stockton, where the FANHS Museum is located. Gather friends and family for a Filipino meal or two in restaurants serving Filipino food. Watch films and read books that tell our people's stories. The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. is about to come out with "The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects" [Read Titchie Carandang's "Historical Memories Are Made of These"]

Positively Filipino has, through the years, compiled real stories -- good and bad-- about our FilAm communities, including those that pay tribute to those who came before us and on whose shoulders we stand on as we navigate our way through this idea called America. [Read Again "We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 1 and 2].

It's not always pretty, our stories in this land. The past three years have been particularly fraught with the increasing incidents of hate directed against Asians. Veteran journalist Cristina Pastor visits Noel Quintana, our kababayan in New York City whose face was slashed when he was in the subway on his way to work one morning in 2021. Despite his trauma, he soldiers on, speaking out against racism wherever and whenever he can. Determination and resilience, that's what he's demonstrating.

And that, in essence, is what our community is celebrating this eventful month of October 2023. 

Our Stories This Week

Historical Memories Are Made Of These by Titchie Carandang

Tagalog Spoken Here by Taylor Tomita

[Act Against Hate] His Slashed Face Is A Vivid Indictment Of Racist Hate by Cristina DC Pastor

Remembering Joyce Juan-Manalo by Allan S. Manalo

Catch A Rising Star: Amaya Braganza by Anthony Maddela

Read Agains:

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 1 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 2 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Video of the Week] Profits Enslave The World: A Song Across Generations

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Staff