Our Past Revisited

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Since Positively Filipino comes out with a new issue on Wednesdays, this is our last issue for 2023's Fil-Am History Month. Which doesn't mean we'll no longer post stories that will document the stories of our people in the US. Positively Filipino will continue to be the repository of information and narratives about Filipinos, not just in the US or the Philippines, but also in the almost 200 countries where our kababayans are living. 

We are also committed to providing information about anti-Asian hate and the efforts to stem it, especially in California. This week, our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco talked to three Fil-Am officials in heavily Fil-Am-populated cities about their local governments' moves to mitigate the current tensions against Asians. ["Fil-Am Local Officials Act Against Hate"] Additionally, we are reposting a story from Ethnic Media Services, "We Are Not Terrorists." Then there's our Hate Watch links to related stories from other publications.

But going back to the past, we have author Gayle Romasanta's article, first posted in the Smithsonian Magazine, on "Why It is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong" which includes a video teaser for the forthcoming theater production of "Larry the Musical."

For educators, parents and those who want a comprehensive guide to Fil-Am history, here's a link to a valuable resource from the San Francisco Unified School District:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WAVfSOs4kEnQ5cQD98KUVEV5hbbV5KgjU_a_HA9RxTU/preview 

While most Fil-Am history materials focus on the West Coast and Hawaii, let's not forget the significant role Washington DC played not only in defining policy but in hosting Filipino government officials making history. A book by "amateur historian" and professor Erwin R. Tiongson titled "Philippine-American Heritage in Washington DC," reviewed here by another professor, Patricio N. Abinales, tells the story from that side of America.

To round up our FAHM coverage, we are also posting below some stories from our archives.

Read Agains

‘Positively No Filipinos Allowed’ by M.T. Ojeda

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 3 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 4 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

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Staff

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.

If you're a regular (and we're high-fiving you right now), please forward to your networks so they can subscribe. Always free.

Click to subscribe or share this link:  https://bit.ly/PositivelyFilipino

We understand that many commercial publications need ads and paid subscriptions to survive, and we encourage you to support your favorite paid-subscription sites. But at Positively Filipino no paywall will stop you from reaching stories that have piqued your interest. So, subscribe. Join the thousands who read us regularly. It's free. Thanks.

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