Art? Will someone talk some sense to this kid?

By Louis Chan
REPRINTED FROM ASAM NEWS

THE SAME Filipino/American thrill seeker who scaled the World Trade Center two years ago is at it again.

Now he’s 18 and apparently not any smarter. Justin Casquejo has posted photos and videos of himself on Instagram climbing atop and even dangling from New York skyscrapers.

The thrill seeker received a slap on the wrist - 23 days of community service - after being caught doing the same thing at the World Trade Center in 2014. Apparently, he hasn’t learned his lesson.

Casquejo claims he creates art that inspires. He apparently gets "high" on his performance art. 

On his Instagram site, he says, "To Make Deep Human Connections," which he does by creating great concern for his safety. 

The New York Post which first reported on the pictures quoted a fire fighting blog which called Casquejo selfish.

“Should the thrill seeker’s selfish acts fail, it will tie up highly trained technical-rescue resources and put members at risk,” read a post on NYCFireWire.com. “In this day [and] age, this is completely unacceptable.”

One person commented on his Instagram post that “unfortunately you are going to accidentally slip one day and die.”

Let’s hope someone talks some sense into this teenager. Perhaps his parents should have him evaluated by a mental health professional.

His 15-minutes of fame could turn into a 15-seconds tragedy.

(Views from the Edge contributed to this report.)

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Philippine president: 'Filipino/Americans are no longer genuine Filipinos'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be taking the Philippines in a new direction.

FIRST OF 3 PARTS

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte drove another wedge between the Philippines and the United States when he pointed out that in his view Filipinos residing in the United States are no longer real Filipinos. 

Duterte made his remarks In a speech in-front of the Filipino community in Beijing, He said that Filipino/Americans are no longer genuine Filipinos but pure-bred Americans.

“E sabihin niya (Obama), well there are many Filipinos there (living in the US). Eh wala na yun. Puro Amerikano na yun. Ugali noon,” Duterte said, speaking in the popular idiom of Taglish, a combination of Tagalog and English.

PART 2: What's with Duterte's pivot towards China

He went on to say that Filipinos in China are treated better than Filipinos in the U.S.

“Oh bakit dito sa China, walang Pilipino? Sa mainland China about 300,000 Filipinos and yet China is very kind to us,” Duterte added.

There are 4 to 6 million Filipino/Americans, many of whom are first-generation immigrants so ties with their home country are still strong. The money they send to their families in the Philippines is a critical part of that country's economy.

During the Philippine elections last spring, thousands of Filipinos who hold dual citizenships for the U.S. and the Philippines were allowed to take part. According to reports by Filipino/American publications, the majority of the voters favored Duterte.

RELATED: Story of betrayal after the original Philippines Independence Day

In a speech in front of China's leaders in Beijing's Great Hall, Duterte announced, “In this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States.”

“This is not a positive trend,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said after Duterte's comments in Beijing. After meeting Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Russel added that the uncertainty was “bad for business.”

Clearly, the U.S. State Department's Philippine Desk was caught off-guard by Duterte's remarks leaving American businesses and politicians - not to mention, Filipino/Americans - wondering what was the future of the generations-old relationship between the Philippines and the U.S.

It is ironic that Duterte made his remarks in the middle of October, which was declared Filipino American History Month on Oct. 1 by President Barack Obama.

In the declaration, Obama, who grew up among Filipino Americans in Hawaii, also thanked Filipino/Americans who "have lent their unique voices and talents to changing our country for the better."

"Their immeasurable contributions to our Nation reaffirm that as Americans we will always be bound to each other in common purpose and by our shared hopes for the future," he said.

Obama himself was the target of one of Duterte's tirades, calling him a "son of a b---h," for daring to question the killings of thousands of Filipinos without due process. During his presidential campaign, Duterte promised to kill all drug dealers. The spate of deaths - some by the Philippine police forces and some by self-anointed vigilantes - apparently have the blessings of the Philippine president.

Shortly after Duterte's verbal attack, Obama cancelled a scheduled visit to the Philippines during his recent Asian trip.

After visiting China, Duterte went to Japan where he added more fuel to fire when he questioned the military agreements between the U.S. and his country. The Philippine president told Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he wanted foreign troops out of the Philippines in two years.

Russel has tried to play down the idea that the U.S. and the Philippines is experiencing a rift, saying:

“It is a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing somehow comes at the expense of the United States. That’s not the way to think of it.”

“This should be additional not subtraction. We don’t want countries to choose between the U.S. and China.” he added.

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"Uncle" Bob Santos dies; credited for saving Seattle's International District

Joe Mabel 

Seattle  community activist "Uncle" Bob Santos passed away Saturday at the age of 82.

Reprinted from AsAm News

A FILIPINO/AMERICAN who forged friendships with African/American, Latino and Native American leaders in the 60’s and 70’s and is credited with saving Seattle’s Chinatown International District died yesterday, Aug. 27, at the age of 82.

Bob Santos was known as everybody’s uncle, said Seattle’s Mayor Ed Murray to the Seattle Times.

“Bob Santos touched countless lives across every race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and age in Seattle. “He was everyone’s ‘uncle’ because of his universal and unwavering friendship, and he was a hero to many marginalized Seattleites who he tirelessly advocated for … and our city is much greater because of his life.”

He was part of the so-called Gang of Four which included Santos, African/American leader Larry Gossett, Latino activist Roberto Maestas and Native American leader Bernie Whitebear.

“It’s a great loss,” said Gossett, 71, the only surviving member of the Gang of Four. “When we celebrate his life, it’s going to be a life worth celebrating.”

When redevelopment threatened to carve up and destroy the International District, it was Santos who headed the Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation Authority.

“We had to be alert to the kind of development that would have destroyed the community,” Santos said in 2005. “You don’t see a prison, a work-release center, an energy-treatment plan. We were able to build housing for seniors and working families.

“Without Uncle Bob’s voice and leadership, I think the neighborhood would probably have been gentrified out of existence,” said Ron Chew, director of the International Community Health Services Foundation. “You wouldn’t see the rich, unique character that shines through.”

Check back later for details for the services being planned for Bob Santos.

(Views from the Edge contributed to this report.)

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Olympics: Taekwondo fighter hopes to improve on her 2012 Bronze Medal

Paige McPherson

Filipino/African/American

Sport: Taekwondo
Discipline(s): Taekwondo, Sparring Taekwondo
Weight Class: 67kg
Height: 5-8
Weight: 140 lbs.
DOB: 10/1/1990
Birthplace: Abilene, Texas
Hometown: Sturgis, S.D.
High School: Black Hills Classical Christian Academy
College: Miami-Dade College
Olympic Experience: London 2012 Olympic Games, bronze (-67kg)
Personal: Her nickname is "McFierce." Enjoys going to the beach, shopping, and going to the movies...Hobbies include dance, snowboarding, and volleyball...Favorite foods are Asian food, her mom's cooking, and cheeseburgers...Was adopted when she was four days old.

Quote: "My brother is from Korea. My little sister is from St. Lucia. I'm Filipino and African/American, (and her parents recently adopted two Native American children) so we are all around the world. I've never lived with anyone that is the same like me, so it's practically normal for me to be around people with different personalities."

McPherson will start her competition Friday, Aug. 19,

San Diego stops to mourn fallen police officer Jonathan De Guzman

At the church,  bouquets surrounded a photo of Jonathan de Guzman.

SAN DIEGO came to a stop yesterday (Aug. 5) with the closures of Interstates 8 and 15 for the funeral procession of slain police officer Jonathan "JD" de Guzman, a Filipino/American.

Thousands lined the streets and waited on freeway overpasses, saluting, waving flags and shedding tears as the mile-long procession of police cars and motorcycles traveled the freeways in the warm California sun. 

Thousands of law enforcement personnel from around the state and  from as far away as New York City crowded the chapel and grounds of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon in a show of somber respect for gang-enforcement Officer Jonathan "J.D." De Guzman, who died after being shot during a pedestrian stop in Southcrest late on the night of July 28. He was 43.

Despite DeGuzman's ultimate sacrifice, the 16-year member of San Diego's police force "didn't become a hero last week," retired SDPD pastor Ben Harris told the mourners, among them Gov. Jerry Brown and state Attorney General Kamala Harris.

"He became a hero when he chose to live a life of safety and calmness and (when) he stepped forward into his place on the thin blue line, protecting the citizens of San Diego," the pastor said.

Several of the slain officer's rank-and-file colleagues praised DeGuzman, a native Pangasinan in the Philippines. He emigrated to San Diego when he was 20, as a consistently cheerful, generous and supportive colleague and a dedicated son and father to his own two children.

Some of the police cars that were part of the funeral procession.

De Guzman's mother, Fe DeGuzman, received a standing ovation with her tearful testament to her son, who always stopped to take a moment with her and her husband before leaving for work, "to pray, to share his love, his gratefulness for us, and to pray that he would come back home."

"This simple act was also our last moment with him," she said. "That night, he did not come back home. That makes us remember how precious life is."

DeGuzman's teenage son, Jonathan Jr., lovingly spoke of his father as a man who had harbored some less-than-practical ambitions, including returning to his home country and running for governor there.

"His death motivates me to achieve my dreams and create a positive impact toward the world,'' the high school senior said, adding that he was "very pleased with the amount of people here today, because my father secretly wanted to be famous one day."

De Guzman and his partner, Officer Wade Irwin, 32, came under fire moments after pulling over to talk to a man behaving suspiciously in a neighborhood just east of the intersection of Interstate 5 and state Route 15.

The shooter moved to the police car's open passenger door and fired five rounds at De Guzman while he was still seated behind the wheel of his cruiser, one shot severed his spine. Irwin suffered a serious but non-life-threatening wound.

The suspect is an ex-con who allegedly opened fire on them, 52-year-old Jesse Michael Gomez, was critically wounded in the shootout and remains hospitalized.

Gomez pleaded not guilty Tuesday (Aug. 2) to charges of murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and was ordered to remain in custody in lieu of $5 million bail. A special circumstance allegation of murder of a police officer makes Gomez eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted.

A second suspect was arrested but has not been linked to the shooting. No motive for the shooting has been cited.

The San Diego Police Officers Association is collecting money for De Guzman’s family. Donations can be mailed to the San Diego Police Officers Association, 8388 Vickers St., San Diego, CA 92111, or made online at sdpoa.org/about-widows-orphans-fund/.

SDPOA officials asked donors to include “Officer Jonathan De Guzman” in the notes of the online donation or on the memo lines of their checks.

Contributions to aid in Irwin’s recovery expenses can be made at a Go Fund Me account.

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Olympics: Natalie Coughlin's dream of a fourth Games falls short

Twelve-time gold medalist Natalie Coughlin's announcement was low key.

AT SOME POINT, no matter how hard you work to keep i shape, the body eventually wears down. It happens to all athletes. The years catch up to you no matter how strong a competitive spirit you have.

Olympic star and swimmer Natalie Coughlin - at age 33 - has  reached that point.

Filipina/American Coughlin, who was on three Olympic teams, winner of 12 Olympic medals, innumerable national championships announced last Friday that she is withdrawing from the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Her dream of making a fourth Olympic team has come to an end.

After finishing 8th in the 100-meter backstroke and failing to win her heat in the 100-meter freestyle, an event she won just a few months ago leading up to trials, she knew she was done.

“I just didn’t have it for these trials,” Coughlin told Bleacher Report. “I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. I’ve just been off in my swimming for a few months. It’s just ... just heartbreaking. That’s the word. Heartbreaking.”

Before her final event in th 50-meter freestyle, she held a press conference. Dressed in a grey warmup suit with the Cal logo, her hair pulled back, back erect, and her steely blue eyes staring down the reporters, she announced her decision.

But she made it clear that she  was not retiring from swimming.

"I'm not announcing a retirement or anything like that; I'm just not going to the Olympics," said Coughlin. "From there, I don't know. Swimming has been a part of my life since I joined my first club team when I was six years old.

"It will always be a part of my life. I don't really see the point of saying that it's over — because it'll always be there," she told the reporters.

Natalie Coughlin Facebook

Natalie Coughlin won 12 Olympic medals equaling fellow swimmers Dara Torres and Jenny Thomas,
the most won by female Olympians.

 “I can’t wait to get home (Lafayette, California) to my husband and begin to discover a life outside of the pool. I’m not going to be so focused on every ache and pain in my body. I’m going to spend a lot of time in my kitchen, which I absolutely love. I’m a Type A personality with OCD. So I love the prep work in the kitchen and the chopping and all that goes into that. I can’t wait to see my garden.”

Coughlin plans on continuing to swim, train and stay in shape because she can't imagine her life not doing that. She also will cheer on some of her Cal teammates who are going to Rio as she ponders what the next chapter in her life will be like. Coaching, perhaps? or maybe she'll appear on a Food Network show cooking some of her mother's Filipino recipes, or maybe ... there's the 2020 Olympics.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

TGIF FEATURE: Filipina's stories wins prestigious literary prize

PEN photo

Mia Alvar reads from her book after receiving her PEN award ceremonies held on May 20 in NYC.

By Kyung Yoon
Reprinted from AsAm News

MIA ALVAR'S BOOK, In the Country, has had the kind of reception that most first-time authors can only dream about. In April, she won the prestigious PEN Bingham Prize for debut fiction for her collection of short stories about overseas Filipinos, spanning different time periods and countries.

Her book brings to life the stories of Filipino men and women who, like many of her aunts, uncles and her own parents, left their homeland in search of better jobs and opportunities, often to support family members back home. Alvar says she wanted to get beyond the sentimental stereotypes of these overseas workers and delve into their inner lives and motivations.

“These are men and women I grew up with,” she says, “and so I wanted to know more about their love lives and what they did for fun and what made them angry. I wanted to know more than that they send money home. Like everybody, they are more than their job title.”

Alvar’s stories also have a historical context, including the title story of In The Country which is set during the martial law years of Ferdinand Marcos, culminating in the murder of opposition leader Ninoy Aquino and the “People Power” revolution in 1986 that led to his wife, Corazon Aquino, becoming president. But the protagonists in Alvar’s stories are often the everyday working people rather than the history makers, giving readers a personal lens on how historic events affect ordinary citizens.

The settings for the stories are taken from where Alvar grew up: the Philippines, the Middle East and the United States. Born in Manila 38 years ago, she lived in the Philippines until the age of six when her family moved to Bahrain. At the time, she says her family was reeling from the devastating loss of her older brother, who had passed away two years earlier.

“The Philippines was under martial law, people were unsure of their economic future in their country and my parents were also grieving this loss,” recalls Alvar. “So when they had the opportunity to leave and go to Bahrain where an uncle of mine had found work, we took it and followed my aunt and uncle there.”

Alvar’s father found a job with the Ministry of Tourism in Bahrain and her mother worked part-time as a school teacher. After four years, the family moved to New York City when her mother got the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree in Special Education at Columbia University.

Alvar says, “There was always this sense when I was growing up that upward mobility was possible and that education was the way that was very central to their upbringing and they tried to impart that to my generation.”

The Harvard-educated Alvar says that she hope her writing, along with that of other Asian American authors, can be an addition to a fuller American story and not be marginalized on a “special shelf” in fiction.

“Growing up as a kid and looking for books that represented my family’s experience or communities that resembled mine, it was often set aside as a category of its own: Asian American Literature, Immigrant Literature,” Alvar recalls. “And now people are realizing It’s not just Indian American lives or Filipino American lives, it’s everybody’s life because we all live in the same cities and same country.”

In addition to the PEN Prize, In the Country also won the Barnes & Noble’s 2015 Discover Award and was named “One of the Best Books of the Year” by the New Yorker, the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, the Huffington Post, Kirkus Reviews and may other publications. Alvar was also recently honored for her contributions to the Filipino American community at the recent Evening in Manila Gala sponsored by the Advancement for Rural Kids and Mahalirka/Jeepney.

Alvar is now working on a full length novel that builds on the themes of migration and diaspora—topics that are clearly close to her heart and experiences.

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Tim Lincecum: Face of the Giants is now an Angel

Tim Lincecum in an Angels uniform will take some getting used to.

IT JUST doesn't look right. Pitcher Tim Lincecum in a baseball uniform other than the orange-and-black of the San Francisco Giants.

Much to the disappointment of his many fans in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Filipino-American hurler has agreed to a deal to play for the Anaheim Angels.

He apparently has recovered from his hip surgery. The weak hip has hampered his effectiveness on the mound the last four years. 

RELATED: Has Lincecum pitched for the last time?

While there's no certainty that Lincecum can come close to being the player he once was when he won two consecutive Cy Young Awards, Eppler wanted to take the chance.

"With guys that have shown the ability to be that star-level talent, when you have an opportunity to bring that in and there's something to reclaim there," said Angels general manager Billy Eppler. "Is he going to be the version of himself from six or seven years ago? I don't know."

Lincecum on Friday (May 20) signed a one-year free-agent $2.5 million deal with the Angels laden with incentives including  $1,175,000 in performance bonuses and $500,000 in roster bonuses, according to the Associated Press. He would receive $25,000 for making 11 starts, $50,000 for 13, $100,000 for 15, $200,000 for 17 and $400,000 each for 19 and 21 starts.

In addition, he would receive $125,000 each for four, 30, 60 and 90 days on the active roster, excluding disabled list days spent due to a right hip injury.

The 31-yeard old right-hander had spent his entire career in San Francisco, going 108-83 with a 3.61 ERA. He made history in 2009, becoming just one of four pitchers to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards. He was also a part of three World Series-winning teams with the Giants (2010, 2012, 2014), going 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA in the postseason.

RELATED: Lincecum interviews Bruce Lee

The Giants made an offer to their long-time pitcher but they offered a role in the bullpen. The Angels will let him compete for a starter's slot and that was what apparently clinched the deal.

He was a fan favorite and because of his small stature, he was nicknamed "The Freak" and with his long hair, slight frame and laid back manager, he lived up to the monicker. One other thing he did: Because of his presence, the Giants discovered the Filipino/American market known in the Bay Area.  They were the first sports franchise to hold Filipino Heritage Night's a couple of times a year. They were usually timed whenever it was Timmy's turn to start.

RELATED: The Golden State Warriors' Asian connection

NOTE TO ASIAN ANGEL FANS: Timmy's a good guy and acknowledges his hapa heritage. Maybe he'll bring in a lot of Asian fans from Carson, Torrance and the San Gabriel Valley. If he doesn't work out, the Giants will take him back. 

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For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

Two Filipino/American teenagers missing after being swept out to sea by riptide

Wayne Ausa

Grisham Duran

SATURDAY was an unusually warm day at San Francisco's Ocean Beach - perfect beach weather.

Five teenage boys visiting from Vallejo, Calif., about an hour away, linked arms and stepped into the Pacific Ocean.

The strong riptide caught the boys by surprised forcing them to lose their hold on each other. Three of the friends were able to make it back to the beach but their two friends were swept out into the ocean by the undercurrent.

The Coast Guard presumed that 17-year-old Wayne Ausa and 16-year-old Grisham Duran, both Filipino/American students at Vallejo High School, drowned this past Saturday afternoon at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach.

Ausa is from Davao City and Duran is from Zambales, according to their Facebook pages.

After four hours including helicopter and rescue vessels, the Coast Guard and fire department suspended the operation. Coast Guard officials said that the two boys could be 15 miles out by the time rescue operations were halted.

This is the 12th rescue operations at Ocean Beach this year.

Capt. Gregory Stump of the U.S. Coast Guard said, “We’ve had quite a few around here lately and it’s because of these violent waters and it’s unfortunate, but folks come out here and they don’t understand how violent and difficult the conditions are out here.”"At Ocean Beach, we always have dangerous conditions," San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Baxter told KPIX-TV. Baxter added that swimmers must be aware of the ocean's conditions before going out into the water.

Baxter said ankle deep water was strong enough to pull an adult swimmer into the ocean and that emergency personnel have discouraged people from swimming at the beach in the past.

A Gofundme account has been set up to raise money for final expenses for the boys.

Vallejo history teacher Brandan Harris posted on Facebook Sunday that that the school district was working on how to assist the teens' classmates in coping with their loss. 

"An entire community is hurting because we lost two amazing kids," Harris wrote. "These kids mean so much to me and to see them in pain over the loss of two of their close friends is saddening."

Counselors were available for the students at Vallejo High and the school will be organizing a vigil for Ausan and Duran this Saturday.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Americans, read AsAm News.

Filipino/American millionaire travels world to help others

The Gee family traveling the world.

WHAT WOULD you do with $54 million?

Most of us will never earn, much less see that amount of money in our lifetimes.

Gerrett Gee, a Filipino/American, while still a student at Brigham Young University in Utah, had to face that question when he sold his mobile app to Snapchat for that amount in 2014.

After discussions with his wife and family he made up his mind. Sell everything he owned in a yard sale except a couple of photo albums. With the $45,000 raised from the yard sale, he and his family began their world travels. The rest of the fortune went into a bank account.

The The Bucket List Family, as Garrett, Jessica, and their two children, Dorothy, 3, and Manilla, 1, now call themselves, at this writing are in the 11th week of their journey. They're now chilling on a beach in the South Pacific making their way to the Philippines, where Gee will be joined by his siblings to visit the land of his parents.

While traveling, every month they will help individuals or families with anonymous donations that could vary widely, from trips to Disneyland to paying for surgeries.

At their Bucket List Family website, he said:

"We're pretty chill folks, but, we definitely have major goals behind our bucket list and travels:

• Become closer as a marriage and family.
• Be good friends to the people in our lives. 
• Live a life of service and compassion.
• Learn to find happiness with less.
• Become more open minded and open hearted.
• Love and respect nature and the planet.
• Create life long memories.

Those are worthy goals for anyone, no matter how much money you have.

The video below is a link to a YouTube video by the ABS-CBN Corporation. If you have problems viewing, go directly to YouTube and search for "Garrett Gee."

San Francisco makes Filipino Town official

Streetnames of Filipino heroes can be found in the newly formed Filipino Heritage District.

SAN FRANCISCO'S Board of Supervisors approved the creation of a Filipino Town, giving official recognition to a neighborhood that has been home to thousands of Filipino residents, businesses, cultural centers and social services,

The South-of-Market (SoMa) neighborhood received the designation of a Filipino Heritage District April 12 after a decade of going through the red tape required by city bureaucrats. What the neighborhood will be called in the tourist brochures is still uncertain, awaiting input from the community.

“It is not just about preserving our history and our culture. It is also talking about how we can use land use controls and economic development tools to make sure our community continues to stay in the South of Market for decades to come,” said Supervisor Jane Kim, who authored the ordinance. “We want to ensure our community leaders, our diversity, get to stay in San Francisco.”

RELATED: Filipino district proposed for San Francisco

Forced out of the historic Manilatown located near the present-day Chinatown, Filipino immigrants and low-income families were attracted to the inexpensive rents of SoMa in the 1970s. The heritage district will reach several blocks northward to include the Manilatown Cultural Center at the site of the former International Hotel, the home of elderly Asian tenants whose eviction spelled the death knell of Manilatown. The 54-block area in the heritage district is the home of over 5,000 Filipinos according to the 2010 Census.

The future home of the Filipino Cultural Center
is on Mission Street.

Tourist-filled hotels, glass-encased offices contrast with the funky artists studies and car repair shops.  In the alleyways off the main thoroughfares are the Victorians, flats, apartments and senior housing where Filipinos live hidden from the tourists and tech workers.

SoMa is the home of the Gran Oriente Lodge, one of the oldest Filipino/American fraternal organizations, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, the spiritual home of the neighborhood's Filipino residents and where masses in Tagalog are scheduled and the Filipino Education Center at Bessie Carmichael School where the Filipino teachers are bilingual and the immigrant students learn to speak English.

RELATED: Plaque unveiling for Vickie Manalo Draves, Olympic gold medalist

“The creation of a cultural district means that anytime someone is thinking of doing something in this community, they have to think about how what they are proposing impacts the Filipino community,” Supervisor David Campos said. “The Filipino community should be a part of every single issue that comes before this neighborhood.”

Filipino residents of SoMa have been fighting to preserve their homes against the pressure of gentrification -- the encroachment of high-end condos and the tech industry's office buildings replacing the low-rent residence hotels that face the busy streets. Some of the high-tech industry's biggest names: Twitter, Salesforce, Dolby and Google have their offices in the Filipino neighborhood.

RELATED: Big development divides Filipino/Americans

Prior to the supervisors' vote, Ligaya Avenida, president of the Filipino American Development Association, said in a press statement:  “We will validate the presence of the Filipinos who have lived and worked in the corridors of SoMa for decades.They have helped make the South of Market what it is today.”

The Filipino Heritage District of San Francisco.

Miami Heat coach is getting married this summer

Coach Erik Spoelstra introduces his fiance Nikki Sapp.

Reprinted from AsAm News

MIAMI HEAT coach Erik Spoelstra announced he will be marrying his longtime girlfriend and former Heat cheerleader Nikki Sapp, reports the South Florida Reporter.

Spoelstra’s mother is Filipino and he is the first Asian/American head coach in all four major professional sports. He’s won two championships with the Heat, winning back to back titles in 2012 and 2013.

The nuptials are scheduled for July 1 in South Florida, but the exact location is being kept a secret. The coach announced his upcoming wedding during a recent charity event.

The two were engaged in September. He is 45. She is 27.

Bachelorette producers choose safety over diversity

Caila Quinn was greeted with roses when she returned home after getting rejected by The Bachelor.

THE CHOICE of the next Bachelorette may have been more of a surprise than bachelor Ben Higgins' final choice. Apparently, at the last minute last night (March 14), the producers changed their mind and went with Jojo Fletcher as the next Bachelorette instead of Filipina/American Caila Quinn. If she was picked to be the star of the Bachelorette, she would have been the first non-white to be in the title role in that popular television franchise.

That's too bad. It would have been a more interesting show if the producers had a bit more creativity and chose the road less taken. Caila's selection could have opened the doors to new diversity possibilities in casting. Now we're stuck with another ho-hum show.

Quinn was all set to be The Bachelorette. Filming had already started in her hometown. When articles began to appear that Caila was supposed to be the next Bachelorette, apparently that got runner-up JoJo Fletcher's fans started a Twitter campaign that seems to have affected the producer's choice.

RELATED: Is the next Bachelorette going to be Asian/American?

Reality Steve, the blogger who broke the story that Caila was the next Bachelorette a couple weeks back, said the hometown filming was a "red herring" to mislead fans. It's a strategy the show employed in previous Bachelor/ette picks. His "scoop" was picked up by Us magazine and other tabloids.

“They led her to believe it was her, she was convinced it was her, they shot her intro package that day in Ohio, then they told her at pretty much the last minute, ‘We decided to go with JoJo,'” said the blogger.

Perhaps the producers think they can get away with passing Jojo Fletcher off as a person of color. “My mom is Persian, and my Dad was born and raised in Tennessee. I’m proud of my mother’s background despite what social opinions are. It’s important for me to stand up to people stereotyping Iranians.” I hate to break it to her and to the producers, but Iranians/Persians are biologically and technically Caucasian. Heaven forbid if you commit a major faux pas - as I once did - and refer to an Iranian as Arabian. You would be corrected very quickly.

When it was thought that Caila was to be the next Bachelorette, one of the most interesting articles about her possible selection was by NPR's Akemi Johnson, titled, What It Would Mean to Have 'Hapa' Bachelorette. I encourage readers to read it anyway to get an idea why we're spending this much ink on this show. It’s a deep dive into the representation of people of color in our culture, on television, and The Bachelor/ette specifically.

Johnson's article makes a clear case as to why diversity is more than just casting a person of color. It’s about how that person is portrayed to the audience and what stereotypes the editors and producers choose to reinforce or dismantle.

"If The Bachelor is our modern-day fairy tale, then who becomes its princes and princesses does matter," wrote Salon TV critic Sonia Saraiya in another good article on the topic.

Oh, in case you were wondering, Higgins' final pick was Lauren Bushnell (yawn!).

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Is The Bachelorette going to be an Asian/American?

Is Caila Quinn the next Bachelorette?

THE PROSPECT that a Filipina/American could be the next season's Bachelorette fills me with mixed feelings - anticipation and dread.

It has not been officially confirmed yet, but numerous sources and tabloids say that Caila Quinn will get another chance at finding love. She was among the final three women in the latest iteration of The Bachelor but was ultimately rejected by bachelor Ben Higgins in the Feb. 29 episode.

Despite her third place finish, she reportedly won the right for a second chance  by starring in the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. Us Weekly reported that the 24-year-old was being followed by cameras around her hometown of Hudson, Ohio while filming her introductory clip for the next season of The Bachelorette. 

I admit, I'm not a fan of The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, but I'm aware of its immense popularity of those seeking their Prince Charming or Cinderella. Different strokes for different folks.

Having a woman of color be the central star in this franchise is a first. After 12 years on the air, many critics have written about the franchise’s dismal casting record of just one non-white person in its combined title roles.

An unnamed source at ABC told various publications: "They feel like she's the whole package and that both men and women really like her and want to see her as the Bachelorette. We only saw a bit of who she really is on The Bachelor. She's quite dynamic and funny, not to mention incredibly smart and beautiful. The network feels like she has a huge future and they want to nurture her career as a TV personality."

Will the batch of bachelors from which Quinn will choose include a few Asian/American males  (which could help counter the asexual Asian male stereotype) or other minority contestants? That would add another interesting factor she would have to consider when choosing her Mr. Right. There are plenty of Asian male hunks who would love to be on the show but they would have to be able to withstand the pressure of "representing. The question Quinn would have to ask herself, like other Asian women, is: Can she overcome that Asian male trope to see the romantic side of the potential bachelor.

Having an Asian/American woman in the titular role, however, opens the door wide for more diverse casting to include other men of color, too. Numerous studies have shown that Asian women are viewed favorably by men of other races. 

Caila Quinn

On the other hand, there is a danger of reinvigorating that old strain of "yellow fever." Among the contestants - most of whom will likely be Euro/Americans based on previous castings - will almost certainly be a few who harbor that fetish for exotic "Oriental" women. It would be terrible for the show to cater to that stereotype attractive to too  many men.

Quinn is from Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts but she recently moved to Akron, Ohio from Boston for her father’s work. According to OKHereIsTheSituation, Caila’s father, Chris, is of German/Irish/Swiss descent. He was born in Brazil and raised in Mexico. Her Filipino half comes from her mother, Rosanna,who immigrated as a young child with her family to the Ohio suburb of Warrensville Heights from the Philippines.

In addition to being a contestant on The Bachelor, Caila is also a model, having previously won an Asian Fashion Supermodel Competition in Boston back in 2011, as well as being actively involved in the Philippine Society at Boston College. Her bio lists software sales rep as an occupation.

Her possible selection is in keeping with the diversity profile that ABC is supposed to be pursuing after the selection of Channing Dungey, the network's first African/American programming chief. The network is also home to two sitcoms featuring Asian/American families, Fresh Off The Boat and Dr. Ken as well as Blackish, Empire with African American principals.

The filming of Caila in her hometown could be a ruse by the producers to get the rumor mills churning; or it could be location shooting for another show. The release signed by her friends didn't specify which TV show they would be on. Since US magazine came out with their scoop, a few other tabloids have tried to douse water on the rumors with articles on other contestatants. We'll find out next Monday, March 14.

The Bachelorette for next season will be announced during the live portion of The Bachelor finale next Monday, March 14, 8 p.m. on ABC.

Caila seems to have recovered from her traumatic rejection. On the reunion show last Monday (March 7), she was asked if she would do The Bachelorette and she said: “Because I fell in love before, I could see myself falling in love again,” she explained. “Yes, I would consider it, but I definitely need to take a breather for myself and just take some me-time.”

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For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.