An open letter to The New York Times needs to expand who they see as Asian American

The face of the Asian America is changing.

IT'S OCTOBER - Filipino American History Month - but you'd never know it if you read the New York Times.

Once again, brown Asians were marginalized - or just plain ignored - when the Old Grey Lady did a story about Asian/Americans responding to a racist encounter aimed at their Deputy Metro Editor Michael Luo when a passerby yelled at him "Why don't you go back to your f--king country?"

Luo wrote a powerful letter - hash tagged #thisis2016 - in response and the editors placed it on their front page. The NYT also posted a video to accompany Luo’s letter. The video, however, was flawed. It featured all East Asians and only one Filipino/American, Keratin Perez.

It might have passed without notice, but it was the second time that brown Asians were slighted and forgotten by the NYT. It irked some, enough so that five wrote their own letter directed to the New York Times that was published in Huffington Post.

"Your video told us, 'You’re still invisible!'" said the HuffPost letter written by E.J.R. David, Ali Mattu, Razia Kosi, Ernabel Demillo and Kevin Nadal.

"You did this during Filipino American History Month - the month when we are supposed to be most proud of our brown presence in the U.S."

RELATED:

• 1946 - A pivotal year in Fil-Am history
• Legacy of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
• Filipino veterans: Shameful anniversary for U.S. Congress
• Larry Itliong Day passed by the California Assembly
• 50th Anniversary of the Grape Strike
• Unsung heroes on Memorial Day

"And you did this during election season - when xenophobia against South Asians is on the rise and Islamophobia is so overt that Muslim Americans (and South Asian Americans who are presumed to be Muslim) expect to be discriminated in their everyday lives.

"We hesitated for a second and then hustled to confront you. We pulled out our smartphones and started commenting on your social media posts, questioning why seemingly 96 percent of the stories shared were East Asian or non-Brown Asian stories. It was comical, in retrospect, because you probably don’t even read comments on social media. But the pain you inflicted on us with your continued disregard is real. It clearly tells us, once again, that we are unseen, unheard, and unappreciated in this country.

“We are a part of this country!” We yelled back.

"It felt silly. But how else to prove we belonged?"

... "That even though we compose more than half of the Asian Pacific Islander population, even though we have been in these lands now called the United States since 1587, and even though many of us trace our roots back to lands that are affected by U.S. colonialism and imperialism, we still don’t belong," the letter continued. "We’re still forgotten. We’re still not Asian American, let alone American."

The HuffPost letter pointed out that the NYT coverage of Asian Americans favored East Asians even though Brown Asians make up more than half of all Asian Americans. Then the tone changed expressing anger.

"Maybe you don’t know this, but the continued failure to include us whenever you talk about “Asian Americans” is extremely insulting, degrading, and oppressive. It gets to the heart of the invisibility that Brown Asians experience."

The letter writers went on to touch on a topic that isn't often heard outside of AAPI circles, the issue of "colorism" among Asian/Americans. You know, lighter skin is some sort of uniform of superiority.

The NYTimes shouldn't be left off the hook. It needs to take responsibility for its oversight. There's certainly enough Brown Asians in New York City. The editors and writers of the NYTimes need to go beyond the European view of what constitutes an Asian, beyond the Korean, Japanese and Chinese trope that defines what an "Asian" should look like. 

Maybe this video produced by the Media Factory might help:

It was filmed and edited by the award-winning filmmaker Marissa Aroy. The participants are:

Jose Llana, RJ Kaleo Nadal, Brenda Gambol, Kirklyn Escondo, Stephanie Chrispin, Isabella Villacampa, Lugao Kasberg, Nicole Ponseca, Michael Capito, Ryan Abugan and Hossannah Asuncion.

They were interviewed by Kevin Nadal. #BrownAsiansExist

The two versions of the Black Eyed Peas' song tell two different stories

apl.de.ap in his zoot suit in version 1 of the Filipino/American anthem "Bebot."

IT'S OCTOBER - Filipino American History Month - so that gives us the perfect excuse to listen to Bebot by apl.de.ap, who is Filipino/American, of the Black-Eyed Peas.

Listening to it again, it's hard not to tap your toe, nod your head and soon - you're dancing.

(Click on the videos and you'll be directed to Youtube.)

It is more than just a catchy song. If you don't speak Tagalog (like me), it helps to read the English lyrics to understand that it is kind of an anthem for Filipino/Americans. The title of the song is derived from a Filipino slang word analogous to "babe." 

There are two video versions of the songs, the most popular one is the one above. But there was an earlier version called "Generation One," that recalls the 1930s, a period when Filipino American farmworkers were victims of violence and hate.

It takes place in Stockton, 1936 in a taxi dance hall. Because immigration of Filipinas was limited because agricultural employers didn't want the men to form families, the Filipino farmworkers sought the companionship of dancers, 10 cents a dance and often developed relationships with white women which spurred anti-miscegenation laws and white men beating up Filipinos.

It ends with one of the manongs (uncles, older brother) remembering his youth, walking away from the now dilapidated dance hall in Stockton's Little Manila.

The second version, while not as political or sexy, was more contemporary, less controversial and more palatable to American mass media.

From Wikipedia, we learned that in this more recent version that was shot in L.A., American Idol finalist Jasmine Trias was featured playing apl.de.ap's sister. Other Filipino and Asian American celebrities appearing in either version of the video include DJ Rhettmatic of the Beat Junkies DJ crew, rap group Native Guns, mixed martial artist Brandon Vera, boxer Brian Viloria, singers Camile Velasco and Jose "Sway" Penala, and adult industry's Charmane Star and Kaylani Lei.

In a way, "Bebot" does for Filipinos what James Brown's "I'm Black, I'm Proud" does for African/Americans.

Sigue, sigue, sigue! (C'moon, c'mmon, c'mmon!)

Here are the English lyrics:

Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are my
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are my
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are!

Filipino! Filipino! Filipino! Filipino!

Hey man, all of you listen to me
Here comes the real Filipino
Came from the barrio - Sapang Bato
Went to L.A. and labored
In order to help my mother
Because life is so hard
But the disposition’s still bright
When eating - we use our hands
What we eat - chicken adobo
The balut - being sold at the corner
Share the glass already
My friend, let’s start drinking

Filipino! Filipino! Filipino! Filipino!

Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are my
Bebot bebot bet
You are my
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are

Filipino! Filipino! Filipino! Filipino!

Observe all the beautiful girls
Your beauty really drives me crazy
The sweetness that is never tiresome
You’re the only one I want to be with
The house or nipa hut
Your love is for real
My heart always speaks
There is no one else in the world like you!

You’re Filipino, shout it out c’mmon!
If you’re beautiful, shout it out, c’mmon!
If your life is valuable, c’mmon!
Thank you for your support:

Filipino! Filipino! Filipino! Filipino!
Filipino! Filipino! Filipino! Filipino!

Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are my
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
Bebot bebot bet
You are my
Bebot bebot bet

###

75th Ann'y of WWII; Philippine chapter to be included in California history textbooks

The story of how Sgt. Jose Calugas of the Philippine Scouts, a U.S. Army unit, earned the U.S. Medal of Honor may be included in California's new textbooks.

YEARS BEFORE last month's passage of AB2016, which mandated the teaching of ethnic studies in California schools, AB199 was passed in the state legislature to require teaching the role of Filipinos and Filipino/Americans played in World War II.

Although approved by the state legislature in 2011, it was not until July of this year that State Board of Education approved the curriculum that would teach this largely ignored topic in California classrooms because of the tendency of most U.S. school books to view history through an Eurocentric persepctive.

In 2014, the Bataan Legacy Historical Society (BLHS) started working with the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) of the California Department of Education to implement AB199. 

RELATED: Ethnic studies mandated for California schools

With the support of State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, BLHS was able to expand the scope of the proposed curriculum framework to include World War II in the Philippines. On May 19, 2016, the IQC’s History Social Sciences Committee approved all of the recommendations made by BLHS.

Torlakson is married to Mae Cendana Torlakson, who is seeking to become California's first Filipina/American Assembly member in this November's election.

Chapter 16 of the 11th Grade U.S. History will include the following: 

• The Philippine Commonwealth; the creation of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) comprised of Americans and a majority of Filipinos;
• the disruption of the timetable of the Imperial Japanese Army by the USAFFE Forces despite suffering from massive disease and starvation and fighting without any air support; 
• The Bataan Death March and the thousands of casualties; the role of the Filipino and American guerrillas during the liberation; 
• The American soldiers who were transported in hell ships to labor camps in Asia; 
• The Battles of Leyte Gulf;
• The destruction of Manila during a month-long battle to liberate the city, which resulted in a death toll comparable to that of the Tokyo firebombing or the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and inflicted more damage than the Luftwaffe bombing of London.

After the WWII Battle of Manila, there was almost nothing left to liberate

RELATED: 

• Details announced for Filipino WWII vets reuniting with families
•  A shameful anniversary for the U.S. Congress
•  Memorial Day - Another try to pass the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act

It is believed that this will  be the first time that the Filipino role in fighting WWII in the Philippines will be taught to high school students in the United States.

California’s new history curriculum framework has the potential to act as a model for teaching this seminal point of WWII history in the U.S. BLHS has formed a curriculum steering committee to create a sample curriculum template that schools can use to implement Chapter 16 of the Grade 11 U.S. History.

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President proclaims October as Filipino American History Month

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

President Barack Obama watches the sun set over Manila Bay from his balcony in Manila

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA proclaimed October as Filipino/American History Month last Saturday. Below is the proclamation.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

October 1, 2016

I am pleased to join in celebrating Filipino-American History Month and in recognizing Filipino Americans across our country for the many ways they have enriched our society.

An unshakable faith in the promise of America has guided people to our shores since our founding. When they arrived, many of those who first settled here suffered setbacks and faced challenges in their pursuit of the American dream. But with relentless optimism, they held their heads high and laid down their roots—building our country into the beacon of hope it is today.

The earliest Filipinos arrived at Morro Bay, California in the 16th century, and Filipino Americans have long played an integral role in shaping the life of our country. They have been the artists who challenge us, the educators who keep us informed, and the laborers of our growing economy. And throughout our history, they have served as members of our Armed Forces, helping safeguard our Nation and the values upon which we stand.

During World War II, Filipino Americans stepped forward to join our military and fight back the tide of tyranny. Many of these individuals have since petitioned for family members to join them here through our legal immigration system but have waited years to be reunited, even after their petitions were approved. This year, my Administration launched the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program, which enables certain Filipino-American veterans to request that their family members join them in the United States as they wait for their green cards. For many, this policy will allow loved ones to provide support and care for elderly veterans and their spouses. This program is an important reminder that we must suppose those who serve our Nation not just in times of war, but throughout their lives. 

As we mark this special month, we celebrate the ways Filipino Americans 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.

1946: A turning point in Filipino American history

On Feb. 18, 1946, the Rescission Act was signed taking away the rights, benefits and honors promised to 250,000 Filipino WWII veterans who fought with the American soldiers against the invading Japanese military.

OCTOBER is Filipino American History Month. The month will be observed throughout the United States with concerts, dances, symposiums, speeches and proclamations.

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) has made “1946: A Turning Point” as the theme for this year’s observance. October was selected because of the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental U.S. on Oct. 18, 1587, "Luzon's Indios" came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California.

According to the FANHS website, the theme was chosen to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of several notable events and pieces of legislation that transformed the lives of Filipinos in the Philippines and in the United States in 1946 such as the following:

• The Rescission Act barred veterans in the Philippines from receiving GI Bill benefits was signed in Feb., 1946 by President Harry Truman, who said: "Philippine Army veterans are nationals of the United States and will continue in that status until July 4, 1946. They fought, as American nationals, under the American flag, and under the direction of our military leaders. They fought with gallantry and courage under most difficult conditions during the recent conflict. Their officers were commissioned by us. Their official organization, the Army of the Philippine Commonwealth, was taken into the Armed forces of the United States by executive order of the President of the United States on July 26, 1941. That order has never been revoked or amended. I consider it a moral obligation of the United States to look after the welfare of Philippine Army veterans.”
  
• The Luce-Celler Bill on July 2, 1946 granted access to naturalization for all Filipinos who had come to the United States before March 1934 and for all Indian immigrants in the United States, however Filipino and Indian immigration was limited to 100 per year. 
• The Philippines, a colony of the United States since 1898, was granted its independence on July 4, 1946. 

In November of 2009, both the United States House of Representatives and Senate passed laws – House Resolution 780 and Senate Resolution 298 respectively, officially recognizing October as Filipino American History Month in the United States. Various states, counties and cities in the U.S. have since followed suit and have established proclamations and resolutions declaring observance of Filipino American History Month in their regions. The late Dr. Fred Cordova, who along with his wife Dorothy founded FANHS, first introduced October as Filipino American History Month in 1992 with a resolution from the FANHS National Board of Trustees. 

RELATED:

• Legacy of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
• Filipino veterans: Shameful anniversary for U.S. Congress
• Larry Itliong Day passed by the California Assembly
• 50th Anniversary of the Grape Strike
• Unsung heroes on Memorial Day

Throughout the nation, the 34 FANHS Chapters, colleges and universities, museums, and other community groups, will be commemorating Filipino American History Month with various activities and events to bring awareness of the valuable contributions Filipinos have made to the fabric of American society. For information about activities in your area, click here.

Take a look at last year's opening history-making observance of Filipino American History Month at the White House.

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FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH: Drive to name a street after Filipino/American labor hero Larry Itliong

Cesar Chavez, left, and Larry Itliong merged their respective unions to form the United Farm Workers.

• SUNDAY, Oct. 25, 2015 is a date that will be etched into the memories of Filipino/Americans and hopefully, all Americans, as the first Larry Itliong Day observed in the United States.
  
  
  California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill to make Oct. 25, Itliong's birthday, as a day to remember the union leader's contributions to the state and the labor movement.
  
  
  Itliong spurred his union to launch the 1965 Grape Strike, convinced Cesar Chavez to join the Filipino striking farmworkers, and together formed the United Farm Workers (UFW) ito spearhead one of the greatest labor movements in the country.
  
  
  This year, the 50th anniversary of the Grape Strike, Itliong's role in the formation of the UFW has been brought to light (and perhaps spurred by the movie about Cesar Chavez released last year which neglected to give Itliong's historic role any mention).

  RELATED: Filipinos, Cesar Chavez & Hollywood

  The Little Manila Foundation, based in Itliong's hometown of Stockton, California, has launched a petition drive to have a street named after the forgotten labor leader and hometown hero.
  
  
  Up to now, there is a school named after Itliong in Union City, California where there is a large Filipno/American community, a San Diego overpass bears his name, an affordable housing project in Los Angeles has been named in his honor and the City of Carson, California designated a day in his honor years before Brown signed the bill, authored by Filipino/American Assemblyman Rob Bonta.
  
  
  But in his hometown - nothing.
  
  
  The petition calls for the renaming of South Hunter Street, between the Crosstown Freeway and East Hazelton Avenue, to Larry Itliong Street. The three-block stretch was the heart of Little Manila, a place Itliong called home, and includes residences, a Buddhist temple and some small businesses.

"Larry is a hero of Stockton,” said Dillon Delvo, co-founder of the Little Manila Foundation. “He helped begin one of the greatest justice movements we’ve ever seen.”

The deadline for the petition has passed and it is uncertain that all the names have been certified or even if there are enough signatures to launch the street renaming process. 

Even if the petition is not enough, supporters of the name change can still make arguments  to the City Council to begin the planning process, which could mean more public hearings, and the bureaucratic red tape will certainly take months to wade through People who want to weigh in on the proposal to rename the street can still write letters of support by writing or emailing the individual Stockton city council members, the Stockton Community Development Department and/or members of the Stockton Planning Commission. 

Meanwhile, on Oct. 25, Itliong's contributions to our nation's history will be observed in Delano, where the grape strike began, Stockton, Carson and San Diego. There have already been some ceremonies in Oakland and Sacramento, Los Angeles' multi-day observance ends today. More cities will join in as Larry Itlioing Day takes root in California schools and cities.

OCT. 25 in STOCKTON: In honor of the first Larry Itliong Day, there will be a free showing the documentary, Delano Manongs at the Little Manila Center, 521 East Main Street, Stockton at 2 p.m.

“It’s great that in our hometown we know about Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez,” says Stockton resident Dawn Mabalon, history professor at San Francisco State University. “But we don’t know about this person who lived among us, went to Trinity Presbyterian Church, whose children went to Stockton schools. (He’s) all but forgotten in Stockton.”

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TGIF FEATURE: The Brothers, Monstress and Remember The I-Hotel

A scene from "Monstress"

AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER (ACT) will be presenting another story by Filipino/American writer Lysley Tenorio after producing the world premieres of two one-act plays by the same author last week in Monstress.

The Brothers is from Tenorio’s debut collection, "Monstress" (HarperCollins, 2012).

Tenorio had this to say about the origin of “The Brothers:”

"There’s a bar in San Francisco called Asia SF, which is famous for its “gender illusionists”: the transsexual and transgendered Asian-American waitresses who perform hourly atop the bar/runway, lip-syncing disco classics and power ballads. I wouldn’t call them drag queens; they don’t really possess that winking camp that lets everyone know they’re in on the act. Instead, the women of Asia SF have worked and sacrificed to turn themselves into the people they truly want to be. 

"On one visit, I met a Filipina-American waitress who told me about her family in the Philippines, and how they weren’t necessarily cool with how she was living her life. I was moved by her story, and immediately thought of ways to render that kind of experience in fiction, to imagine a life so defined by change. But as I worked on the story, I found myself more compelled by the opposite, by someone who utterly lacked the daring and guts to break free of the role he’s expected to play – that of the dutiful and obedient son, the one who sacrifices his own happiness to maintain the familial order."

And so The Brothers, became the story of Edmond, a man who couldn’t even begin to imagine the difficult but ultimately fulfilling life his recently deceased transsexual brother, Eric, had the bravery to live. In this way, Eric isn’t the lonely, isolated, and tragic brother; Edmond is.

The story is adapted by Colman Domingo, who stars in the TV spinoff Fear The Walking Dead. No, he is not Filipino but he says since he grew up in the Bay Area, he has Filipino friends and is familiar with the community.

His website is www.lysleytenorio.com.

The Brother(s) by Colman Domingo  

Adapted from a short story by Lysley Tenorio  

Friday, October 16, 10 p.m.
Sunday, October 18, 12 p.m. & 7 p.m.
A.C.T.'s Costume Shop, 1117 Market Stre
*Tickets are free but reservations are required. 

***

THE TWO one-act plays presented in ACT's Monstress were Remember the I-Hotel and the title story Monstress - in that order.

The latter is an out-and-out farce that has some funny lines about Daly City and other Bay Area cities, which might play well outside of the Bay Area. Taking place in the 60s and 70s, it is a tale of immigration, of improbable, lofty dreams gone awry, as reality hits the characters.

RELATED: Two Filipino American stories debut

The storyline is a little forced (farced?) but the cast is excellent. I shouldn't be surprised but I'm continually amazed at all the talent that's in the Asian/American community that is going largely untapped and unnoticed.

The same corps of actors in Monstress play different roles in the opening play,  Remember the I-Hotel.

The I-Hotel has a totally different tone. It is more bitter-sweet, touching and full of irony. It touches on larger societal issues without hectoring the audience.

Vicente (Ogie Zulueta) is comforted
by Fortunado (Jomar Tagatac) in
“Remember The I-Hotel"

As regular readers may recall, the  International Hotel was the last remaining residential hotel in old Manilatown, west of Chinatown. The struggle to keep the low-cost housing for its elderly tenants, mostly Chinese and Filipino men sparked the tenant rights revolution even though the tenants were eventually evicted in the 1970s. This is the setting of Remember the I-Hotel.

At the end of the play, you can almost hear the audience let out their breath after trying to keep their emotions in check. Some couldn't ... and tears were rolling.

I don't know why the director doesn't reverse the order and let Monstress open the couplet of plays and let I-Hotel be the final act. It would be a more powerful thought-provoking evening.

As it is, I left the theater, located on the edge of the new Manilatown, South of Market, happier perhaps, because of the farcical Monstress but still wondering about the fate of the characters in the poignant Remember the I-Hotel.

Monstress, 
A.C.T.'s Strand Theater, 127 Market Street, San Francisco

Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15‑minute intermission

For tickets, click here. 

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FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH 2015: A Filipino American family at the Supreme Court

The late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and his family in front of the Supreme Court..

DID YOU know that Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s family is Filipino American. His wife was Cecilia Suyat, and his sons are John & Thurgood Jr. 

The past week in history also coincides with Thurgood Marshall’s birthday, the beginning of oral arguments on the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, and Marshall’s appointment as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Both of Justice Marshall's sons, Thurgood Jr. and John, had careers in public service before working in the private sector.

Of his father's legacy, Thurgood Marshall, Jr.  said, "One, he was part of a group of people... who all came together at the right time to steer the country on the right course with regard to equality, especially in education," and "I also like to think of his legacy as one of encouraging lawyers of every color to contribute their skills to society."

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Plaque unveiling for Victoria Manalo Draves, Filipino/American Olympic gold medalist

DEEP IN THE South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco on a wall of a housing project is a picture of a young woman who appears to be flying through the air. The office workers and techies who walk by look up and wonder who she is.

A few blocks away is a 2-acre patch of green amid the warehouses, artist studios, auto repair shops, nightclubs and trendy restaurants - a park named after a woman whom users ask, "Who is she?"

The park is the Vicky Manalo Draves Park and the mural depicts her diving off a platform into a pool of water.

Vicky Manalo Draves

A former resident of the SoMa neighborhood, she was the first Filipino American - man or woman - to win two Olympic gold medals for the United States. This Saturday, Oct. 10, a plaque will be installed at the park to explain to the office workers and neighborhood kids who this historical figure was.

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department joins the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), in honoring Olympic heroine Victoria Manalo Draves with a special plaque unveiling October 10 at 10 a.m.. 

Draves was the first American woman to win two gold medals for diving and became the first woman of Filipino heritage to win an Olympic gold medal. She won them in both springboard and platform at the 1948 Olympics in London.

Born in the South of Market area in 1924, Draves attended school on the same site that would become the neighborhood park named in her honor in 2006. The plaque ceremony on October 10 will be held at Victoria Manalo Draves Park, located at Folsom and Sixth Street.

“Victoria Manalo Draves was a brilliant athlete and a great role model for both women and Asian American communities,” said District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim whose district includes Victoria Manalo Draves Park. “I am proud to be honoring her legacy as an athlete and as an Asian American woman who never gave up on her dreams despite the discrimination that she faced.”

Draves attended the school adjacent to this site, which later became Bessie Carmichael Elementary School and now hosts the Filipino Education Center. 

Despite facing discrimination early in her diving career, Manalo Draves persevered and claimed gold medals in the 3- meter springboard and the 10-meter platform competitions at the 1948 Olympics. This performance continues to serve as an inspiration for all athletes interested in competition regardless of race, creed or national origin. She did not try diving until the age of 16. 

A year later, she attempted to join the Fairmont Hotel Swimming and Diving Club (ironically, the club that rejected her because she was Filipino is now the home of the Tonga Room, a tiki-bar extraordinaire) that features a floating stage on which brown-skinned musicians play island music. 

She was able to take part in amateur competitions only after changing her last name to Taylor, her mother’s maiden name.

Her coach told her that she could not compete unless she changed her name to Taylor, her mother’s maiden name, said Draves in an interview. She and her mother reluctantly agreed.

“I don’t know how my dad felt,” Draves said in an oral history in 1991, “because he never said anything.”

Despite her athletic accomplishments, the beautiful Draves was often in the shadow of her white teammate and rival, Zoe Ann Olsen. After the Olympics, she was a featured diver in the professional aquacades costarring with Buster Crabbe.


“The Bronze Plaque in honor of Victoria Manalo Draves contributes to the vibrancy of San Francisco and illustrates Rec and Park’s partnership with the SoMA community,” said Rudy Asercion, executive director of National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).

Since many people who use Victoria Manalo Draves Park do not know who she was or what she accomplished, the community wanted to provide that history by installing a plaque near the entrance of the park that tells her story and celebrates her achievements, according to press release from SF Parks and Recreation.

“Ms. Draves is an idol for young boys and girls everywhere, she changed diving forever,” said Phil Ginsburg, SF Rec & Park General Manager. “We’re proud to be able to tell her story in the park named for her.”

Draves passed away in 2010 at the age of 85 but she lives on in ethnic studies classes and in the hearts of generations of Filipino Americans who learn her story. It's appropriate that this ceremony take place in October, designated Filipino-American History Month because it is also the month that of earliest recorded instance of a Filipino - first Asian, for that matter - to set foot in North America in 1587, as a crew member of a Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza under the command of Spanish Captain Pedro de Unamuno, who dropped his ship's anchor in Morro Bay to replenish food supplies.

Draves, the unsung heroine who overcame racial bias to win two Olympic golds and a proud native of SoMa, still has not been inducted into the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame - an honor given to her contemporaries, Olsen, who never won as many gold medals. 

As Vicky Manalo, she was asked to change her name to Taylor, her mother's maiden name.

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FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH: White House celebrates Filipino American History Month

'STAND UP AND BE PROUD TO BE PINOY"

Filipino American Trailblazers at the White House on Sept. 30, from left to right: Cristeta Comerford, White House Executive Chef, Apl.de.ap, co-founder of the Black Eyed Pease; Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, singer; Geena Rocero, model/founder of Gender Proud; Jo Koy, comedian; Ronnie del Carmen, co-director at Pixar Animation Studios and moderator Billy Dec, member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA proclaimed October as Filipino American Heritage Month. He invited prominent Filipino Americans to the a conference at the White House.

"Generations of Filipino Americans have lent their unique voices to the vibrant diversity of origins, cultures and communities, that make  American what it is," said Obama in a statement read at the White House event, which hosted the event for the first-time, a history-making moment in itself.

“Seventy years ago, the United States and our allies overcame forces of tyranny and oppression that threatened not only the Pacific but the entire world—a victory made possible in part by thousands of Filipino-Americans who fought for our nation but who for far too long were denied the compensation they had earned,” the President said.

"Fifty years ago, courageous farm workers in Delano helped bring about progress that would forever change the labor movement," he said, "both within the Filipno-American community and for our country as a whole."

“You know, it’s a good indicator that you’ve arrived when you don’t only have your own month but that the White House is saying they want to celebrate it, too,” said Nani Coloretti, the keynote speaker who is the highest ranking Filipino-American in the Obama administration. Coloretti is deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Its important to acknowledge your roots, said the Maui-born and raised Coloretti. Her grandfather was a labor organizer in the sugar cane industry.

Nani Coloretti

The Filipino American National Historical Society announced that the theme of this year’s celebration would be “1965: Tipping Point for the Filipino American Community” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of three momentous events, the organization’s national president Mel Orpilla said. In 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act was passed and Filipino farm workers (Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz and many more manongs) lead the Delano Grape Strike. Additionally, at that time, Filipino American men were either enlisting in the military or fighting in the Vietnam War.

The three-hour event at the White House included a panel of "trailblazers." Its worth your time to listen to the hour-long video below. There are lots of tidbits, information and inspiration from these standouts in their respective professions. 

“As a community we need to collaborate, reach out, and not be ashamed to represent our culture,” Apl said.

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