Filipina Americans shine at Billboard's Women in Music awards

Three Filipina American entertainers were among the awardees of Billboard's Women in Music awards held Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.

The highlight award, Woman of the Year, went to 18-year old Olivia Rodrigo, a Filipina American singer/songwriter who burst into the pop music charts with several No. 1 hits and "Sour," her debut No. 1.

The star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, started the year with a breakout hit, "drivers license," that stayed atop Billboard's charts for eight straight weeks, a record for a debut song.

As she accepted her award Sunday (Feb. 28), the Filipina Californian alluded to the difficulties of being a young woman in the music industry and gave credit to the women artists who paved the way for her. She ended with some words of inspiration for young girls.

“To all the young girls out there who are writing songs every day in their journals, on their bedroom floors — I am constantly moved by your vulnerability and your creativity and bravery,” said Olivia. “And I promise everyone here today is working to make this world and this industry a better place for you.”

Ciara took center stage as host of the celebration, which shined the spotlight on powerhouse women in the music industry. She set the tone of the event with a moment of silence to honor the people of Ukraine as they fight for their nation and democracy against Russia.

Women in Music is an organization with a mission to advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition.

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H.E.R. and her mother after receiving the Impact Award.

Impact Award honoree H.E.R. aka Gabriella Wilson, gave a shoutout to her Filipino mother, Agnes Sarmiento Wilson, during her acceptance speech: “I want to thank my mom for teaching me to stay humble, be grounded, and be hardworking,” said the R&B singer/songwriter.

H.E.R. spoke about balancing being a commercial star and an activist in an interview with Billboard last month:

“It never occurred to me to be an activist until I got older and started to realize how much hatred there is in the world,” she said. 

“Obviously, in the beginning, it was a lot more about the music," said the 23-year old singer from Vallejo, Calif. "Organically, however, people are starting to hear and see me more, to experience who I am and not just the music. So with that comes my views on the world: how I felt in 2020 when everything was going on and is still going on. It’s a bigger fight, [so] it’s my responsibility to use what has an impact — my voice — to speak out on some of these things, like the relationship between Black Americans and Asian Americans. Not because someone told me to, but because it’s what I feel.”

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Rapper Saweetie with her mother backstage at the Women in Music awards.

As she accepted her Game Changer award, Saweetie talked about some of the turbulence her career had gone through and thanked her family and team for sticking with her. But ultimately, she proclaimed that she still preferred the “uncomfortable position” of stardom — because she “would rather be changing the weather than report it.”

Mothers of the artists seemed to be a theme for the evening.

Saweetie’s mother, Trinidad Valentin, called her daughter a “force to be reckoned with,” as she presented the award to her daughter with an emotional tribute about how “proud” she is of her daughter.

Valientin told the story that as a child, Saweetie had found a great interest in poetry after finding an old poem her mother had written. “Her poetry had turned into rhyming, and rhyming into rapping,” she explained.

She recalled a conversation the two had when Saweetie graduated, when she had asked what her daughter's Plan B was if rapping didn’t work out. She remembered Saweetie telling her, “Mom, there is no plan B.”

Valentin then went on to cheer her daughter on shouting, “Here’s to not having a Plan B, baby girl!”

Other Women in Music awardees during included: Summer Walker (Chartbreaker Award), Doja Cat (Powerhouse Award), Gabby Barrett (Rising Star Award) Phoebe Bridgers (Trailblazer Award), Karol G (Rule Breaker Award) and legendary artist, Bonnie Raitt (Icon Award).

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd. 

Filipina American director's film to debut in theaters and Netflix August 26

Isabel Sandoval, above, stars in and directed 'Lingua FRanca.'

A Filipina American director's critically acclaimed film will premier Aug. 26 in theaters and on the same day, it will be made available on the streaming network Netflix.

In so doing, Isabel Sandoval's Lingua Franca will receive the widest exposure among her three films. The dramatic feature was directed, written, produced, edited by and starring Sandoval. The film made history at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival as the first film directed and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition, reports Deadline.

In this beguiling drama, an undocumented Filipina immigrant paranoid about deportation works as a caregiver to a Russian-Jewish grandmother in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When the American man she’s secretly paying for a green card marriage backs out, she becomes involved with a slaughterhouse worker who is unaware that she’s transgender.

Lingua Franca was recently acquired by Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Releasing, which she founded in 2012 as a collective.

“The release of Isabel Sandoval’s third film is beautifully timed to enter the national conversation at an unprecedented moment of cultural reckoning for many, especially as it relates to the rights and dignity of trans people around the world,” said ARRAY President Tilane Jones. 

“Ms. Sandoval’s introspective lens provides a depth and intimacy to her storytelling that is rarely embraced on screen. ARRAY is proud to embrace Lingua Franca and we look forward to sharing this meaningful work widely.”

DuVernay’s credits include Selma, A Wrinkle in Time, the Oscar-nominated documentary 13th and the limited Netflix series When They See Us.

The acquisition of Lingua Franca adheres to ARRAY's goal of distributing films by people of color and women. The film speaks to authentic storytelling with the New York-based, Philippine-born Sandoval in the director’s chair.

Lingua Franca is the director's third film. She previously directed the award-winning Senorita (2011) and Apparition (2012) . The Museum of Modern Art has recognized Sandoval as a “rarity among the young generation of Filipino filmmakers.”

Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing is adding to its library of inclusive narratives with the critically acclaimed drama Lingua Franca directed, written, produced, edited by and starring Isabel Sandoval. The film will debut on Netflix and open theatrically in select cities on August 26.

Lingua Franca made history at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program as the first film directed and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition. The film follows the story of an undocumented Filipina trans woman Olivia (Sandoval) who is the live-in caregiver for Olga (the late Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. Olivia’s main priority is to secure a green card to stay in America, but when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threatens Olivia’s very existence.

“The release of Isabel Sandoval’s third film is beautifully timed to enter the national conversation at an unprecedented moment of cultural reckoning for many, especially as it relates to the rights and dignity of trans people around the world,” said ARRAY President Tilane Jones. “Ms. Sandoval’s introspective lens provides a depth and intimacy to her storytelling that is rarely embraced on screen. ARRAY is proud to embrace Lingua Franca and we look forward to sharing this meaningful work widely.”

Adhering to the vision of ARRAY, the film speaks to authentic storytelling with Sandoval in the director’s chair, who was born in the Philippines. Prior to Lingua Franca, she directed the award-winning Apparition and Senorita. The Museum of Modern Art has recognized Sandoval as a “rarity among the young generation of Filipino filmmakers.”

The deal was negotiated by Gordon Bobb of Del Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano on behalf of ARRAY and Antoine Blanc of BG LAW and Lingua Franca producers Carlo Velayo, Jhett Tolentino, Darlene Malimas and Jerome Kerkman, on behalf of LUXBOX and Sandoval.

Lingua Franca is ARRAY’s fourth release for 2020. Previous releases this year include Justine from Stephanie Turner, Jezebel from Numa Perrier as well as the docuseries They’ve Gotta Have Us by Simon Frederick. Recent releases also include Spirit Award nominee and triple Tribeca Film Festival winner Burning Cane from Phillip Youmans; Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn‘s The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, Samuel Bazawule’s The Burial of Kojo and Merata by Hepi Mita.

TGIF Feature: H.E.R. releases protest song, 'I Can't Breathe'

H.E.R. has officially released a protest song “I Can’t Breathe,” which she wrote in response to recent police killings of unarmed Black people.

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R. delivers the painful words that has become a rallying cry for a movement. On Wednesday (June 10), she debuted the new song, "I Can't Breathe," which described as "very painful" and "very revealing," during iHeartRadio's Living Room Concert Series.

The Filipina American blues artist sang: "What is a gun to a man that surrenders / What's it gonna take for someone to defend her / If we all agree that we're equal as people / Then why can't we see what's evil?" Then, Floyd's words reverberate throughout an explosive chorus: "I can't breathe / You're taking my life from me / I can't breathe / Will anyone fight for me?"

“Praying for change ’cause the pain makes you tender,” H.E.R. sings. “All of the names you refuse to remember/Was somebody’s brother, friend/Or a son to a mother that’s crying, saying/’I can’t breathe, you’re taking my life from me.'”

“These lyrics were kind of easy to write because it came from a conversation of what’s happening right now, what’s been happening, and the change that we need to see,” said H.E.R., also known as Gabriella Wilson. 

“I think music is powerful when it comes to change and when it comes to healing and that’s why I wrote this song, to make a mark in history. And I hope this song does that.”

Want to hear more? Watch H.E.R.'s entire set for IHeartRadio's concert here.

Hawaii's latest star is much in demand in Hollywood

Filipina American actress Sophia Agudong is taking Hollywood by storm.

Siena Agudong has only been in Hollywood for a few years but already she has been cast in three movies and four television series. She just turned 14.

She's so busy, what's a young hapa girl from Kauai to do?

The Filipina American actress is best known for starring in Nickelodeon shows Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. She had her breakout as the chubby-cheeked Lulu Parker on ABC’s Killer Women at the tender age of 9-years old.

She may better known with the pre-teen set who watch Disney and Nickelodean but she's about to break out in a new movie that she just signed on to, Upside-Down Magic, the popular fantasy based on a best-selling book.

In 2018, Siena starred in Star Falls, a Nickolodean musical series about  a strong-willed teen who persuades a Hollywood movie star and his family to live in her house while he shoots a movie in town, all with the hopes of setting him up with her mom. Everyone’s lives are hilariously turned upside down as the kids struggle to help their parents find love and adjust to what could be their new life.

As of Aug. 19, the series has not been cancelled and fans await word if they'll be treated to a second season.

Meanwhile, Siena also debuted in a movie, Alex & Me, last year, where she plays a young soccer player whose role model Alex Morgan (the real-life soccer star) comes to her (in her imagination) and teaches her the intricacies of the sport.

The Amazon flick was aired on Netflix in Spring of 2018, which gave young Siena just enough time to prep for another series under the Disney banner.

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Siena Agudong and soccer star Alex Morgan in 'Alex & Me.'

The well-received Netflix series, No Good Nick, in which Siena plays the title role, a street-wise con-artist who who gets put with a family she hopes to scam out of money.  Popular Sean Astin plays the family's father. The series was given a 20-episode first season which was split into two respective parts. Part 1 released on Netflix on April 15th, 2019 and part 2 arrived several months later on August 5th. Both parts are still available for binging on the streaming channel.

It was an unusual premise for a comedy but No Good Nick successfully gained a loyal audience. The show is officially on hiatus while Netflix decides whether the series warrants another outing.

There's no indication on what Siena will do if both No Good Nick and Star Falls get renewed. Can she star in two series on two different networks at the same time?

However, Siena is not waiting around for network honchos to made a decision. She got cast in a new original movie Upside-Down Magic where she plays one of the co-leads (along with newcomer Izabela Rose). The Disney movie is based on The New York Times bestselling fantasy fiction children’s books of the same name.

The movie centers around 13-year-old Nory Boxwood Horace (Rose) who discovers that she can flux into animals, and her best friend, and Reina Carvajal (Agudong) who can manipulate flames, as they enter a special school for magical studies.

Lauren Kisilevsky, vice president, Original Movies, Disney Channels Worldwide, says, “At the heart of our story is Nory and Reina’s friendship, in which they help each other learn that what makes them different makes them special.”

The dilemma she faces is something a lot of actors would like to face. In two years time, she has done more than a majority of people who enter the acting profession. Can I remind you -- Siena just turned 14.

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Siena Agudong, 2nd from right, with her TV family in 'No Good Nick.'

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Gina Ortiz Jones’ GOP opponent drops out of congressional race

Will Hurd's retirement opens the door for Gina Ortiz Jones, right.

The road to Congress just got a lot smoother for Gina Ortiz Jones when her opponent, incumbent Republican Will Hurd announced Thursday (Aug. 1) that he would not be seeking reelection in Texas' Congressional District 23.

Hurd's decision to retire opens the door for his chief challenger, Democrat Ortiz Jones, who, if she wins in 2020, would become the first Filipina American elected to Congress.

The three-term congressman rocked the Republican establishment when he made his surprise announcement in a statement and on Twitter, where Hurd wrote he will continue to "pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security."

Hurd, a former CIA intelligence officer and the lone Republican African American in the House of Representatives, said that he's "taken a conservative message to places that don't often hear it. I'm going to (stay) involved in politics to help make sure the Republican Party looks like America."

He was one of the few Republicans who criticized Trump around immigration, the border wall and, more recently, Trump's racist messages against four House members of color and against Rep. Elijah Cummings, who represents Baltimore.

Despite his critical positions, as Air Force veteran Ortiz Jones has repeatedly pointed out, when it came time to vote on the House floor, Hurd would vote along along party lines supporting Trump.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer said the 23rd District leans Republican, and the party "will fight tooth and nail to ensure it remains in Republican hands in 2020."

Ortiz Jones narrowly lost to Hurd in 2018 and should assume the role of favorite in the sprawling district which has a long stretch of border with Mexico and is 70% Latino.

It won't be a cakewalk for Ortiz Jones. She will still have to fight for the seat. Two other Democrats have filed to run for the Party's nomination: Activist Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara and  journalist Liz Wahl. 

Interestingly, one of Ortiz Jones' Democratic rivals is another Filipina American, television journalist Liz Wahl. Her biggest claim to fame is when she quit on air,  her news anchor job with Russia Today, a television network, after she figured out that it was just a Russian propaganda organ.

Ramos Abuabara is counting on her involvement with the local LGBTQ community and to energize the Latino vote to challenge Ortiz Jones.

The Texas Primary is March 3, 2020.

Below is Will Hurd's retirement announcement:

There are many reasons why I love America. I have learned over my three terms in Congress, by representing people that voted for me, didn’t vote for me or didn’t vote at all, that America is better than the sum of its parts. Serving people of all walks of life has shown me that way more unites our country than divides us. This understanding has allowed me to win elections many people thought I couldn’t, especially when the political environment was overwhelmingly against my party.

In this experiment called America we strive to create a more perfect union. Our founding principle of a right to free speech has given us the freedom to disagree, and the resulting competition of ideas has produced policies tackling a variety of problems. As has happened many times throughout our history, we now face generational defining challenges at home and abroad.

We are in a geopolitical competition with China to have the world’s most important economy. There is a global race to be the leader in artificial intelligence, because whoever dominates AI will rule the world. We face growing cyberattacks every day. Extreme poverty, lack of economic opportunity and violence in Central America is placing unbearable pressure on our borders. While Congress has a role in these issues, so does the private sector and civil society.

After reflecting on how best to help our country address these challenges, I have made the decision to not seek reelection for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas in order to pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security.

I left a job I loved in the CIA as an undercover officer to meet what I believed to be a need for new leadership in Congress on intelligence and national security matters. I wanted to help the Intelligence Community in a different way by bringing my knowledge and experience to Congress. I’m leaving the House of Representatives to help our country in a different way. I want to use my knowledge and experience to focus on these generational challenges in new ways. It was never my intention to stay in Congress forever, but I will stay involved in politics to grow a Republican Party that looks like America.

As the only African American Republican in the House of Representatives and as a Congressman who represents a 71% Latino district, I’ve taken a conservative message to places that don’t often hear it. Folks in these communities believe in order to solve problems we should empower people not the government, help families move up the economic ladder through free markets not socialism and achieve and maintain peace by being nice with nice guys and tough with tough guys. These Republican ideals resonate with people who don’t think they identify with the Republican Party. Every American should feel they have a home in our party.

While I have 17 months left in my term, I’m very proud of the last 55. There were times when it was fun and times when it wasn’t. When people were mad, it was my job to listen. When people felt hopeless, it was my job to care. When something was broken, it was my job to find out how to fix it.

When border patrol agents weren’t getting the tools they needed to do their job, I stepped in to help. When I found an opportunity to expose more students to computer science, I partnered with non-profits to train local teachers to incorporate coding into math class. I made sure taxpayer money was used more efficiently by changing how the government purchases IT goods and services.

It was never about the size nor difficulty nor sexiness of the problem; It was about making a difference. My philosophy has been simple. Be honest. Treat people with respect. Never shy away from a fight. Never accept “no” or the status quo and never hesitate to speak my mind. 

Two centuries ago, I would have been counted as three-fifths of a person, and today I can say I’ve had the honor of serving three terms in Congress. America has come a long way and we still have more to do in our pursuit of a more perfect union. However, this pursuit will stall if we don’t all do our part. When I took the oath of office after joining the CIA, I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all its enemies. I took the same oath on my first day in Congress. This oath doesn’t have a statute of limitations. I will keep fighting to ensure the country I love excels during what will be a time of unprecedented technological change. I will keep fighting to make certain we successfully meet these generational challenges head on. I will keep fighting to remind people why I love America: that we are neither Republican nor Democrat nor Independent; We are better than the sum of our parts.

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Shay Mitchell allows fans to follow her pregnancy

From the deepest of secrets, Shay Mitchell has done a 180-degree turn, by allowing the world follow her as her pregnancy on social media. 

The Filipina Canadian announced in late June on social media that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Matte Babel. She kept it a secret from her fans as long as she could. Approaching her sixth month, she revealed her pregnancy on social media with a very tasteful topless photo.

"Does this mean I’m allowed to drive in the car pool lane at all times now?" she joked, captioning a topless maternity shot that showcased her growing baby bump.

Mitchell's pregnancy announcement came just five months after the actress revealed that she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage.

In a YouTube video, titled "Guess Who's Preggers," the actress detailed the lengths she went to hide this pregnancy early on, describing it as a "really lonely journey." 

"When you're in the public eye, there are some things you want to just keep a secret until you feel ready," she said in the video, which gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at everything from an ultrasound appointment to her maternity photo shoot. 

Mitchell, whose breakthrough role was in the Pretty Little Liars series, said she was ready to announce her pregnancy when she "couldn't hide it anymore and was tired of wearing oversized sweatshirts."

Mitchell, 32, also announced her pregnancy via a teaser for her new bi-weekly YouTube Original Series, Almost Ready. The sneak peek shows her with her boyfriend, TV host Matte Babel, 38, at her pregnancy shoot. The two have reportedly been dating since 2017.

The new series documents Mitchell's pregnancy journey. New episodes will be released every other Wednesday beginning on Wednesday, July 17.
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Recognition eludes Filipina American sports legend Vicky Manalo

Vicky Manalo and her friend and fellow gold medal diver Sammy Lee at the London Olympics

Its a downright shame that Victoria Manalo Draves has not received the honor and recognition as a sports trailblazer in her own hometown of San Francisco.

The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame awards were handed out May 2 and once again, Draves name was not on the list of inductees.

The closest she came was in 2015 when she was nominated but for some unknown  reason, didn't make the final cut. The closest she got was in 2015 when she received a nomination but for some unknown reason, Draves didn't make the final list.

Draves has a park named after her in the South-of-Market (SoMa) neighborhood where she grew up and a few blocks away she is depicted in a mural celebrating Filipino American heroes, but she has not been inducted in the San Francisco Sports Hall of Fame.

She was included in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1969 joining her friend Sammy Lee, the first Asian American man to win a gold medal.

She trained and competed as Vicky Manalo at the insistence of her then-coach, later to become her husband, Lyle Draves, despite several training facilities denying her use for training because she was Filipino. 

Draves was the first Asian American to win an Olympic Gold Medal in her sport of diving at the 1948 Olympics held in London. She won the 3-meter springboard diving competition and later, she became the first American woman to win two gold medals in the Olympics when she also won first place in 9-meter platform competition.

She later turned down offers from Hollywood instead choosing to perform in the Aquacades. She and her husband later opened a school for divers in Southern California.

She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1969 and there's a drive to get her into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame being built in Colorado  that is being led by her grandson, Nolan Lyle Draves.

We will have to wait until the 2019 finalists are announced on Aug. 12, to see if Draves made the cut. After the fanilists are named, the voting window for Team USA fans will open. Members of the public will be able to vote once per day through Sept. 3. Recognizing the ongoing support that fans give U.S. Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls in their training and competition, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was one of the first major sports hall of fames to incorporate fan voting into the selection process.

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, class of 2019, will be announced in late September, and inducted on Friday, Nov. 1, during an induction ceremony in conjunction with the all-alumni U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Reunion in Colorado Springs.

Opening in early 2020, the U.S. Olympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo., will become the new permanent home for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

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Filipina American Texan will try a second time to win a congressional seat

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GINA ORTIZ JONES

After losing by only 926 votes in the 2018 elections to Rep. Will Hurd, Gina Ortiz Jones never really stopped campaigning so it was not a surprise when she announced last May 13 that she would try a second time to unseat the Republican incumbent.

Since she narrowly lost to Hurd in the 2018 elections last November, the 38-year old Filipina American challenger frequently appeared at political events in Texas and continued to criticize Hurd's votes in favor of Donald Trump's policies.

In a brief video posted to Twitter, Ortiz Jones asked supporters to "join us as we finished what we started."

"Last November, I came up a little bit short in my run for Congress — 926 votes — but I've never been one to back down because the promise of our country is worth fighting for," Jones said. “It’s why I served in the military, deployed to Iraq; it’s why I served in President Obama’s administration and it’s why I’ve dedicated my life to public service — and it’s why I’m stepping up again to run for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.”

Ortiz, a former air force intelligence officer, served as director for investment at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under President Obama.

Texas' 23rd district, which includes part of San Antonio and the longest stretch of U.S.-Mexico border of any congressional territory. Before Hurd came into office, the district had frequently flipped between GOP and Democratic control. The district is one of the six congressional districts the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has explicitly targeted in Texas for the next election cycle.

Hurd, who said he opposes Trump's immigration policies and his plan to build a wall on the border with Mexico, has tried to position himself as a moderate Republican. 

Hurd and Ortiz Jones are expected to continue to go toe-to-toe on national security and border issues during their second campaign match-up.

The 2020 Presidential election is expected to bring more Democrats to the polls and Ortiz Jones expects the additional voters to help in her bid to become the first Filipina American elected to Congress.

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Filipina American fires up the Trump crowd

SCREEN CAPTURE / CNN

Michelle Malkin whips up the CPAC crowd.

The far-right's favorite Filipina, Michelle Maglalang Malkin, got the audience standing up and applauding when she attacked fellow Republicans at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) being held at a casino right across the Potomac River from Washington D.C.

Cindy McCain hit back at a conservative pundit on Saturday who attacked “the ghost” of her late husband, Sen. John McCain, in remarks at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference just outside Washington.

Right-wing author, blogger, columnist and all-around firebrand Malkin told the CPAC crowd  Friday (March 1) that she blamed congressional Democrats and Republicans ― including “the ghost of John McCain” ― for failing to enact stricter immigration legislation.

"It's the GOP sell-outs, not just the radical, open-borders left, that is in bed with immigration saboteurs," she said. "Like the ones who hijacked the tea party movement to shill for amnesty. Those are the real grifters cashing in and practicing deceit at the expense of their base and at the expense of our country."

“Remember when Congress promised that they were going to enact a nationwide visa entry-exit system to track legal short-term visa holders?... One has yet to be built ... Both parties are to blame,” Malkin said. “And yes, I’m looking at you retired (House Speaker) Paul Ryan. And yes, I’m looking at you (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell. And yes, I’m looking at you, Bush family. And yes, I’m looking at you, the ghost of John McCain.”

She pointed upward while directing her fury at McCain's ghost, at which point several people in the MAGA-hat weaering crowd gave Malkin a standing ovation. 

After Malkin’s remarks made headlines, McCain’s wife, Cindy, responded to the conservative pundit.

“You never knew Sen. John McCain,” McCain wrote on Twitter. “You should be so lucky.”

Meghan McCain, co-host of The View and daughter of the late senator tweeted on Sunday: "I care that 'the ghost' of my beloved father was used as ghoulish and deeply disturbed political propaganda on CPAC’s stage, but hey maybe that’s just me."

I have always thought if fame and fortune were one's true goals in life of a person of color, all he or she would have to do is become a conservative. 

Republicans love to tout their few people of color to the front and center in an apparent rebuke of the oft-said criticism of the GOP that it is not an inclusive political party. The far right loves it when a POC attacks other minorities; as if to make bigotry and hate acceptable if coming from a dark-skinned conservative.

Prominent people of color conservatives are few and far between but  HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and former Arizona Gov. Bobby Jindal are probably the best-known examples. And until she left the White House in a huff, the former Apprentice contestant Omorosa Manigault, was occasionally trotted out to show the so-called diversity of Trump's staff, especially when hosting African American guests.

Since there are so few Republican POC's, they are assured to get a lot of air time. Malkin has crafted out a lucrative career of espousing radical-right  viewpoints. In 2004 she published a book defending the internment of Japanese Americans during WW II.

McCain had pushed for comprehensive immigration reform while in the Senate, introducing unsuccessful bipartisan legislation that included a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have settled in the United States; border-security upgrades; and a foreign-worker program.

In his final days, he became more outspoken against Trump's policies, including Trump's attempts to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. It was one of McCain's final votes when he sided with the Democrats to preserve key elements of Obamacare, killing the GOP's bill that would have dealt a death knell to the health care program.

Malkin is Filipina American but said she "identifies" as a "proud, unhyphenated, unapologetic, fully assimilated American." She said that critics had called her "white" because of her right-wing views.

"I have been called white for stating facts. I’m not white, I’m just right,” (Note the play on words.) Malkin said at one point in her CPAC tirade, referring to criticism she has received from the left about her stance on immigration.

In a column published in several right-wing outlets about a year ago, she wrote: "I catalogued my favorite malicious mutations of the Uncle Tom card for years on my blog, from 'white man’s puppet' to 'Tokyo Rose' to 'Manila whore,' 'Subic Bay bar girl,' banana, coconut and Oreo. Instead of dissuading me from espousing heretical opinions, these insults spurred me on."

It is not known if Malkin stuck around to hear Donald Trump's 2-hour rambling rant on Saturday. She has not always been a Trump fan. In 2012. before Trump became a die-hard Repubilcan, she got into a war of tweets with the Tweeter-in-chief. He called her a "dummy." The never shy Malkin shot back:

At the end of her CPAC speech last Friday, Malakin set off another firestorm when she said: “Diversity is not our strength, and I know those words are a ‘trigger.’ Diversity is not our strength, unity is. Our common purpose is the common defense of our nation. Good people make America great. Good people stand up and fight.”

I have to agree with her last line. "Good people stand up and fight." But my definition of "good people," is - I'm sure - far different from Michelle's.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Edited March 4, 11 a.m. for clarity and to remove offensive remarks.

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Kelsey Merritt joins pages of Sports Illustrated Swim Suit issue

ASAM NEWS

Victoria Secret model Kelsey Merritt is now joining the ranks of Sports Illustrated Swim Suit models.

KELSEY MERRITT

The Filipina American has been in the Bahamas preparing for her shoot for the sports magazine's most popular issue.

According to Phil Star, Merritt auditioned for SI in October, a month before becoming the first Filipino American model to walk the Victoria Secret Fashion Show runway.

“I really want to be a Sports Illustrated model because I love how confident the models are and I want to show everyone who is looking at these pictures and reading the magazine that they can also be confident in their own skin,” Merritt said to Phil Star.
The Manila Bulletin reports she graduated with an AB communications degree from Ateneo de Manila University.

“Ahhh thank you @si_swimsuit @mj_day for the opportunity to shoot for this iconic issue!!!" she tweeted. ” she said on Twitter.

H.E.R. wins two Grammy awards

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H.E.R. performs at the Grammys.

Filipina American artist H.E.R., aka Gabrielle Wilson, won Grammy awards for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album at Sunday's Grammy Awards show.

When the K-Pop group BTS announced H.E.R. as winner for Best R&B Album, it appeared that she was truly surprised. As stepped up to the stage, she bowed to the Korean group.

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K-Pop boy group BTS announced H.E.R. as the winner of Best R&B Album.

"I'm speechless right now. I'm holding back tears," Wilson said in the acceptance speech for her Best R&B Album win. "I really want to say thank you to God, first and foremost, and my parents, who are in the building right now, and my sister. Mom, dad, this is for all the sacrifices that you made for me and thank you for embracing my talents and who I am since I was a little girl."

Earlier in the show, she performed in a Prince-like performance of her song "Hard Place." Starting alone in a spotlight, the stage brightened to reveal her band, which was joined backup singers and violinists. The set culminated up-and-coming artist shredding a guitar solo.

It's the second year in a row that a Filipino American artist won six awards at the Grammys. Last year, Bruno Mars swept the three R&B categories plus won the Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

The native of Vallejo, Calif. was also nominated for Best New Artist but that category was won by Dua Lipa. In the Best Song category, she lost to"This Is America" by Donald Glover. In the Album of the Year, which went to country singer Kacey Musgrave.

Other AAPI recording artists received nominations in more esoteric categories.

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Kalani Pe'a wins his second Grammy for his Hawaiian music.

Kalani Pe'a's recent album "No 'Ane'i" was picked as the Best Regional Roots Music Album, the second Grammy for the Hawaiian artist. He won in 2016 in the same category.

Jennifer Lee, a producer who is known as TOKiMONSTA, had an album album "Lune Rouge" nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album, lost out to Justice's "Women Wonderland."

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TGIF Feature: 11-year old Angelica Hale is back on AGT: The Champions

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Angelica Hale's winning performance in her triumphant return to 'America's Got Talent.'

AS IF to step up to the challenge of competing against previous champions of America's Got Talent, 11-year old Angelica Hale chose as her first song "Fight Song."
The Filipina American youngster, the 2017 “AGT” runner-up, belted out “Fight Song” last week to became the first performer to receive two Golden Buzzers in the series. Since her performance on Jan. 22, other performers, including Susan Boyle, were awarded the Golden Buzzer.

This season's America's Got Talent is an all-star version of the reality competition, brinigning back former winners and fan favorites.

In the finals of 2017m Angelica at age 10, was pitted against another young performer and eventual einner, ventriloquist Darcy Lynne Farmer, who was 12 at the time.

This time, her spirited rendition of the Rachel Platten hit got the audience and judges standing and wildly applauding. During her performance, Agelica's increased comfort on stage and confidence showed through and she was able to show off her vocal and emotional range.

Howie Mandel was the judge who gave the adorably cute singer the Golden Buzzer, which automatically catapaults the singer into the finals, skipping all the preliminary elimination rounds.

Before her song, she said she opted for “Fight Song” this time around because “I really am fighting for my place here at ‘AGT: Champions’ and I think this song really applies to what I’m doing here today.” She did not disappoint.

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