Filipino American sets record in the Super Bowl

Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers watches one of his Super Bowl record-setting five field goals sail between the goalposts.

Quick: Who scored the most points in Sunday's Super Bowl LX? Hint: He is a Filipino Amercan.

When the confetti fell at Levi's Stadium Sunday, the "12th Man" wasn't just celebrating a second Lombardi Trophy — the Filipino American community was celebrating one of its own. Jason Myers, the Seattle Seahawks' reliable specialist, didn't just participate in Super Bowl LX; he owned it, proving once again that Pinoy Pride has a permanent home on the NFL gridiron.

In a defensive battle between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots  where every point mattered, Myers was "nails" all night. He accounted for 17 of Seattle's 29 points, drilling field goals from 33, 39, 41, 41, and 26 yards. By going 5-for-5, he stands alone with the most field goals ever made in a single Super Bowl.

"It's made me who I am"

For those of us following the intersection of culture and sport, Myers is more than a stat line. He has been a consistent voice for the AAPI community, especially during the #StopAsianHate movement. 

"I am proud to say I am Filipino," Myers has said. "It’s a tiny little group when you get to pro sports ... once you find out (someone else is Filipino), it’s always met with a smile and a hug."

Besides Myers, there are several other NFL players with Filipino heritagem including:

• Cam Bynum (Safety, Minnesota Vikings): Heavily represents his Filipino heritage, often wearing the Philippine flag and engaging in community activism there.

• Josh Jacobs (Running Back, Green Bay Packers): Features the Philippine flag on his helmet, honoring his maternal grandmother.

• Andrei Iosivas (Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals): Known for his speed and is of Filipino descent.

• Johnny Wilson (Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles): A 6'7" receiver who takes pride in his Filipino roots.

• Sean Rhyan (Offensive Lineman, Green Bay Packers): Proudly honors his Filipino mother and heritage.

• Nikko Remigio (Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs): A speedy receiver and return specialist.

• Tyler Allgeier (Running Back, Atlanta Falcons): A key offensive contributor.

• Tariq Castro-Fields (Cornerback, Carolina Panthers): A defensive back.

• Zaire Barnes (Linebacker, New York Jets): A developing linebacker.

• Dillon Gabriel (Quarterback, Cleveland Browns): Listed as a quarterback with Filipino heritage.

Myers' heritage isn't just a footnote; it's central to his identity. From honoring his great-grandfather who served in the US Navy to hosting free specialist camps in his hometown of San Diego, Myers carries the weight of representation with a quiet, familiar credibility.

Myers continues to give back through free performance camps at his alma mater, Mater Dei Catholic High School, ensuring the next generation of specialists has a path to the pros.

He has used his platform to stand firm with the AAPI community against discrimination, plainly acknowledging his lineage even when the spotlight isn't on him.

Sunday's record-breaking performance cements his place in NFL history, but for Filipino Americans, he’s already a Hall of Famer for making our community seen on one of the world’s biggest stage.

View from the edge

Myers has been increasingly open about his heritage. In a landscape where Asian Americans often feel invisible in professional contact sports, Myers has used his platform—specifically during the NFL's "My Cause My Cleats" initiative—to honor his roots.

"I’m proud of my Filipino heritage," Myers has shared in various interviews and social media posts. "It’s important for me to represent that community and show the younger generation of AAPI athletes that there is a place for them in this league."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

A love story: Remembering Carlos Bulosan

Sometimes, a love story isn't just about two people finding each other. It's about how that love reflects and survives the larger forces swirling around them. That's the story of Carlos Bulosan, the giant of Filipino American literature, and Josephine Patrick, a fellow activist and radical with a fire in her belly.

"When I was very young, I went out in the fields and organized in Yakima Valley, Washington," wrote Josephine Patrick in Filipinas Magazine. "That was the first time I met Filipinos. 

“They were the most militant section of the agricultural working class in this country at that time, and they made a great contribution to the development of trade unionism. They were also one of the most oppressed minority groups. Because of language and cultural differences, they were completely isolated and excluded from mainstream American society.”

It’s a story ripe for a movie. Anyone?

They met in Seattle in 1952. By then, Bulosan was a name whispered with reverence and caution in FilAm circles. His book, "America Is in the Heart," was already the gospel for a generation of Filipino farmworkers and immigrants who understood its pain all too well. Yet, for all his fame, Bulosan was also a man in decline. Years of poverty, hard labor, and tuberculosis were taking their toll.

Patrick, an American activist and Communist Party member, was already a force in her own right. She organized farmworkers and fought against the deportation of union leaders during the McCarthy-era red scare. When she and Bulosan met, a connection was instant. She wasn't just a fan of his writing; she was a fellow warrior in the same struggle.

The two were introduced to each other in 1952 at a party in Seattle and found an immediate connection. Bulosan moved into Patrick's home.

Despite their short time together, Patrick considered Bulosan the love of her life. Bulosan was inspired by her political convictions and her fighting spirit.He made a pact with her that he would write her a leter every day, a promise he kept until a few days before he died.

Their romance, however, was as radical as their politics. Patrick was separated but still legally married to another party member. In the strict, unbending world of the Communist Party, this was deemed "immoral." For their love, she was expelled from the party, a personal and political betrayal that carried a heavy price in those paranoid times.

But it couldn't snuff out her spirit. Patrick remained dedicated to left-wing causes long after Bulosan was gone. After he succumbed to his illness in 1956, she was entrusted with his manuscripts. It was her recollections, shared in interviews years later, that provided a poignant, human glimpse into the final years of a literary titan who had been largely forgotten.

Their story reminds us that the personal is always political. Their relationship wasn't just a romance; it was an act of defiance against the establishment, the red scare, and even the rigid doctrines of their own movement.

Josephine Patrick and Carlos Bulosan.

In an interview with the Seattle Times, Patrick said, "Those years with Carlos, I think that they were the happiest part of my life," Patrick says. 

"But you can't have happiness without pain."

Their romance didn't occur in a vacuum. It was a time when there were few Filipino women in the US in the early 20th century because early Filipino immigration was heavily male-dominated, and discriminatory US laws and social attitudes created a hostile environment for women to migrate and live freely. American agricultural businesses, including Hawaiian sugar and pineapple plantations and West Coast farms, actively recruited young, single, male laborers.

This recruitment strategy was designed to create a mobile and temporary workforce. Companies often housed these male workers cheaply and viewed their lack of family units as an efficient way to control costs. Recruiters also discouraged the immigration of women as a way of preventing the formation of permanent Filipino American communities.

"Carlos was very concerned, however, that I would knuckle under from all the pressures and prejudices. Even in the political milieu racism was very vicious. They disapproved of my going out with Carlos," Patrick wrote. 

 "But despite this, he always had a love and optimism about people, and the world, and no matter how much he suffered, he did not particularly blame bitterly the people around him. He didn’t get paranoid and withdrawn. They were really a very courageous people."

The romance of Bulosan and Patrick is a story of two people who found solace and love in each other, a flicker of hope amidst the darkness of a hostile world.

In early September 1956, he was interviewed by a Seattle Times reporter. Bulosan told her that he was at work on a sequel to "America Is in the Heart," which he tentatively titled "My Letter to the World," and a rough draft of a children's book.

"I want to interpret the soul of the Filipinos in this country," he told her. "What really compelled me to write was to try to understand this country, to find a place in it not only for myself but for my people."

About a week later, Bulosan passed out on the lawn of the King County Courthouse after drinking with a friend. He was taken to Harborview Hospital where he died  of pneumonia, not tuberculosis, on Sept. 11, 1956. He was 44. 

Carlos Bulosan is a name we celebrate today, his books read in classrooms and inspiring new generations. But it's important to remember the woman who loved him in his final years and carried his legacy forward. 

Patrick was present during Bulosan's time in the hospital, and she helped care for him during his final years. 

Bulosan died in 1956 in Seattle, and Patrick was at his side. She became the custodian of his unpublished letters and manuscripts which she later donated to the University of Washington Library. 

She continued to share stories about the author, but also about his cooking, his sense of humor, his love of nature, his bouts of melencholy  which includes a deep disappointment of his so-called East Coast friends who abandoned him. Patrick spent the rest of her life keeping Bulosan's legacy and memory alive.

Josephine Patrick, the friend and former romantic partner of Carlos Bulosan, died in the Seattle area on July 23, 2005, at the age of 86.

Their story is a powerful testament to the fact that while history books focus on the headlines, the real struggle and the deepest connections often happen behind the scenes. It's a reminder that America's story—especially the Filipino American one—is filled with countless such untold tales of love, defiance, and resilience.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Seattle: Teaching Filipino American history is a social and societal affirmation

A mural depicts Filipino American experience in Seattle.

It wasn't until college before I learned any Filipino American history. By then, my self-worth had plummeted to depths I didn't realize until I stepped back as an adult to look back on my life's journey.

Middle school and high school were terrible. The popularity and a reputation for academic accomplishments that I fostered in elementary school vanished as I entered 7th grade when the social aspects of school began to take precedence.  All the way through high school, although I got along with students of all races in my multi-ethnic school, I always had this feeling of being on the outside and not belonging.

For the first time, Seattle public school students are being offered an option to study Filipino American history to fulfill their US history requirement. After all, Filipino American history is part of US history.

Usually, in the most forward-looking school districts, which are rare, Filipino American history is part of the overall curriculum of an Asian American history class. But Seattle public schools offering is perhaps the district offering a distinctly Filipino American subject, not Chinese, Japanese or the all-encompassing Asian American history, but Filipino.

According to 2020–2021 Seattle Public Schools (SPS) student data disaggregated by racial demographics, upwards of 4,700 students identify as Filipino, Filipino American, or as a multiracial Filipino student. 

Filipino American history has already been incorporated into SPS's curriculum of US history, but this virtual offering centering on the Filipino American experience can now fulfill that same history requirement.

It took decades of community work to develop the academically acceptable curriculum including contributions from the University of Washington and from the local Filipino American community.

Usually, curriculum is developed from the materials available from national publishers and educational institutions and then selected by the local school districts. In Seattle's case, it is the first time that locally produced educational formed the basis of the curriculum.

Much of the material is derived from the Filipino American National History Society, headquartered in Seattle. Having October designated as Filipino American History Month is the product of the work of FANHS.

It took many individuals and decades of research and lobbying for the creation of the history class. One of the key local sdvocates was SPS senior project manager of academics Devin Cabanilla. For years, he used his role in the district and his strong ties with the local community to leverage acceptance of the idea.

It wasn't until the arrival of SPS's Ethnic Studies program manager Alekz Wray and the current district administration leaders, did the idea break through the bureaucratic red tape.  Wray shepherded the course through the academic requirements of SPS and helped integrate the local material into the curriculum. 

“It was really important for me to make sure that this class was not a product of SPS," Wray told the Emerald. "This was a product of the community that has been living this history, because who’s telling the story is super important … This was the Filipino, Filipina, Filipinx American communities’ story to tell, and because the community still has ownership over this curriculum, they’re still able to empower and uplift and keep this as a living curriculum.”

The course, “Filipinx American US History,” fits into the district’s expanding catalog of courses centering diverse perspectives in literature and history classes, such as Black Studies US History and Native American Literature. The high school course uses Filipinx in its name, a term indicating gender neutrality in place of Filipino or Filipina, although some say “Filipino” is already a gender-neutral term.

RELATED: A pilgrimage to Carlos Bulosan's gravesite

The Filipino community has a strong presence in Seattle where a park and bridge is
named after one of the Philippines' revolutionary figures.

The school district said expanded access to these ethnic courses is critical to its racial equity work and commitment to the community. 

During this current surge of outright racism, especially attacks against Asian Americans, anti-racist curricula and teaching methods are a potentially potent way for schools to better promote a just society and improve educational outcomes for low-income students and students of color, according to studies by educational experts.

“Students going through ethnic studies curricula find themselves empowered having that self-confidence … a lot of people start to get to know themselves,” said Dr. Third Andresen, a UW professor who played a critical role in designing the curriculum. “It (ethnic studies) increases the probability of college access and the probability of graduation.”

SPS spokesperson Tina Riss Christiansen said there are currently  11 students enrolled in the virtual Filipinx U.S. History class. There are also a couple hundred eighth graders at several middle schools who will take the class this school year. Christiansen also points out that Seattle schools also tests Filipino languages every year for World Language Credit Testing and a Seal of Biliteracy to fulfill the foreign language requirements of some colleges.

“Filipinos are contributors in any community they go to, so this class will be for all of us, by Filipinos,” Wray said. “I’m really excited for students to be able to take this class and to really challenge the master narrative,” which usually teaches US history from a Euro-centric point of view.

"I’m so jealous of kids,” Cabanilla told the Emerald. “The relevance of who Filipino Americans are in American history wasn’t clear to me until after college. For kids to be able to recognize that [they] are a valid part of American history ... it’s so affirming.”

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

New San Jose park may honor the Filipino American farmworkers of Delano

An artist rendering of the future park. Photo courtesy of City of San Jose.

San Jose will likely get a new park named after the Filipino agricultural workers who launched the 1965 Grape Strike that led to the creation of the United Farm Workers.

If approved by the city council, a neighborhood park will be named the “Delano Manongs Park, to honor the Filipino farm workers who struck against grape growers for better pay and working conditions. The park would be the city's first physical  acknowledgement of the local Filipino American community since there is no Little Manila or Filipino district.

“There’s a huge population of Filipino Americans in San Jose. And we’re never represented anywhere,” said Ann Reginio, a community organizer with the Santa Clara Valley chapter Filipino American National Historical Society.

Filipino activists who lobbied for the park's name say the honor is a long time coming, considering San Jose’s sizable Filipino community — 5.5% of the city’s 2 million residents  and 13.6% of the population in the park’s ZIP code, according to a city presentation.

According to city documents, over 70% of the neighborhood around the park who had a hand in the park's planning favors naming the park after the Filipino American labor heroes.

The half-acre park broke ground in September 2020 and is expected to be completed this summer. It will include a children’s playground, a gathering place, open green space and signage. The Planning Commission also approved for a Filipino-related monument at the park to honor the farmworkers.

“Manong,” is from the Ilocano dialect and translates to “older brother,” was used by college students as a term of endearment for the older Filipino farmworkers, most of whom immigrated to the US in the 1930s.

“They (the manongs) were an incredibly significant and often overlooked piece of what we now know as the movement that Cesar Chavez led in his lifetime,” said Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, whose district includes the park, according to the San Jose Spotlight. “It will bring a sense of pride.”

The San Jose City Council must approved the Park Commission's recommendation. At this point, the item has not been placed on the council agenda.

Filipino American History Month: Filipinos land in California on this date, 433 years ago ...

A simple plaque, left, commemorates the historic landding in San Luis Obispo's Coleman Park.

Today's the day! On this day 433 years ago, Filipinos landed on what was to become California, the first recorded incident of Asians setting foot in the future United States.

The Filipinos were sailors aboard the Manila galleon, Nuestra Senora de Esperanza which anchored in Morro Bay in what was to become San Luis Obispo, California.

A boulder set in Coleman Park overlooking harbor marks the historic event. A plaque implanted into the boulder, reads:

"During the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Era from 1565 to 1815 Spanish galleons crossed the Pacific between the Philippines and Mexico.

"On October 18, 1587, the Manila Galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza commanded by Pedro de Unamuno entered Morro Bay near here. A landing party was sent to shore which included Luzon Indios, marking the first landing of Filipinos in the continental United States. The landing party took official possession of the area for Spain by putting up a cross made of branches. The group was attacked by native Indians two days later, and one of the Filipinos was killed. Unamuno and his crew gave up further exploration of this part of the coast."  

The names of the Filipino sailors, described only as "Luzones Indios" were never recorded in the Spanish records so whether the Filipinos were slaves or part of the crew is uncertain.

On this day, 433 years ago, Unamuno ordered two of his Filipino seamen to make contact with the native inhabitants on the theory that the brown-skinned sailors would be accepted by the local people. Contact was successful and talks between the Filipinos were welcomed by the native people began. Three days later, according to  the ship's journals, after the white-skinned Spaniards were brought into the negotiations, the talks ended in violence with two of Unamuno's crew fatally killed, including one of the Filipinos.

The historical date is the primary reason the Filipino American National Historical Society chose October as Filipino History Month.

The treasure-laden galleons, huge ships made in the Philippines, sailed across the Pacific, three times wider than the Atlantic Ocean bringing precioius stones, porcelain, silks and spices from Asia to Acapulco in Mexico's western shore. From there, the goods were transported overland to the Vera Cruz on the Caribbean and then loaded onto ships to be transported to Spain.

 

UPDATED: This blog compiles scores of posts about Filipino American history, accomplishments and individuals

EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS POST IS CONSTANTLY BEING UPDATED TO THE PRESENT

"POSITIVELY NO FILIPINOS ALLOWED" said the sign in a Stockton hotel.

I'm a product of the American public school system and I learned a tremendous amount but it wasn't until college did I realize how much was left out of my education.

Even though I was learning about MY history about MY country, at the same time, sometimes I felt like an outsider looking in.

Where did I fit in? Where were my people? Was everything good about the world, and more specifically, the United States, because of a bunch of white guys (emphasize "guys”)?

Asians didn't merit any mention in history class until we studied World War II. Even then it was a fleeting mention. The main fighting, we were told; the important battles, so we were told, was happening in Europe. Again -- white guys fighting white guys. “Oh, and by the way, we dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan.”

In the few years I have been writing Views From the Edge, I've written several articles pertaining to Filipino American history,  hopefully filling in the void for some of you, dear readers, or at least, pique your interest. For Filipino American History Month, this October,  I've gathered them together - in no particular order - so that new readers who are interested can easily link to those past articles.

Filipinos on display at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Looking over the list, it was a surprise  to me at how many articles there are. Hmm, maybe I should put them together as a book? Despite the number, there's so much more to write about and this list shouldn't be interpreted as the sum total of Filipino American history. I hope readers might find something that piques your interest. Keeping in mind this year's theme of "Social Activism," I've separated the posts I felt might fit into that category for easy access for readers. 

It appears that social activism is part of the Filipino DNA.  I don't know where the quiet and subservient stereotype of Asian Americans came from. I suspect it is the way those influential Americans wish we were and tried to drum that image into our psyche as a way to keep us in line. 

One of the difficulties in gathering all this stories into one post is that Filipino American history is continuing to be made because the community and individuals keep making new history. As a result, the list continueds to change and grow each year Although I tried to categorize them into four main categories, the subjects are loosely defined sometims. Nevertheless, maybe there's something here that will capture your interest, or you'll learn sometihng you never knew before, or ... you'll realize that you're not alone and that being Filipino American history is part of the American story and something you can be proud of. Filipino Americans have always been part of the American tapestry and continue to weave their stories in this country's history. Enjoy!

FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY

The genetic connection between Mexico and the Philippines via the Galleon era

Filipina is a key witness against rapper Diddy Combs.

Congress introduces resolution for Filipino American History Month 2024

2023 FAHM theme: 1898,watershed year in Philippine and Filipino American history

Hanapepe Massacre 100 year anniversary; mass grave discovered

Harris-Walz campaign works hard to woo FNevada's ilipino American voters

Smithsonian kept remains of Filipinos who died at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair

St. Louis museum updates Filipinos' role in World Fair

Boulder marks the first recorded spot where an Asian stepped on America's shores

In the era of coronavirus: Filipino nurses on the frontline

Saint Malo, first Filipino American settlement to receive new recognition
FilAm History Month 2019: Celebration of Filipina Americans
California allocates $1 million to research and educate about Filipinos in America
Why ALL Americans should know about Larry Itliong
Filipino American celebrities introduce Filipino American History month
Video series telling Filipinos' untold role in the story of America
Vicky Manolo Draves, Olympic gold medal winner
Lost Filipino American Tribe: Legacy of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis
For Buffalo soldiers, Philippine American War was a conflict of conscience
1946 - A turning point in Filipino American history
Saying 'thank you' to our parents
Philippine American War - A story of betrayal

The Philippine American War told in four minutes
Battle renewed over the Bells of Balangiga
AARP presents video on Filipino American history
A pilgrimage to the gravesite of author Carlos Bulosan
J Cox wins: First Filipino American Congressman from California

New landmark to welcome visitors to L.A.'s Historic Filipinotown

Teachers learning to include Filipino American history in California classrooms

1965 Grape Strike is part of US labor history

SF's Filipino Education Center keeps gentrification at bay

2020 Census: A question of identity for Filipino Americans
Google Doodle fetes Olympic champion Victoria Manalo Draves
Why Filipino veterans were given the Congressional Medal of Honor
Impact of U.S.-Philippines bases agreement
Filipino American is a descendant of one of America's 'Founding Fathers'

Professional race car driver Michele Bumgarner
Campaign launched for Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies
Filipino American History Month 2018: 1898 and 1968
Historic Gran Oriente Hotel preserved as affordable housing
Unexpected history lesson on Monterey's Cannery Row
SF monument to tell the truth about the Philippine American War
Bells of Balangiga return to the Philippines

HEROES & LEGENDS

Eric Spoelstra is first Asian American to coach Team USA's men's basketball

Dillon Gabriel: FilAm NFL quarterback makes history

Chelsea soccer breaks up the Thompson sisters

US Coast Guard launches ship named after Filipino American heroine.

Deja Foxx's quest for Congress comes to an end

Olivia Rodreigo declares she's a proud Pinoy!

FilAm Rutgers players is No. 2 pick in NBA draft

Filipino American chef leaves her job at the White House

Surfer Carissa Moore contemplates her future after the 2024 Olympics

FilAm makes history as first Black Miss Philippines-Universe

Filipino American launches anti-Trump PAC

L.A. Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel passes away

Two heroic women you should know

Maria Ressa wins Nobel Peace Prize

White House chef retires after serving four Presidents

Lee Kiefer wins second gold medal in 2024 Olympics

Beauty and brainds; Scientist wins Miss New York title

Olympic surfer Carissa Moore eliminated

California names its Teacher of the Year

Free press triumphs as trumped up charges dropped vs. Maria Ressa

Former Miss Texas seeks pollitical office
Washington appoints top Navy surgeon to be it's coronavirus czar

Jose Antonio Vargas appointed to California college board

Doug Baldwin, stalwart Seahawks FilAm receiver, retires

Chicago Filipino Americans honor their Pinay Visionaries
Olympic gymnast Kyla Ross named Filipino American "role model"

Raiders' Josh Jacob holds NFL rushing title

Vikings player shows his Filipino American pride

Sisters reunite in professional soccer team

Jessica Hagedorn: Focusing on Filipino American representation

California roadway named after late Filipino American community leader

Breitnman Rock on Playboy magazine cover

10-month old toddler named Gerber baby of the year

Teen sensation is No. 1pick in women's professional soccer draft

Filipino Americans a majority of Philippines World Cup football team

Filipino American football player has NFL rushing record for 2022-2o23

The 2022 Grammy Awards was one for the history books.

MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT & SOCIAL IMPACT

Jessica Sanchez crowned winner of 'America's Got Talent' 2025

High-end Filipino cuisine debuts in the foodie-centric Napa Valley

Olivia Rodrigo declrews she's proud to be Filipino

Lea Salonga to get a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Best fast-food fried chicken crown goes to Jolibee
FilAms Darren Criss and Nicole Scherzinger make history at the Tony Awards

Nicole Scherzinger debuts on Broadway with fantastic reviews

Mattel unveils new Filipino 'Barbie' doll

Harris-Walz campaign focuses on Nevada's Filipino Americans

'Larry, The Musical' debuts in San Francisco

Father and daughter team up in Broadway musical

Filipino Food Month in April gains. more popularity

'Expat's' seventh episode focuses on Filipino diaspora

Jo Koy picked to host Golden Globes awards show

'Here Lies Love' brings Marcoses to Broadway but not without controversy

'Here Lies Love' too expensive, closes after short run

'Cleaning Lady' third season, episode 2 is special 

Filipino American gymnast going to the Olympics representing the Philippines

Sugar Pie DeSanto: Legendary blues singer and song writer

Elaine Quijano: First AsAm to moderate a US presidential debate

Kasama: First Filipino American restaurant wins Michelin star

Grammy awards one for the history books

DJ QBert - putting in the work to be the best

'Beauty and the Beast' features Filipino father and daughter
Film about AsAm musicians hits the right notes - Joe Bataan
Black-eyed Peas pay tribute to the Filipino manongs

Ruby Ibarra's newest hit is the anthem we all need

Sesame Street gets a Filipino American muppet

Steven Spielberg blew it in casting Chino in the new 'West Side Story'

Filipino Americans have the hardest time falling asleep

Online news outlets stumble on question of Miss Texas Filipino heritage

Dave Bautista displays his Filipino heritage is more than skin deep

Becoming Mexipino: Thwarting anti-miscegenation laws

Sesame Street welcomes a Filipino American muppet

Filipino American's death at hands of police inspires reform

A HISTORY OF ACTIVISM

100th anniversary of the Hanapepe Massacre

Filipino nurses win huge settlement vs. hospitals

Filiipinos' important role in US labor history belies passive stereotu[es

Social activism is the theme for 2020 Filipino American History Month

16 striking Filipino sugar workers killed in the Hanapepe Massacre

Why ALL Americans should know about Larry Itliong

50th anniversary of farmworkers' 1965 Grape Strike
Seven labor leaders you need to know about

Larry Itliong Day passed by California legislators

Healthy food advocate wins award as a social change activist.

The Fall of the International Hotel
Recalling the first skirmish of the I-Hotel

Anniversary of the assassination of Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo.

Carlos Bulosan's essay of 'Freedom From Want' was controversial

Filipino nurses play a vital part of U.S. health care

Bonta wins election for California's Attorney General

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Washington State receives federal grant to document FilAm contributions

FILIPINO AMERICAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Filipino Americans board ships in Seattle to work in Alaska's canneries.

Washington State University will receive a federal grant to identify, document and commemorate contributions from its large Filipino American community.

The grant from the Underrepresented Communities grant program administered by the National Park Service was made to the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, according to a news release from the state agency.

The project is a part of the state's Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s initiative to commemorate all underrepresented communities in the state, the agency said in a statement.

Its goal is to record oral histories, identify primary source documents and recognize important sites and buildings relevant to Filipino Americans, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.

The state of Washington has the fifth highest concentration of Filipinos in the U.S., according to the 2010 census.

The state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation received the grant from the National Park Service, which announced in June that it would award $750,000 in grants to identify important information from underrepresented communities across the country.

The National Park Service announced in June that it has awarded $750,000 in Underrepresented Community Grants to support the identification and nomination of sites to the National Register of Historic Places, the news release said. The Underrepresented Community grant program focuses on documenting the homes, lives, landscapes and experiences of underrepresented peoples who played a significant role in national history.

For more information about the grants and the Underrepresented Community Grant Program, visit https://www.nps.gov/preservation-grants/community-grants.html.

PBS documentary, 'Asian Americans,' premieres tonight

It has been years in the making but Asian Americans will finally air on May 11 and 12, at 8 p.m. on your local PBS station.

The 5-part documentary series examines what the 2010 U.S. Census identifies as the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. Told through individual lives and personal histories, Asian Americans explores the impact of this group on the country’s past, present, and future.

The television series chronicles the fastest growing racial/ethnic group's history in the United States and examines the role Asian Americans have played in shaping America. More specifically, the Asian American-led series explores the impact Asian Americans have had on the country, from the1850s Asian immigrants lured by the California Gold Rush to modern refugee crises to the fight for desegregation and education equality.

"Although Asian Americans have significantly shaped national identity through educational change, most Americans may be unfamiliar with such efforts," says Stewart Kwoh, Executive Director and President of Advancing Justice – Los Angeles and who championed the need for such a comprehensive documentary.


Kwoh continued, "It is fitting the documentary launches this month during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month because there is so much people do not understand about our culture and how much we are woven into the fabric of this country's historical tapestry."

Summaries of each episodes are below:

EPISODE 1: BREAKING GROUND (Monday, 8 p.m.)

In an era of exclusion and U.S. empire, new immigrants arrive from China, India, Japan, the Philippines and beyond. Barred by anti-Asian laws they become America’s first “undocumented immigrants,” yet they build railroads, dazzle on the silver screen, and take their fight for equality to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

EPISODE 2: A QUESTION OF LOYALTY (Monday, 9 p.m.)

An American-born generation straddles their country of birth and their parents’ homelands in Japan and Korea. Those loyalties are tested during World War II, when families are imprisoned in detention camps, and brothers find themselves on opposite sides of the battle lines. 

EPISODE 3: GOOD AMERICANS  (Tuesday, 8 p.m.)

During the Cold War years, Asian Americans are simultaneously heralded as a Model Minority, and targeted as the perpetual foreigner. It is also a time of bold ambition, as Asian Americans aspire for the first time to national political office and a coming culture-quake simmers beneath the surface. 

EPISODE 4: GENERATION RISING (Tuesday, 9 p.m.) 

During a time of war and social tumult, a young generation fights for equality in the fields, on campuses and in the culture, and claim a new identity: Asian Americans. The war’s aftermath brings new immigrants and refugees who expand the population and the definition of Asian America. 

EPISODE 5: BREAKING THROUGH (Tuesday 10 p.m.)

At the turn of the new millennium, the national conversation turns to immigration, race, and economic disparity. As the U.S becomes more diverse, yet more divided, a new generation of Asian Americans tackle the question, how do we as a nation move forward together?

Asian Americans joined the civil rights campaigns in the late 60s and 70s.

Five hours doesn't seem enough time and there are sure to be some questions on what is not included in what has been described as a comprehensive look at Asian Americans' impact on the US. Fears have been expressed that the series will emphasize an East Asian perspective and overlook the contributions and history of Hmong Americans, Filipino Americans and South Asians. The producers say they took great pains to make sure that the voices go beyond the Japanese, Chinese and Korean communities.

Hopefully, teachers and students working out of their homes will take advantage of this series for their social studies, government and history classes. A full K-12 education curriculum will bring this historical significance and more to light with engaging digital content from the series. Through the new curriculum, the history of the Asian American experience will be available for current and future generations and for all communities of color to explore the history, contributions, and complexities of Asian Americans.

“These are American stories: stories of resilience in the face of racism, of overcoming challenges as refugees from war and strife, of making contributions in all sectors of society: business, technology, military service, and the arts, said Stephen Gong, Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media. 

"These Asian American experiences and voices provide a vital foundation for a future fast approaching, in which no single ethnic or racial group defines America, in which shared principles will define who we are as Americans.”

Asian Americans is a production of WETA Washington, D.C. and CAAM for PBS, in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Flash Cuts, and Tajima-Peña Productions – the company behind Who Killed Vincent Chin? and No Más Bebés.