Miss America talks about being Korean American and representing

Korean American Emma Broyles was crowned Miss America Thursday.

As Miss Alaska, Emma  Broyles is the first Korean American to win the Miss America competition Thursday in the pageant's 100-year history.

"Being the first Korean Miss America, that we know of, is really cool because I think about when I was younger and I was growing up and not really seeing Korean women who looked like me in popular media," says Broyles, 20 in an interview with People. "I remember I was ashamed of my heritage and I was avoiding embracing it at all costs.

"Now that I'm older, I've really been able to embrace my ethnicity and embrace my background, embrace the journey that my grandparents made 50 or so years ago," she continues. "And I think that having a woman who's kind of an underdog — being only 20 from Alaska and being half-Korean — is representative of all that Miss America stands for."

Broyles, 20, is a Service High School graduate in Anchorage and currently in her junior year at the Honors College at Arizona State University where she’s majoring in biomedical studies and minoring in voice performance, according to the Miss America Organization.

Broyles said being crowned Miss America is “an incredible dream come true,” according to a statement announcing her win from the organization.

"I hope at least one person out there feels like they can see themselves in me and feel inspired," she said.

In an interview with the Anchorage Daily News, her hometown newspaper, she was asked about her Korean heritage and family.

"Being what we know of to be the first Miss America of Korean descent is another really cool thing because I think it represents all of the the positive change that we’ve seen in Miss America in the past 100 years," Broyles told the ADN.

"I mean, even just in the past decade, we’ve seen such a diverse group of Miss Americas, and to be representing Asians all over the United States is a really, really cool and a really special moment for me.

"My grandparents, they came to America about 50 years ago — right before my mom was born — with this idea that they wanted their kids to be able to live that American Dream and have every opportunity possible. They actually moved straight to Anchorage, Alaska, so they’ve been here for quite a while, which is why my family has our roots in Anchorage, Alaska, and all of their other family members came from Korea to Anchorage, Alaska.

"So I have a huge Korean family in Anchorage, and it’s really, really neat because my grandpa was actually the president of the Korean Alaskan organization.

"And it was a really cool win for my grandparents as well, I think, to see their Korean granddaughter making strides and being in a competition like Miss America. And you know, there were so many other Koreans on that stage with me, which — it was a really cool experience, and I feel so grateful for my heritage and for the ability to represent other Korean Americans all across the country. And I think my grandparents are especially grateful and especially excited.

“As a Korean American, I am so grateful for the opportunity to compete alongside so many brilliant, talented women,” she said. “I hope to live up to the legacy, serve as a positive role model for women of all ages and make the Miss America Organization proud. It’s been an honor to represent the great state of Alaska and I look forward to making a significant impact through my social impact initiative on the national stage.”

For winning the Miss America crown, Broyles, a first-year student at Arizona State University, will get a $100,000 scholarship and earn a six-figure salary during her one-year reign.

The Miss America pageant, which has moved away from the emphasis on physical appearance to placing more importance on leadership, talent and communication skills, was not held last year because of the pandemic and it wasn't held for several years in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was moved from its traditional site in Atlantic City, N.J. and held at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. 

Broyles is unusual among pageant winners in that she openly talks about her flaws.  "I think that people tend to put Miss America on this pedestal and say, 'Wow... she's living this fabulous, glamorous life.'"

During the contest, she told the judges and audience that she wants people to view Miss America as real person. Broyles revealed that she has ADHD and suffers from a form of OCD. "I am real. I have flaws... and because of that, I am a better person."

For the US Census, Filipino Americans once again face that question of identity

DIOKNO

A Filipino American family with six generations reflects America.

OPINION

With the US Census mailing out their questionnaires this week to all US households (and even those without households), Filipino Americans will once again confront that recurring question of "what the heck am I?"

The US Census is taking place as required by the Constitution. Every ten years the government must count all the people living within its borders, citizens, greencard holders, those here on a special visa and those who here without proper documentation. Everyone!

One of the questions the Census is asking for is the respondent's race or ethnicity. That's a tougher question for some than for others.

Information on race is required for many Federal programs and is critical in making policy decisions, particularly for civil rights and voting rights. States use these data to meet legislative redistricting principles. Race data also are used to promote equal employment and educational opportunities and to assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks.Among Asians, Filipinos are probably the most racially fluid. Undoubtedly, some old-timers with Hispanic surnames will include themselves as Hispanic. Some super-patriotic ex-military-types will skip the question because they proudly think of themselves as "American."

For my fellow Filipino Americans and Filipinos living in the US, this year should be a no-brainer. The Census makes it easy for those questioning their identity, there's a box for "Filipino." Check it!

Since 1960, people were allowed to choose their own race. This year’s Census will have the same categories for people of Asian descent it used in 2010: “Chinese,” “Japanese,” “Filipino,” “Korean,” “Asian Indian,” “Vietnamese,” and “Other Asian.”

Personally, I go by the one-drop rule, but I leave that up to the individual for whatever you feel comfortable with. Hell, under my definition, even Hailee Steinfeld, who claims 1/16th Filipino heritage and has not yet played a Filipino in any of her movie roles, can mark down "Filipino." The more the merrier, I say. 

(That's not a knock on Hailee. For the record, she says she'd love to play a Filipino in honor of her grandfather, but she's never been offered a script that calls for her to play a Filipino.)

AM I REALLY FILIPINO?

Oh, I know there are those haughty purists out there who would reject my identity because I don't speak a Filipino dialect, or that I was raised in the US, or I speak English without an American accent.  They'd likely tell me, "You're not a real Filipino," whatever "real" means. 

To hell with them. That's their problem.

It took awhile, but growing up in the multi-cultural California,  decided long ago that I am a  Filipino. They don''t know about the slurs I suffered growing up.  They don't know the times I was left out, the times I was marginalized, forgotten, rejected, passed over or ignored ... all because of the color of my skin or my ethnicity.

Some years ago, a cousin immigrated to the US from Manila. College-educated, young, hip. After awhile, he joined a local Filipino folkdance group. 

He told me, "in the Philippines I never would have joined such a group. I never would have learned to dance the tinikling," or consider joining a folk dance troupe. He had always took for granted being Filipino. In the Philippines, he never had to think about or choosing to be Filipino.

So, like me, he arrived at the moment where he had to define himself in this new land. Our journeys may have taken different paths but we both arrived at the same conclusion: Instead of being ashamed or rejecting his heritage, he chose to embrace being Filipino.

During the 70s when the Asian American civil rights movement was in its infancy, the question always arose: Are Filipinos Asian or Pacific Islander?

Geographically and if you trace the DNA of Polynesians, Filipinos can identify as both. At some point during an ice age, the Philippines was connected to main land mass of Asia when the adventurous found their way there.

There are also recent studies from the University of Adelaide that says the Philippines could be the ancestral homeland of the Polynesians, whose forebears colonized the Pacific about 3,200 years ago. 

The Census doesn't take into account the polyglot nature of Filipinos. Three hundred years of Spanish rule and a half-century being told that America is the gold standard for civilization. Because of its geographical location along ocean trade routes, there has been a steady stream of Chinese immigrant traders and merchants, South Asians have been going to the Philippines just as long, remnants of the Vietnamese refugees and Japanese military and economic incursions. And you can't discount the back-and-forth from Indonesia and Borneo seafarers who for centuries have been crossing the oceans like forever to visit relatives irrespective of political boundaries.

That's been a recurring theme in Philippine history: Take what the newcomer brings to the table, give it a local twist and the adaptive process changes both groups of people -- the immigrant and the indigenous folk -- culturally, linguistically, gastronomically or physically. 

In this respect, Filipinos and the Philippines are a lot like Americans and the US. With the waves of immigrants from around the world, the default image of an American should no longer be the white American male. Like Americans (should see themselves), the Filipino is the sum total of all these influences.

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Actress Hailee Steinfeld, left, and her mother Cheri Doomain-Steinfeld.

HOW TO ANSWER IF YOU'RE OF MIXED HERITAGE

It gets a bit more complicated if you're of more than one racial heritage, ie the aforementioned Hailee, but the same question also faces Filipino American celebrities such as Darren Criss, H.E.R., Asia Jackson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dave Bautista, Vanessa Hudgens, Jordan Clarkson, Sharon Leal, Enrique Iglesias and Bruno Mars among others. 

The Census allows you to check more than one box. And if your racial heritage doesn't have a box. you can write in the missing ethnicity or race. The Census Bureau projects that the US's multiracial population will triple by 2060. In other words, about 1 in 5 Americans will identify themselves as multiracial so don't think you're alone if you're uncertain.

The Census allows the responder to self-identify. Here is what the Census has to say for those with multiple racial or ethnic origins:

An individual’s response to the race question is based upon self-identification. The Census Bureau does not tell individuals which boxes to mark or what heritage to write in. For the first time in Census 2000, individuals were presented with the option to self-identify with more than one race and this continues with the 2010 Census. People who identify with more than one race may choose to provide multiple races in response to the race question. For example, if a respondent identifies as "Asian" and "White," they may respond to the question on race by checking the appropriate boxes that describe their racial identities and/or writing in these identities on the spaces provided.

Unfortunately, there are full-blooded Filipinos on Guam and Hawaii who will mark down Chamorro or Hawaiian. Nothing wrong with that if that's how you identify, but don't forget to include to write in Filipino, too.

The question on race and ethnicity appears in the 2020 Census questionnaire.

Getting an accurate count is important for political purposes, for health data, economic and educational opportunities and representation in the general culture. We're here and we want acknowledgement of our presence and our needs.

Just to be clear, when the US Census asks what ethnicity you are, if you have any trace of Filipino blood in you, please check "Filipino." Do NOT Check "Other" or write in "Pacific Islander."

Though my family's roots are from the Philippines, our relatives in the US extend through a multitude of races and runs the spectrum of all shades of beige, black and brown. That talent of adaptation and transformation is America, but Filipinos have been doing it longer.

In a 2019 interview, Haliee said, “I have Filipino blood in me and I’m so proud of that." So Hailee, which box will you check?

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

'Cablinasian' Tiger Woods wins fifth Masters golf tournament

SCREEN CAPTURE / ESPN

After his final putt to win the Masters, Tiger Woods couldn't contain himself.

In the stories about Sunday's (April 14) Masters win by Tiger Woods, inevitably, journalists will describe him as a "black golfer," but we know better, don't we?

Woods is only a quarter-black and half-Asian. The other quarter of Woods' racial heritage is American Indian. Early in his career when he just dropped out oft Stanford to become a pro-golfer, when asked about his ethnic backgrounds, Woods referred to himself as Cablinasian, combining all the races.

Its been a while since Woods, 43, has been at the top of his game so he's been out of the news headlines and relegated to sidebars so let's go back a few years when Woods' racial heritage was the subject of many discussions about athletes and it's intersection with race.

Here are some comments from Quora: 

Steven Hansen, former Retired at Professional Pilot (1970-2016)

Answered Nov 26, 2018 · Author has 799 answers and 25.5k answer views

Very good question. Tigers dad who taught him about young blond girls by his own example as he was separated from his wife you know. Earls quest was to show the rich white man how superior his Afro heritage was, sick but true. Tiger loved both his overbearing father and his loving mother. But as far as Earl was concerned Tiger was Black Peroid. You might not like that answer but it’s true.

Russ Dewolf, Founder/ CEO RRCB Media Assets Inc.

Answered Dec 2, 2017 · Author has 7.7k answers and 3.4m answer views

Because of three hundred years of “Black” being an identity used to differentiate people of color in order to marginalize them.

While America certainly contains racism towards people of Asian ancestry, it has generally been treated as of being a lesser scope and scale than racism toward people of Black ancestry, the concentration camps that WWII Japanese Americans were herded into notwithstanding.

The ramification of that is that Blackness tends to remains a more potent differentiating characteristic from the White majority for a minority than does Asian heritage.

Ken Rosenzweig, Systems Analyst and Developer for way too long (1986-present)

Answered Apr 6, 2018 · Author has 707 answers and 385.3k answer views

It’s kind of an interesting question. Very early in Woods’ career, he would make a point of emphasizing his mixed heritage. He referred to himself as “Cablinasian,” combining his Caucasian, Black, Asian, and American Indian heritage. His mother is Asian. His father was of mixed race, having both white and native American heritage besides being African American.

Woods got very famous and signed an endorsement deal for a staggering amount of money with Nike (among other companies). Nike built a golf division around him. While he may still consider himself of mixed race, publicly you’d be hard pressed to find him or anyone else referring to him as anything but black from this point on. Money talks, and Nike called the shots for him. He was more valuable as a black man to them

SCREEN CAPTURE / ESPN

Tiger Woods hugs his mother after winning the Masters tourney.

Hampered by injuries and a messy divorce, Woods has not won a major in 11 years. 
Sunday he posted a final round 2-under 70 to win the 2019 Masters. It's his first major win since the 2008 U.S. Open, 15th of his career and first at Augusta National since 2005. 


Golf has a long history of racism. The Masters, in particular, has historic ties to the country's racist past. Slaves picked cotton where the hallowed course was built. The Masters barred black players until 1975, and had no black members until 1990.

Woods won the Masters for the first time in 1997 at age 21, making him the youngest player to win there. He has gone on to win the tournament three more times.

In his first Masters victory,Wood's margin of victory –12 strokes – was the largest in the 20th century, and second only to Old Tom Morris’ 13-shot margin at the 1862 British Open. His score of 18-under-par 270 broke Jack Nicklaus’ 32-year-old Masters record of 17-under-par 271.

Woods was the youngest golfer by two years to win the Masters and the first person of Asian or African heritage to win a major. Never before had so many spectators come to Augusta National, and never before had so many people watched it on television.

How Woods chooses to identify himself is his own business, but he can't stop people from claiming some piece of him. 

Woods represents one of the fastest growing segments of our society as the son of a racially mixed marraige, a trend that will continue well into this country as our society becomes more diverse, according to a Census report.

Journalists also have the responsibility to not limit themselves to a binary choice of black and white. A simple Google search would have revealed Wood's complex background. It is true he is part black. It is also true he is half Thai. Simply calling him one or the other is not accurate.

(Minutes after Tiger Woods' Masters win Nike released this great commercial.)

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With Australian Open title, Naomi Osaka climbs to No. 1 ranking in women's tennis

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Are we witnesing the start of the Naomi Osaka era in pro-tennis?

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Naomi Osaka is the new queen of tennis.

She beat Petra Kvitova to win the Australian Open this morning (Jan. 26) in a thrilling comeback and now has become the first Asian woman or man to be ranked No. 1 in professional tennis, reports The Telegraph.

The Japan-born, 21-year-old Japanese Haitian immigrated to the United States at the age of three. She lives and trains in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

It was not a dominating win. The 3-set match between the two women was a dramatic see-saw  final for the Australian Open. Osaka entered the tournament with a No. 4 seed. Kvitova was No. 8.

Despite squandering three match points at 5-3 in the second set, the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, regrouped to beat Petra Kvitova 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4 to win a dramatic Australian Open final. Her second consecutive grand slam title ensures she will be the new world No 1. On Saturday, the tears flowed again at the end of a high quality, see-saw final, in which she lost her way and then found it again.

As Kvitova’s final forehand return flew wide, Osaka fell to her haunches, her head in her hands. 'I still feel very shocked,' Osaka said.

Kvitova overcame three match points in the second set to win four games in a row and win the set. In the end, Osaka persevered, winning the championship 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.

It was Osaka's second straight Grand Slam title since four months ago when she won the U.S. Open, beating Serena Williams to boos from a crowd that was upset about controversial calls from an umpire.

This time there was no such controversy. Just as in the U.S. Open, Osaka was gracious in victory.

“Sorry, public speaking isn’t really my strong side. I just hope I can get through this… Huge congrats to Petra, I always wanted to play you. You’ve been through so much and I honestly wouldn’t want this to be our first match,” Osaka said in her remarks to the crowd after the match.

“You’re really amazing and I’m so honored to have played you. 

“To my team, I don’t think I would have made it through this week behind you guys. Behind a tennis player is always a team so I’m really grateful.

“I read notes before this but I’ve still forgotten what I’m supposed to say. I’m really honored to play in this final so thank you.”

“Women’s tennis is very open. You really never know who going to be there. But definitely she’s playing great game,” Kvitova said to ESPN. “She’s really big player, as she showed in the results, winning the US Open and Australian Open, it’s an amazing achievement.”

Congratulations poured in from fellow tennis professionals:

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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Questioning Darren Criss' identity. Asian? Filipino? White? Irish?

Darren Criss with his parents.

WHEN I FIRST READ the Vulture interview with Darren Criss,  I was deeply disappointed - heartbroken, really.

Chriss, who is currentlly starring in American Crime Story's "The Assassination of Giannini Versace," gave some controversial responses that drew the ire of some Asian Americans.

During the interview, writer E. Alex Jung asked the Filipino/American actor if being part Filipino was a factor in getting a part, Criss answered: "I always say one of my favorite things about myself is that I’m half-Filipino but I don’t look like it."

Ouch!

Taken by itself, that quote drew a lot of critical reaction and my first reaction was along the same line. "What? He's proud that he doesn't look Filipino?"

RELATED: Why isn't Darren Criss getting the love from the AAPI community?

"You other’d us while placing yourself in such close proximity with the whiteness you so proudly wear. Why would you do that?" said  Natalie Blardony, a Filipino/American writer in Medium.

Other quotes from the interview seemed to reinforce this point of view:

"I just look like a Caucasian guy, which is nice."

” I have the luxury of being half-white and looking more Caucasian,..."

And there is this reponse to the question, "Do you identify as Asian-American?"

"No. I think that’d be unfair. I think that’d sound like I’m reaching for the minority card on a college application. I think that would be unfair. Yeah, my mom’s Asian-American. She’s from the Philippines and came here and then married a white guy, and here I am. But maybe it’s because of the way I look. Maybe if I looked a little more pan-Asian and I was put in that box then I would be like, “Yeah, I identify as Asian-American,” but maybe because the obstacles that may come up haven’t that I don’t think about it. But that’s a really interesting question. I’ve never thought about that. For better or for worse, I guess not. But I guess I am. What do you think? Am I? On paper I guess I kind of am."

Criss felt his quote was punctuated incorrectly. He felt compelled to issue a clarification which turns the meaning of that statement 180 degrees.

And, as word of the criticism about his comments in Vulture became more widely known, Criss' fans flocked to his defense. But even his defenders said they had to lick their initial wounds.

 Perehaps the strongest defense came from Yong Chavez, entertainment reporter for The Filipino Channel. He has interviewed Criss several times and the actor always said how proud he was of his Filipino heritage.

In other parts of the Vulture interview, he repeats that he loves being part Filipino and he shows he is aware of the lack of Filipino representation in television and the movies. He explains to producer Ryan Murphy why Filipino/American actor Jon Jon Briones, who plays Cunanan's father, isn't better known in Hollywood circles.

"He’s a tried-and-true Broadway actor, man. Just because he’s not on billboards and glamour magazines doesn’t mean he’s not a working actor.” He’s like, “Well, I don’t get why I still haven’t heard of him.” I’m like, “He’s a Filipino man, dude.” There’s only so many opportunities that people can lock themselves into accepting when they’re casting shit, unless he’s playing the Thai terrorist on CSI or something. And what I hope happens is this will be a great stepping stone for him, for people to go, “Ah, he’s a good actor,” and then just cast where race isn’t a thing. 

Perhaps, Criss is one of those individuals who identifies more strongly as a Filipino/American than an Asian/American. He strikes me as a very bright person, albeit perhaps not so politically conscious. I've read other articles about him and watched him on talk shows and he's always said -- without prompting -- that he's half-Filipino. He has never described himself as half-Asian.

For someone who has been immersed in Asian Americana for so long, my initial reaction might have been overly sensitive since I expect all people with an Asian heritage to identify themselves similarly.

Although Criss can pass for white, calling that a "luxury," may be a poor word choice since, as he admits, no one has asked him about identifying as an "Asian/American" before the Vulture interview.

I invite Mr. Criss to become more aware of the culture wars going on nowadays and educate himself in the issues that affect his darker brothers and sisters. Awareness of the lack of acting roles for Filipinos is a start, but he needs to know that industry-wide struggle applies for all people of color. It is not a question of talent, but the lack of opportunities. 

Criss, who's performance in American Crime Story has been universally lauded and hopefully will result in some peer recognition come awards time, now finds himself in a unique position. With his newly found platform, Criss can help keep those doors open for entertainers who might be a few shades darker.

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Isla Vista: Making of a wannabe white guy

Elliot Rodger

IF ELLIOT RODGER hated anybody, it was himself.

I've avoided commenting on the shootings at Isla Vista where Elliott Rodgers went on a rampage because a lot of people with more expertise on the topic wrote tons of material trying answer the question of "Why?"

Why would someone who -- on the outside-looking-in -- had "everything?" Why kill six people, wound a dozen others then kill himself? He came from an upper-income family, drove an expensive BMW, was going to a good university which would normally give him a good foundation for success. If he wanted to, he already had his foot in the door if he wanted to enter the entertainment industry because his father was in the motion picture industry, which allowed the young Rogers to occasionally rub shoulders with the rich and famous.

Immediately after the carnage, pundits wrote about white male entitlement, mysogyny (hatred of women), mental illness, when, truthfully, all of them were part of the reason that led a young man to go on a shooting spree, stab his roommates and run down several others with his car.

To this list, I'd like to add one more: Rodgers was a white-guy wannabe.

Very few writers mentioned that Rodgers was biracial, with an Asian mother and a white father. In his hate-filled screeds found in his computer and a delusional manifesto, he often referred to himself as "Eurasian" and considered himself a cut above those who considered themselves as 100% people of color.

At the same time, he saw himself "less" than his full-blooded white counterparts.

I certainly don't want to give excuses for his inexplicable and despicable behavior, but in a way, it can be argued that he was a victim of our own Euro-centric society where our ideas of beauty, power and reward derive from the standards set by our culture and perpetuated and reinforced by our media.

Only in brief spurts did anybody question the idea of what and who is beautiful -- i.e. most notably the groundbreaking Black is Beautiful movement spurred by the militant 1960s, and more recently by Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o, who used her moment of fame during the Academy Awards to speak about her own doubts of acceptance because she didn't meet the traditional (nee caucasion-based) standards of beauty.

Rodgers especially wanted the attention of blonde women, who -- in his twisted mind -- were the ultimate gauge of his masculinity.

At this point, we need to remind ourselves of the desexualized, unassertive, wimp Asian male stereotype in American pop-culture. Although Rodgers didn't say it outright, he thought his Asian roommates were "ugly" and he had no problem stabbing them to death while they slept, thus acting out his unspoken hatred of himself, or at least that half of himself that he never could accept.

He thought that since he was half-white, he should be deserving of all the trophies of being a white male, which included sex with white women and easy access to money (he spent a fortune on lotto tickets thinking a big bankroll would give him access to acceptance by the white power structure).

Instead, his inability to reach his goals in status, sex and fortune led to his frustration and ultimately to his instability: He was a virgin, he was middle-class but not uber-wealthy and he was half-white. He seemed to ignore his Asian half but he thought he was white enough, which he believed should have given him access to the white-guys' club with all the benefits bestowed on that membership.

Like many angry white males in our society (and he considered himself more white than Asian) Rodgers thought he was entitled to certain  rewards simply by his privileged standing in our society. In his twisted logic, anyone who is not white, but were obtaining those prizes that were rightly supposed to be "given" to him, only compounded his anger and drove him over the edge.

The rewards of being white have been drilled into us from the moment we are born, the books and magazines we read, the movies and TV commercials we watch, the history we are taught and the heroes we worship. It is not a simple thing to change that world-view, consciously or subconsciously, imposed on all of us -- no matter what color we are.

Only by reexamining our values, definitions of beauty and by making a conscious effort to change what we are told to believe will we, as people of color, be able to gain a sense and respect of one's self. Fortunately, that's not a new lesson. It is a well-traveled road many have had to explore in order to maintain a sense of sanity and self-worth.

The amount of melanin in our skin doesn't determine the degree of perfection,  neither do almond-shaped eyes need to be surgically rounded, black hair doesn't need "highlighting;" rounded noses don't need to be pointed and ... stop being so conscious of height.

Rodgers is literally and figuratively, a person who was not comfortable in his own skin. But he is also an example of someone who allowed himself to lose himself in our culture's unrealistic standards of perfection, especially those highly imperfect benchmarks based on race or ethnicity.

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For more insight, link to:
-In his own words, "My Twisted World" http://abclocal.go.com/three/kabc/kabc/My-Twisted-World.pdf
-Elliot Rodger's Vlog: https://www.youtube.com/user/ElliotRodger

EDITOR'S NOTE:  For more commentary, observations, tips and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed

The browning of America: Predictions about the U.S.'s future

read this article This is an article on a phenomenon I've been writing about for decades, the growth of multi-racial families which will result in a quite different America than what we see today or what we are given to THINK is America thanks to a loud and vocal minority and a media still dominated by white, old male decision-makers. What Will America Look Like in 2060? 9 Bold Predictions About Our Future The U.S. is about to undergo some radical demographic shifts that will make our country a more beautiful, open place. View or comment on Ed Diokno's post »

Filipinos, Cesar Chavez and Hollywood

JUST FOR THE RECORD, With the recent release of a motion picture "Cesar Chavez" it should be noted that Filipino farmworkers began the grape boycott in 1965 forcing Chavez and the Mexican farmworkers to join in the strike.

The two unions became the United Farm Workers. Although led by Chavez, Andy Imutan and Larry Itliong were vice presidents and played major roles in cementing the UFW's role in labor history.

Unfortunately, in the movie, Filipinos were depicted only in minor roles, extras, spear carriers: a backdrop. You would think that in one of the few historical events in America where Filipinos played a major role, they would get more credit than what was shown on the screen.