Filipino American head chef leaves the White House

After 24 years, Chris Comerford is leaving the White House kitchen where she ruled for 19 years

Chris Comerford, executive chef for five US Presidents has packed up her knives and left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Comerford's departure marks the end of an era.  The Filipino American chef made history as the first executive chef of color, first woman and the first Asian American to hold the position of White House head chef, in charge of intimate family meals for the White House occupants, as ell as banquets for visiting dignitaries.

“I always say, food is love. Through her barrier-breaking career, Chef Cris has led her team with warmth and creativity, and nourished our souls along the way,” First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. “With all our hearts, Joe and I are filled with gratitude for her dedication and years of service.”

Chef and humanitarian José Andrés broke the news aweek ago with a social media post congratulating the Comerford. “You are a national treasure, a culinary diplomat who has shown the world how an immigrant can celebrate American food & share it with the world’s leaders,” he wrote. “Congrats on retiring, we love you Cris.”

Born and raised in Manila, Comerford, who turned 61 last week, a naturalized citizen of the US, studied food technology at the University of the Philippines and also studied classic French cooking and worked in Austria for a time. She moved to the US when she was 23 and went on to work as a chef at two Washington hotels.

Comerford got her big break in 1995 when White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib III recruited her to work in the White House kitchen as assistant chef.

When Scheib retired 10 years later, first lady Laura Bush promoted Comerford to White House executive chef. The move made Comerford the first woman and the first person of color ever to hold the post since the Kennedys created it in 1961.

Comerford’s duties as executive chef include overseeing a staff of five full-time chefs, among other kitchen staff members, while planning and executing meals for the President and his many visitors.

"My primary job is to take care of the First Family: the President, First Lady and their two daughters. And if they do have guests, we take care of them as well. But at the same time, the White House is a living museum and we do hold events that are either social or official," said Comerford.

She has cooked for the kings and queens, prime ministers and rulers of other countries and even prepared the Filipino dishes of adobo and lumpia for the Hawaii-raised President Obama and his family.

“She is one of the most revered Filipino chefs in the world,” said Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, editor of the recently released The New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Around the Globe. Comerford contributed to the cookbook and included a recipe from her late mother, Erlinda Pasia.

So what does the future hold for her? 

"People have told me, 'You've reached the pinnacle of your career. You've broken the glass ceiling. Where do you go from here?' I honestly don't know, but once you've accepted the fact that this is the pinnacle...what is the next step? You go down right?" she answers herself.

"So I think in life, you should never take anything to be the pinnacle. Everything you just be a stepping stone to a better thing," continues Comerford, "From being a White House chef, my next step could be a volunteer position somewhere, but that does not make it a lesser thing. Any task at hand, no matter how menial or grand, should be given the best of your God-given ability."

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Suni Lee wins another bronze on uneven bars

Suni Lee can rest assured that she belongs in the upper echelons of women gymnasts after winning her bronze medal in the uneven bars.

Even after winning the overall best best gymnast in the Tokyo Olympics, a little bit of self doubt lingered as social media trolls were constantly reminding her that she won only because Simone Biles had dropped out of the competition.

But helping the US team win a gold and and earning a bronze medal in the overall in Paris helped boost her confidence. But winning a bronze Sunday on uneven bars, her best event, should erased all doubt.

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

The eight women competing on the uneven bars were the best in the world in that event. The packed field included the two women who won gold and silver in Tokyo, the current world champion and the European champion. 

As the 21-year old Hmong American awaited her turn, she watched -- and cheered -- her competition. 

Qiu Qiyuan of China perormed beautifully and scored a 15.5. Algeria's Kaylia Nemour sailed through her difficult routine and scored a 15.7.

Lee was the first to embrace them as they came down to the floor but she knew she had to be at her best to join them on the podium.

Lee nailed her routine. Her score, a 14.8, was enough for a bronze medal. When Lee saw her score, her mouth dropped open and her eyes popped.

"I watched everyone go up there and I was like, 'Oh my gosh. I have to have the best routine of my life.’ And that’s what I did!” Lee said.

After battling two kidney ailments and working her way back to Olympic form, there was doubt that she could return to competitive form, mush less qualify for the USA Olympic team. Her performance at the Olympics was sweeter than her historic Tokyo victories. She's back. She belongs.

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

AANHPI men answering the call for Kamala Harris

When Vice President Kamala Harris received an endorsement from President Biden, little did political experts expect it would usher in a new form of political fundraising.


Almost immediately after Biden ended his presidential campaign and threw his support to Kamala Harris, a quickly organized Zoom call dubbed “Black Women for Harris” shattered expectations by drawing more than 44,000 online participants. Within hours, the online call raised $1.5 million.

Emulating black women, White Women: Answer The Call! Show up for Kamala Harris” had a Zoom meetup attracting 200,000 participants, the largest Zoom call ever, raising $11 million. There was even White Dudes for Harris led by the "Dude" from the Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges raising $4 million.

Now there's a new group, AANHPI Men for Kamala Harris, launched by San Francisco District Attorney David Chiu. It has already drawn the support of a "who's Who" of AANHPI politicians and celebrities including actors Ken Jeong and BD Wong, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and LA-area Congressmember Ted Lieu.

“We are organizing AANHPI men to follow the lead of our sisters and support the election of our first woman President who would also be America's first President of Asian and African descent,” organizers said in their announcement. “On Wednesday, August 7th, at 5pm PST / 8pm EST, we are hosting a virtual event with AANHPI elected officials, celebrities, and community leaders and invite you to join us.”

FYI: Register for the AANHPI Men for Harris. It is free to join.

"This is relatively unique to now, and I imagine the reason it's working for the Harris campaign is because there's a groundswell of mass enthusiasm from online people, and the way to most effectively reach them is through YouTube Live or Zoom or whatever interactive video platform there is," says University of Kentucky political scientist Maggie Macdonald tells INC.com. "It also helps for her campaign that there are a lot of celebrities who are opting in. It is a much lower ask to get them to join a video call than to have them be in a particular city at a particular time."

The use of Zoom, Tik Tok, Instagram and Yahoo is perhaps may be an excellent way to connect with AANHIPI audiences. Compared to other ethnicities, AANHIPI people are particularly are the most plugged into the internet and adept at using social media, according to a Niesen report.

"Social media can help the campaign for a presidential candidate because it is inherently not tied to geography, so it means that they can reach people across the country who maybe will vote for them," Macdonald says in Inc.com. "I think for a lot of young people who are probably the ones being reached by these video-based platforms, the campaign is helping lower the barrier for entry for people to be engaged...even if they're giving $5 right now, that means that their likelihood of voting is no longer zero."

Chiu predicted on Instagram that the call will draw "thousands" of AANHPI men.

Harris’ team announced earlier that it took in more than $200 million during her first week as a presidential candidate and entered August with $377 million in cash on hand, which it described as the most for any presidential candidate at this point in the cycle

“The tremendous outpouring of support we’ve seen in just a short time makes clear the Harris coalition is mobilized, growing, and ready to put in the work to defeat Trump this November,” Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. “Our money is going to the work that wins close elections.”

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Gymnast Suni Lee surprises herself by winning a bronze

USA GYMNASTICS

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, left, and bronze medalist Suni Lee celebrate Thursday.

Winning a bronze medal in the all-around gymnastic competition was a surprise to Suni Lee Aug. 1 at the Paris Olympics. 

"It felt absolutely amazing. I was in shock," Lee told NBC's Today show the morning after she was awarded the bronze. "I didn't think that I was going to be able to podium."

Lee won her second consecutive all-around medal by securing bronze Thursday night at Bercy Arena at the Paris Olympics. She celebrated as her teammate, Simone Biles  became the first woman since 1968 to win two Olympic all-around titles. 

Lee's first all-around medal was gold in Tokyo in 2021 after Biles dropped out due to mental health reasons. Her story is even more amazing in that last year, after contracting two kidney diseases, she was told she might never do competitive gymnastics again.

Thursday evening was an uncharacteristically nail-biting competition, with both Biles and Lee using nearly flawless floor routines to earn their medals. Biles won with a score of 59.131, with Rebecca Andrade of Brazil second with 57.932 and Lee third with 56.465.

Biles led after the first rotation, posting a competition-leading 15.766 with her Biles II on vault to take a .666 lead over Andrade, but a break on a connection while on uneven bars in the second rotation resulted in a score of 13.733, dropping her to third overall. Andrade took over the with a 29.766, with Kaylia Nemour of Algeria second with a 29.566 and Biles in third with a 29.499. After two rotations, Alice D’Amato of Italy ranked fourth with a 28.800 and Lee was on her heels with a 27.799, on the strength of a 13.933 on vault and 14.866 on uneven bars.

The Hmong American gymnast continued, "Coming in my floor routine, I literally told myself, we're just going to end it off the right way and I'm just going to do everything that I can to just finish it off, because being here is an accomplishment itself," E reported.

The third rotation on balance beam put both Americans on an apparatus where they often yield strong scores. Biles led off with a 14.566 to retake the lead with a 44.065, with Andrade trailing with a 43.899. Lee was tied for fourth with a 42.799 after posting a 14.000 on beam, just .034 behind D’Amato in third.

The medals were to be decided on floor exercise as Lee sought to leapfrog into third. Needing a 13.534 to overtake D’Amato for bronze, she posted a 13.666 that catapulted her into what would ultimately be bronze position. Biles then sealed the deal and thrilled the crowd with her best floor routine of the Paris games to date, scoring 15.066.

"From being told that I would never be able to do gymnastics again," she wrote on Instagram Aug. 2. "to winning my 5th olympic medal!!"

The Olympian continued, "This medal goes deeper than gymnastics. I can't even begin to express how much my health has taken away from me & the strength it has taught me, so to be here is the greatest achievement of all. grateful for the opportunity to be able to represent team USA at my second Olympic games! Thank you for all the support."

Lee and the rest of the USA women gymnastic team will go after more medals Saturday when the top athletes will compete on individual apparatus.

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Lee Kiefer leads foil team to another gold medal

Filipino American Lee Kiefer, left, earns her second gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics
with her teammates.

It was not hard to spot Lee Kiefer as she stood with her teammates receiving the gold medal for fencing. She was the shortest and the slightest. And she was crying as the National Anthem played.

The team medal, Kiefer said, was “everything.” 

She had remained poised when she received the gold medal for individual foil Sunday night in Paris.

“After the first individual, I knew there was still work to be done,” Kiefer said. She had defended her Tokyo gold medal with another gold medal in Paris. But she was more emotional this time. “Being here with my teammates, it’s the first time I can take it all in.”

Kiefer continued: “A team medal for this Olympic Games was my true dream. I think (in) individual there’s a lot of factors and momentum and luck, but as a team, every bout, we’ve put in so many hours of work together.”

The Filipino American fencer became the first American fencer to win three Olympic gold medals as the United States won the team fencing gold in women’s foil, a historic first.

"I met my goals in fencing," said Kiefer, who paused her medical school studies  at the Universitiy of Kentucky to train for the Olympics.

Kiefer shares the medal with teammates Lauren Scruggs, Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub.

Kiefer got things started playing against the pro-Italy crowd as well as the fencer opposite her. She lost the first two points — and then took complete control. She got the Americans a 5-4 advantage.

In the last match, 21-eyar old Harvard student Scruggs faced a late rally from Italy’s Arianna Errigo, seeded No. 1, who cut an eight-point US lead to three, but Scruggs took the next three points to close out the win and celebrated with a shout of delight.

The final score was 45-39, US over w Italy. At the medal ceremony, Thursday night, Kiefer cried from the start of the anthem until the end.

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Carissa Moore upset and eliminated in surfing competition

Carissa Moore was consoled by her husgand after being eliminated from Olympic competition.

Rough surf in Tahiti ended Carissa Moore's quest for another Olympic gold medal in surfing.

After losing to Johanne Defay of France, Moore came out of the surf in tears and was greeted by applause and cheers from onlookers and fellow competitors.

When she composed herself, she gamely met with the media. "When you come up short of a dream, it sucks," said Moore, who won the sports first gold medal in Tokyo in the 2021 Olympics and was expected to compete in the finals again.

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

"It’s very raw. You put everything you have into something. I put my whole year [into this]. I took a chance. I left the [Championship] Tour. I came here. I spent months out of the year, just trying to do my very best. And when you come up short of a dream, it sucks. But at the same time, how fun was it? I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“I would’ve been so bummed if I looked back and I only did that half-heartedly. I went all-in. I just hope that at the end of the day I can encourage whoever’s watching – win  or lose – don’t be afraid to go into it fearlessly. Don’t be afraid to fail. The process has been so much fun. I feel like there’s been a lot of personal growth in and out of the water," said Moore, who is of Hawaiian and Filipino descent.

“I’m really proud of my backside barrel-riding. I caught some waves I never thought I would have ever caught in my whole life. So, obviously I’m really sad to not be part of Finals Day, and get to represent my home and my family one more time. But I’m really grateful. I couldn’t have imagined a better place to finish off my career,” said Moore,  praising the Tahiti hosts and surfing site,  Teahupo'o, which is Tahition for "place for skulls."

The quarter-finals of the women's competition were postponed for two days because of the rough surf caused by tropical storms. By Thursday, the judges felt the weather had improved enough to continue the competition even though condtiions were worse than the day the men competed on Monday.

The surf forecast is the biggest determining factor of when the surfing competition will take place, predicting when swells are expected to arrive, as well as the angle and size of the waves. The competition must conclude by Aug. 5 -- next Monday -- so it's important to pick what forecasters think will be the best days.

Moore wasn't the only experienced surfer affectd by the conditions. "It was complicated to find the tube in the waves," said French Polynesian Vahine Fierro, who lost her heat to teammate Defay. "I was ready to do maneuvers, to do tubes. But it was quite complicated on the water."

In an earlier interview this week, she said that wants to start a family with her husband, entrepreneur Luke Untermann. 

"I'm going to give myself some time to just take a break," said Moore, who is of Hawaiian and Filipino descent.

"I hope to be surfing until I'm old and gray," she said. "It's strange to think that I'll kind of be wrapping up the competitive chapter in a sense, but I'm not closing the door. Who knows, maybe in a few years, I have an itch that I want to scratch and come back, or maybe I'll put the jersey on and try some fun events. But for now, there's just some other things that are exciting me.”

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

Samoan American's last second run wins bronze medal and $4M for US women's rugby

Alex Sedrick ran the length of the pitch to tie the score against the Australian team.

When Alex Sedrick outran Australian defenders for 95 meters for a game-tying try, she didn't know about the $4-million being gifted to USA women's rugby.

In what will go down as a highlight moment from these Olympic Games Paris 2024, Team USA dramatically grabbed the bronze medal in women’s rugby with a jaw-dropping late try by Samoan American Alex “Spiff” Sedrick,  a first-time Olympian, in the final seconds of the game to beat Australia 14-12.

The 26-year old Sedrick isn the usual kicker for the United States, but her coaches told her pregame to be prepared to fill in based on potential substitutions in the bronze-medal match, ESPN reported. She reportedly shanked her two practice kicks but when it counted, she came through.

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

The third-place finish is the first medal in 7s for the U.S., with the last time the Americans brought home hardware in the sport was in 1924 when the men’s team won gold in 15s.

The historic win also prompted businesswoman and sports team owner Michele Kang to donate $4 million over four years to USA Rugby to grow the women's game for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses women’s soccer clubs. Kang, who is dedicated to the advancement of women’s sports through Kynisca Sports International, the first global, female-owned, multi-club organization in women’s football, will gift $4 million over the course of four years to the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens team as it looks to grow the sport and provide improved resources to its players and coaching staff in anticipation of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The donation comes on the heels of a historic run for the team in the Paris Olympics. After an impressive win over Great Britain on Monday, the United States defeated Australia in the Bronze Medal Match on Tuesday evening, securing the first Olympic medal for the United States rugby sevens across both the men's and women's competitions.

“2024 has been a banner year for women’s sports with record-breaking attendance and viewership, and women’s rugby is no exception,” said Kang.

“This Eagles team, led by players like Ilona Maher and co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper, has captivated millions of new fans, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport. I am so happy to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles in 2028. That work starts now. As corporate sponsors and broadcast networks increasingly see the value and enthusiasm for women’s sports, now is the moment to unlock the full potential of these incredible female athletes and inspire generations to come.”

Michelle Kang, left, and US rugby star Ilona Maher.

“We are stunned and beyond grateful for this transformative gift from Michele to advance USA Women’s Rugby,” said Bill Goren, Chief Executive Officer at USA Rugby. 

“This will allow us to supercharge the progression of this program as we build to climb the podium in 2028 with Gold Medal aspirations in Los Angeles. This increase in support will ensure we can deploy the resources to the right places to win when it matters the most, inspiring a nation of rugby players and solidifying our place on the world stage.”

Kang is the founder and CEO of Cognosante, a medical technology company. As the first woman of color to own a National Women's Soccer League team, the Washington Spirit, and the majority owner of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses, Kang has set new standards in women's sports. 

Kang also announced the creation of the Kynisca Innovation Hub, a nonprofit organization seeded with a $50 million philanthropic contribution from Kang, which aims to revolutionize training methods and unlock athletic potential for all female athletes, through research, education and innovation.

In the second half, Australia had several good stretches of possession but Team USA’s defense remained organized and held their line. Australia’s Levi was able to slip through to score her second try of the game to make it 7-12 and what felt like the game-winning points needed for the medal. But a missed conversion from the Australians set up Sedrick’s heroics only moments later.

With only 30 seconds on the clock at the restart, all seemed lost for Team USA with the Aussies on the verge of celebration. Then came Sedrick's heroics and history was made.

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

Suni Lee, Asher Hong help secure medals for the US gymnastic teams

TEAM USA

Asher Hong was a steady and inspirational leader for the US men's gymnastic team.

A pair of Asian Americans helped the United States' men;s and women's gymnastic teams to medals. The highly favored women's team won a gold medal and the men ended a 16-year medal drought by winning a bronze.

It was the first medal since 2008 for the men. The surprising performance could very well be attributed to Asher Hong's enthusiasm. The TV cameras showed him pumping up his teammates, cheering them on and then heartily congratulating them with shouts, pumping fists and man-hugs.

“I’m always the hype, man. I just wanted to give all my energy for my boys," said Hong. "I mean, if I’m not competing, I’m usually cheering for my boys. It gets me excited and I hope it gets them excited and gives them energy to go and have fun just like I do cheering for them.”

YI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

Though it was Hong's first Olympics but his solid, steady performance on the rings, vault and floor exercise kept the men's team in the hunt for a medal.

“To finally go out there and show off the routines is like, feels awesome… I feel like I did my job to the best of my extent. I mean, I hit the events that I needed to. High bar was a little messed up, but I recovered well,” said Stanford senior Hong, who was born in Plano, Texas.

"I mean, it’s unbelievable," Hong told NBC News. "We put in so much hard work at home, and we just put our trust and belief in each other, and we went out there, had fun."

Although the US women's team was expected to perform well, high expectations bring its own kind of pressure. Anything less than a gold medal would have been a disappointment.

But when the pressure is on, the women lived up to their reputation as the best gymnasts in the world.

TEAM USA

Suni Lee starred in her return to the Olympics and will defend her title Thursday.

“We had so many expectations on us this time,” Lee said in a post-game news conference. “But I think we did exactly what we were supposed to. We went out there and we had fun with it.”

Japan and China won the Gold and Silver medals respectively.

Suni Lee,  a Hmong American, overcame serious illnesses to return to the form that won her a gold medal  in Tokyo as the Best All-around Gymnast,

After Tokyo, Lee enrolled at Auburn University and played for the school but after a successful first year, she came down with a serious kidney ailment that caused her to return home to Little Canada, Minnesota to receive treatment and recover. For a while, it looked like Paris was not in her future.

However, over the next few years, she regained her strength and worked hard to return to her competitive form.

After losing to the Russians in Tokyo, on Tuesday, teaming up with Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles (with Lee subbing for Jade Carey, who was feeling ill) the US are champions once again.

Lee and Hong coud potentionally win more medals

Although Hong didn't qualify for the men's all around on Wednesday, he will compete on individual apparatus in the following days. Among the American men, he scored highest on rings (14.533) and vault (14.833).

Lee, the reigning women's champion, will compete for the all-around title Thursday (Aug. 1) with her biggest competition being Biles, considered by many as the best gymnast the US has ever produced. It will be the first time to women who have won the women's individual championship will compete against each other.

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Reflections of champion surfer Carissa Moore

Carissa Moore won her first heat in Tahiti.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the No. 1 women's surfer would come from Hawaii where the sport became popular.

Carissa Moore proved her top standing at the Tokyo Olympics where she won a gold medal. She gave the surfing world a worry when she took time off to decompress after the Olympics but the 31-year old s definitely back and looking to repeat as a gold medalist.

She's back for the Paris Olympics, but Paris is 10,000 miles away. The surfing competition is taking place in Tahiti, a colony of France and only a short flight away from Moore's home in Hawaii.

She won her first heat Sunday which allows her to skip round 2 and go straight to round 3.

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

During her time off after Tokyo, Moore, who is part Native Hawaiian and Filipino on her mother's side, German on her father's side, was able to reflect on other things besides catching the next wave.

“It taught me how to look at different perspectives and see where other people are coming from,” she shared. “I think it’s important for us all to understand that there’s not one way that’s the right way.”

Moore says she is a proud American, but she said she is an even prouder Asian Hawaiian Pacific Islander athlete who hopes to inspire all cultures and races that anything is possible.

“There is something about growing up in the islands with such a tight community. You feel like you are doing this for everyone,” she said.

Moore began surfing at just 5 years old when she began riding the Waikiki waves with her father,.At age 11, she won her first competition. As she began her career, she quickly climbed to the top, leading her to a successful career in competitive surfing.

Throughout her career, she's won 11 NSSA amateur titles, and even made history in 2008 when she became the youngest champion of the Reef Hawaiian Pro, per her Olympic bio. At the 2021 Tokyo Games, Moore won the sport's first-ever Olympic gold medal. has been surfing since she was seven. Now at 28, she has been the No. 1 woman surfer since she was 20.

In the back of her mind is the thought that this may very well be her last Olympics. After Tokyo, she got married and plans to have a family after the Paaris Games.

"I'm not just a competitive surfer," she says. "I'm a sister, I'm a daughter, I'm a friend and also hopefully, one day, a mother. Having a family of my own is something that is super important to me and is really meaningful."

"I've really had to look at myself and my identity and throw myself into the unknown and take a leap of faith," she explains. "All my friends who are men who are on the tour, obviously, they're able to have families. They've already started their families. It's a big decision for me."

For now, she's focused on winning another gold medal. The US team members all won their first heat Sunday and moving on to the next round.

"The ocean has changed my life and I can't imagine my life without it, I'll be surfing until I'm in the ground," Moore added. "Riding the wave makes you feel free, it makes you feel present, it makes you feel more in love with yourself and the ocean and the environment."

“I feel very fortunate that I have had a lot of really beautiful moments in the ocean. I think some of my favourite days are just surfing at home with my dad or my husband or my little sister at one of my favourite local spots, and the sun is shining and it's warm and the waves are really good and there's nothing to worry about.”

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Asian American swimmer wins gold in 100m butterfly

SCREEN CAPTURE

Chinese American Torri Huske, left, and Gretchen Walsh finished 1 and 2 in the 100m butterfly.

In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Torri Huske missed out in earning a swimming medal by one-tenth of a second. This year Huske edged out fellow American Gretchen Walsh to win the women’s 100-meter butterfly at the 2024 Paris Olympics by a margin of 0.04 seconds.

Huske, seeded second, beat Walsh, the event’s world record holder Sunday, with a time of 55.59, to Walsh’s 55.63.

“You never really know for sure and I first saw the light by the block and seeing that it was just very surreal, I didn’t even know how to process it,” Huske said. “It’s just very overwhelming when you’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long.”

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

Describing her race, the Chinese American continued: “I like to go out in the first 50 and see how fast I can go ... I’m not trying to switch it or trying necessarily to go fast, but I’m just not restraining myself at all. I’m just going, and the second half, I just kind of see what I have left.”

What she had left , apparently, was plenty enough. She was in third place at the 50-m turn before adrenalin kicked in the last 50 meters and as she went faster, Walsh slowed down. Huske earned  Team USA’s first individual gold medal at the 2024 Games.

It is Huske's second medal in the Paris Games. On Saturday, she and Walsh were part of the team that earned a silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay losing out to the Australian swimmers.

Both Huske and Walsh could potentially win more medals. Both of them will be racing in the 100-meter freestyle with preliminaries beginning on Tuesday. They are also expected to team up again in the women’s 4x100-meter medley relay.

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Filipino American fencer wins gold medal again

SCREEN CAPTURE

Filipino American Lee Kiefer, left, scores a point by striking behind her back

To say US fencer Lee Keifer was exhuberant in winning a gold medal may be an understatement. 

The Filipino American swordswoman successfully  defended her gold medal for women's individual foil that she won in Tokyo in 2021.

“I really wanted to put on a good show because my family’s here and they wanted to be there in Tokyo,” she said in an interview on CNBC after her victory. “I just wanted to be able to fence pretty and the results came.”

What made this match different was standing in her way for a repeat in the event was another American, Lauren Scruggs. No matter who won, the Star Spangled Banner would be playing during the medal ceremony.

In the end, Kiefer came out on top beating her teammate 15-6.

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

Clearly, Kiefer used her nimble footwork and quickness to score   point after point, while Scruggs was continually on the defense. Kiefer was particularly effective in close-in sparring.

In her win, Kiefer was the first American, and only the third woman, to win two gold medals in fencing. Assuredly, she's the only Asian American to accomplish that feat.

The raucous Paris crowd was in complete contrast o Kiefer's first gold medal in Tokyo, which was conducted under strict COVID restrictions. The 30-year old from Lexington, Kentrucky celebrated by first by screaming in victory and joyfully perouting with the American flag streaming behind her.

Asked about her future and if this might be her final Olympics, she deferred.

“I’m trying to think about Gerek’s event tomorrow and our team event and a men’s foil team event” Kiefer said. “That’s as far as we’re getting into the future for now.”

The Gerek she referred to is her husband, Gerek Meinhardt, a Taiwanese American who is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in men's foil and who will compete in two events in Paris.

SCREEN CAPTURE

After the match, Lee Kiefer realizes what her victory at the Paris Olympics means.

The Asian American couple are medical students at the University of Kentucky who have taken leave from their studies to pursue their Olympic dreams.

Since enrolling at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine alongside her husband, the self-described “pretty shy, reserved person” has become an advocate of reproductive justice. Kiefer volunteers as a helpline volunteer with the Kentucky Health Justice Network, a nonprofit that provides funding and education for Kentuckians seeking abortion care. 

Kiefer will return to compete her studies next year. But after Sunday’s masterclass, the prospect of defending her title on at the 2028 Los Angeles Games surely may be too tempting.

“No matter how much I tried to prepare, there’s still so much pressure I put on myself to just fence well and stay present,” a jubilant Kiefer said after her match. “Each day was a rollercoaster, but here we are at the top.”

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Why isn't table tennis more popular in the US?

TEAM USA

Lily Zhang prepares to serve in a recent match.

If you've watched any of the table tennis matches in the Paris Olympics, you know that this is not a game for the slow of foot or weak of heart. It's fast. It's intense.

But even though the game has been around for a lot longer than pickle board, you don't see cities and schools spending thousands of dollars building facilities for the sport.

FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.

Watching the Olympics, one can't help but notice the majority of the US team is made up of Asian Americans. Badminton is another sport that suffers the same kind of ignominious reputation.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions that we’re not true Americans. I’ve experienced a lot of comments from people or even on social media, where people were like, ‘Of course, the U.S. imported these people from China,’” says team member Lily Zhan in an NBC article. “They don’t understand we were born here. We were raised here. We grew up here. We’re just as American as any other athlete on the team.”

READ the entire NBC article here.

Unlike others sports, there is no institutional support for the sport. For those players who want to expand their skills beeyond the rec room or family basement, it is necessary to get a private coach. So it's a matter of family finances and thatnarrows the pool of potential athlete and expanding the sport's popularity.

TEAM USA

The USA's  table tennis team, including coaches and players is seeking its first Olympic medal.

Three members of the US team is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, a hotbed of table tennis and where there are clubs and foundations to help foster and train up and coming players.

“I don’t know if it’s because we have never been able to medal in the sport,” Zhang tells NBC “But then it becomes a cycle. If we don’t have the funding, it’s hard to improve and grow the sport to be able to medal. We can never really burst out of that bubble.”

Indeed, NBC's Sunday coverage failed to even mention the results of the table tennis team, much less showing any of the matches.  

FYI: Olympic coverage the 2024 Paris Olympics, will broadcast live across NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC and GOLF Channel. Peacock is the official US streaming home, streaming every sport and all 329 medal events.

Zhang is ranked 29th in the world and is considered the USA's best female table tennnis player the country has ever produced. 

Zhang, who is from Palo Alto, California, is 28-years old. She realizes that time is not on her side.

“This could be my last Olympics,”Zhang tells ther hometown newspaper, the Mercury News.  “I’m just going to try to savor every single moment out there.”

Sunday, she began what could be her quest for a medal by beating her Lebanese opponent Mariana Sahakian 4-0,  

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

2024 Paris Olympics: Here are the AANHPI athletes to follow

INSTAGRAM

Members of the USA Table Tennis team got to meet NBA star Steph Curry during the
2024 Paris Olympics opening Parade of Nations.

Representation matters! If you're like me, always seeking that AANHPI thread intertwined in the American quilt, the Olympics provides a microcosm of the United States. The diversity of the almost 600  American competitors is a great example to the world the role of immigrants in the United States. 

The 2024 Paris Olympics officially began last night. Instead of the teams entering a filled stadium,  the parade of nations floated down the Seine on a flotilla of tour boats. Oh, those French!

The list below of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander athletes at the Paris Games is likely incomplete. Unless otherwise noted, the athletes are representing the United States. I included those athletes of Asian descent who live and train in the US but for various reasons, have chosen to compete for other countries. 

The Philippines, for example, made it a strategy to improve their world presence by recruiting  athletes from the Philippine diaspora, especially those who developed their skills by living in the US, which has better training facilities and developmental programs for athletes.

For additional background, I provided links to earlier articles posted on this blog, Views From the Edge.

Breaking

• Sunny Choi
• Logan Edra

Women's Gymnastics

• Sunisa Lee
• Leanne Wong
• Aleah Finnegan (Philippines)
• Levi Jung-Ruvivar (Philippines)
•  Emma Malabuyo (Philippines)

Men's Gymnastics

• Asher Hong

Men's Fencing

• Alexander Massialas
• Gerek Meinhardt
• Mitchell Saron

Women's Fencing

• Lee Kiefer
• Samantha Catantan (Philippines)

Husband and wife, Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhartdt, will represent the USA in fencing.

Women's Volleyball

• Justine Wong-Orantes

Men's Volleyball

• Erik Shoji
• Micah Christenson, 
• Micah Ma’a
• Garrett Muagututia.

Badminton

• Winson Chu
• Jennie Gai
• Anne Ku
• Kerry Xu
• Joshua Yuan
• Beiwen Zhang

Table Tennis

• Kanak Jha
• Michael Jung
• Amy Wang
• Lily Zhang

Filipino Hawaiian Carissa Moore

Surfing

• Carissa Moore

Artistic Swimming

• Calista Liu
• Jacklyn Luu
• Megumi Field
• Audrey Kwon

Swimming

• Torri Huske

Women's Water Polo

• Emily Ausmus

Men's Water Polo

• Johnny Hooper

Skateboarding

• Sky Brown (Great Britain)

Men's Golf

• Collin Morikawa

Women's Golf

• Lilia Viu
• Rose Zhang

Judo

• Jack Yonezuka

Men's Rugby

• Naima Fuala'au
• Lucas LaCamp

Women's Rugby

• Alena Olsen
• Alexandra Sedrick

Shooting

• Ada Korkhin

400m hurdles

• Lauren Hoffman (Philippines)

Men's Tennis

• Rajeev Ram

Women's Tennis

• Jessica Pegula
• Naomi Osaka (Japan)

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. There may be more additions to the list as the Games continue, so check back periodically.