House of Memories

If walls can speak, what colorful stories would have emerged from 2422 K St. in Washington DC, known in the mid-1900s as The Manila House, where Filipinos ate, gambled,sang, loved and quarreled. The building has since become Carwithen House but its rich history as a hangout of Filipinos in the area are immortalized in the stories of acclaimed author Bienvenido N. Santos. Contributor Titchie Carandang-Tiongson who, together with husband Erwin, was able to walk the halls of the building, writes about this historic landmark of Fil-Am history in Washington DC. Through the efforts of  The Philippine Arts, Letters and Media Council; the Philippines on the Potomac Project, the Rita M. Cacas Foundation and the Toribio Family,  the Manila House has been designated a Literary Landmark (one of only four in DC) and a plaque was installed last week in commemoration. 

It's Mother's Day once again so we'd like to circle back to some of our outstanding mother tributes:

PF Correspondent and cookbook author Elizabeth Ann Quirino shared with us her award-winning essay, "A Hundred Mangoes in a Bottle," about her mother teaching her about life through the techniques of food preservation;

PF publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco paid tribute to her late mother, Paz Sycip Yuchengco, by organizing a concert of her musical compositions;

Our Manila-based contributor Cathy S. Babao tells us the experiences that defined her mother, the character actress Caridad Sanchez.

Our In The Know links this week includes some important information about Asian Americans, in time for Asian American History Month:

The Rise of Asian Americans
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/asianamericans-graphics/

Six Interesting Facts About Asian Americans
https://www.thoughtco.com/interesting-facts-about-asian-americans-2834533

Israel's Invisible Filipino Work Force
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/magazine/israels-invisible-filipino-work-force.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fmagazine&action=click&contentCollection=magazine&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

Elderly Gay Filipinos Who Perform In Drag to Survive
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/the-elderly-gay-filipinos-who-perform-in-drag-to-survive

From Chicagoland, PF Correspondent Rey de la Cruz gives us a taste of Adeline's Catering where Cebu lechon reigns.

From Adeline's Catering's chef Victor Ricolcol, his version of the classic Pork Belly Adobo for our Happy Home Cook.

For Video of the Week, NBC presents 26 emerging Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who redefine what it takes to be an American of Asian and Pacific Islander descent today.

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino