Vote Like Our Future Depends on It

US citizenship, long considered the "pie in the sky" by many Filipinos, comes with a duty to exercise the right to vote, the most sacred of rights bestowed on those who have pledged allegiance to the American flag. Thus with the ongoing election that's tagged as "the most consequential of our lifetime," Positively Filipino's webinar last Monday, was a necessary service for Filipino Americans. It was a highly informative and lively discussion on the electoral college, Fil-Am voting patterns vis a vis other Asian Americans, and why we should all cast our votes (the down ballots or local races are just as important as choosing a president). If you missed it, here's the recording.: How Do We Make The Fil-Am Vote Count?

We have two other webinars scheduled this Fil-Am History Month and we hope to have the pleasure of your company then.

Three years ago in Mindanao, the beautiful city of Marawi was reduced to rubble as government forces and Muslim militants engaged in a fierce battle that lasted five months. The battle was officially declared over on October 17, 2017 by President Duterte. We think it's the right time, on this its third anniversary, to point you to a new book that tells in minute detail the story of the Marawi siege, which is a lesson in modern-day warfare. The Battle of Marawi, the book, is written by PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes and reviewed here by Dr. Patricio Abinales of the University of Hawaii.

This Week’s Stories

[New Webinar Video] How Do We Make The Fil-Am Vote Count?

Shocked And Awed By Patricio Abinales

Taylor Healy Saves The Signs Of These Times By Anthony Maddela

Octogenarians In Love, In The Covid-19 Era By Agnes Alikpala, MD

Filipino American History Books

[Partner] ALLICE's 16th Annual Free From Violence By Cherie M. Querol Moreno

The Happy Home Cook: Amboy Adobo By Chef Alvin Cailan

Video of the Week: TGIF, Thank God I’m Filipino

Read Again: 

"Where Exactly Did Filipinos First Land in California?" by Abraham Ignacio Jr.

"Pieces of the (Midnight) Sun" by Oscar Peñaranda provides a preview of the stories he will tell for our webinar. 

In The Know

Les nouveaux Misérables: the lives of Filipina workers in the playground of the rich
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/oct/12/les-miserables-nouveau-the-lives-of-filipina-workers-in-the-playground-of-the-rich?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR11ZJxAc2j2vJg-Rop9K5JF_DZLL1mVsKa-Gj6RtRp9hV-SA1N1vDeGYIs

Pasig uses online tech to consult residents on 'open streets' proposal amid pandemic
https://www.rappler.com/nation/pasig-city-uses-polis-consult-residents-open-streets-proposal?fbclid=IwAR2ItD_uTt1K6VJfEgzF5kxdjRtFp5nYd2u48mqLEjg8WztjvoC_MN1pxW8

beabadoobee Made Bedroom Pop. Now She’s Turning Up the Volume.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/arts/music/beabadoobee-fake-it-flowers.html?fbclid=IwAR23w_iqx_m21ZPbaHUoWFRV8k0ppLz6QQKfDR8GcPnZPe3QOX2prpYUY4I

A Letter from Napa Valley, Where Love Burns Hotter Than Fire 
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2020/10/08/glass-fire-napa-valley-northern-california-wildfires/ideas/dispatches/?fbclid=IwAR1JuWAUeI8QQRB32rJer12325XHvoLlr5OaoUgWlsiCCikgtQ9tnt0XGpc

Nostalgia: The untold stories of ‘Batibot,’ according to Kuya Bodjie
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/10/11/20/nostalgia-the-untold-stories-of-batibot-according-to-kuya-bodjie?fbclid=IwAR2sYTeNsmIz8lj8anKBULkU8XvMPnLcb0b13PxS6yYYvTQxLXfeOmT2rH8

Babies, Rice and Acting

When theater actor Bodjie Pascua joined the cast of the iconic Philippine children's TV show "Batibot," he became a household name as an entire generation of Filipinos grew up watching and singing along with their Kuya Bodjie. But "Batibot" was just one of Bodjie's sterling achievements as contributor Serina Aidasani notes in "Acting Is No Child's Play." For this dedicated thespian, acting is life itself.

Speaking of children, Positively Filipino correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino writes about Namee Jarolan Sunico who authored the first Filipino baby food cookbook. Certainly Namee fits the bill for Watch Out World, This Is a Filipino.

In Los Angeles, meanwhile, another Positively Filipino correspondent Anthony Maddela writes about a tiny gem of a restaurant called Ricebar, which serves quick lunches to people who work downtown. "Ricebar Raises the Bar on Rice Bowls" spotlights the entrepreneurial abilities of two young Fil-Ams, Santos Uy and Charles Olalia, who saw the potential of a vacant space and gave it life.

With police killings and brutality hitting the news, it's the right time to Read Again our exclusive feature, "Diary of a Fil-Am Cop." Raw, thrilling vignettes on days in the life of one big-city cop who happens to be a Filipino.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe for this week: Ukoy, a merienda favorite from occasional contributor Jojo Sabalvaro-Tan. 

And from Goldilocks: their classic Mocha Chiffon Cake.

It's September, and the Philippines unofficially starts the world's longest Christmas season. Our Video of the Week features comedian Jon Santos who sings "Apat na Buwang Pasko," a finalist at the recent 2015 PhilPop Festival.