The civil unrest that is now engulfing our adopted country behooves all of us who are part of this American tapestry to examine our consciences and take a stand. That this is happening now within the context of a global pandemic that has already claimed, at this moment of writing, 107, 468 American lives, including a large number of people of color like us, is a tragedy. Yet it is also an opportunity.

We, the Positively Filipino staff, solidly stand beside our African American brothers and sisters in condemning the lynchings that they continue to bear, and the racism and social injustice in various manifestations that they -- and we -- have to live with daily.

We condemn as strongly the hate crimes against Asians, including Filipino Americans, that have risen to an alarming level amidst this pandemic.

We denounce the insidious attempts of hate groups and criminals who are inciting and/or converting rightful protests into mass violence and looting to pursue their own nefarious agendas.

We are deeply saddened by the absence of a credible and effective moral leadership in this time of crisis.

We recognize that the struggle against racism will continue to be the biggest challenge of our lifetime. We've learned how it was in the past, when our manongs had to endure and fight against the lynchings and outright discrimination directed at them; we are witnessing it starkly today as we watched George Floyd getting murdered, a white woman falsely accusing a black man of assault, and people hurling racist diatribes to random Asian Americans, blaming them for the coronavirus. Yes, there is still so much more work to be done.

But as we struggle to survive in the midst of a relentless virus, we also have a rare opportunity to look inside ourselves and accept some fundamental truths about the rightful place we occupy as immigrants and residents/citizens of this country: first, whether we like it or not, we belong to the category of people of color; second, whether we like it or not, racism is an issue we -- as well as our children and grandchildren -- will have to contend with and fight against; and third, before we can effectively oppose racism, we have to purge it out of ourselves first.

So let's not waste the opportunity -- as our cities burn, as we shelter-in-place -- to have conversations with our families, our neighbors, our friends, everyone we encounter every chance we get, about what it really means to claim our place in this American sun. Let us listen to our American children who, because of actual experience or a broader world view, may have a better understanding of the roots of this unrest and the need to stand in solidarity with those who are working their way towards creating a more just and equitable country.

More importantly, as we understand more, we should do more. As events of the past few days have shown, we no longer have the luxury of apathy. Or inaction. We have to have our voices heard through our stories, our advocacies, our participation and support of peaceful mass actions, and more importantly, through the ballot box.

We're all in this together, not just in stopping the spread of Covid-19 but also in ridding this society of the cancer of racism.

Our stories this week:

"Why We Must Have Uncomfortable Conversations" by Constante Quirino

"Love (and Life) in the Time of Coronavirus, Part 4" by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

"Coronavirus Hits Home" by Anthony Maddela

"Exploring Your Final Options" by Myles A. Garcia

"Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous, Part 4" by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

And we certainly can use a cocktail this week so here's Elizabeth Ann Quirino's recipe for a Mango Tango Cocktail for the Happy Home Cook.

Our links to stories you'll want to read:

U.S. Asians, harassed over coronavirus, push back on streets, social media
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/u-asians-harassed-over-coronavirus-111755020.html

The secret to Filipino resilience
https://www.ucanews.com/news/the-secret-to-filipino-resilience/88152

‘Out-of-the box’ tracing helps Baguio contain COVID-19 spread
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1282085/out-of-the-box-tracing-helps-baguio-contain-virus-spread?fbclid=IwAR2x21SIpkU7C04m4S_QVzDde5mjWzrfLXagUOEao35rK3nGsEK8PEg-WEk