A Pilgrimage and Processions

The artist France Viana, seeking inspiration for her participation in an exhibition to celebrate the agricultural roots of Asian Americans, drove to Delano, California, where Filipino manongs asserted their leadership in the Grape Strike of 1965 that lasted five years. She got more than she bargained for -- inspiration, a valuable history lesson and an emotional bond with the spirits of long-departed manongs. Read "It Takes a Pilgrimage" and appreciate the provenance of her interactive installation, Halo-Hallowed Ground. 

May, the month of Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo in our homeland, is similarly celebrated in some Fil-Am communities in the US. Taking part in these celebrations is a significant emotional draw for first-generation immigrant children, as psychologist/author BJ Gonzalvo dissects in "Transcendental May Filipino Traditions."

Meanwhile in distant Samar, journalist/author Criselda Yabes tells an enchanting story about Capul Island, where a gleaming lighthouse dominates the rustic scenery. You might want to plan a trip "To the Lighthouse -- on Capul Island."

As the summer heat begins, how about a refreshing Mango Refrigerator Cake for the Happy Home Cook. Our resident food expert Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares her recipe that uses fresh mangoes.

In case you missed them, links to keep you In The Know:

UnNews: An index of unreliable news websites
https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/unreliable-news-index/?fbclid=IwAR0TM_cNgwKBFIzfpMZwd68M4Hdbbrf0KRo58nLfXf61w4P2DRN7bKv5ij0

A History of Why Filipinos Are Obsessed with Skin Whitening
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/why-filipinos-obsess-over-skin-whitening-a00293-20190426?fbclid=IwAR01LZRtuzhWwn_dnz9w3f2uBAs5BxjARUIIQnb8w0X10HaroBoJbDYCWDk

PH now one of world’s top agri-tourism destinations
https://business.inquirer.net/269437/ph-now-one-of-worlds-top-agri-tourism-destinations?fbclid=IwAR2dhRnl79E04sPz18yX2M4fl9t16KI-RaInSa9tRemZ0NSYSEEVJvzE184

U.S. Army soldier returns home to PH, helps build school
https://usa.inquirer.net/28236/u-s-army-soldier-returns-home-to-ph-helps-build-school?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1PGtEINkRaotiwuBSqMDBPcfgwGKdhCGIwTZy0pNTN512cglXFkUTSPVU#Echobox=1556133071

For Video of the Week, we feature the popular a capella group The Filharmonic as they guest on James Corden’s Late, Late Show.

A Month of Remembrance and Reflection

It's Filipino American History Month once again, a month that reminds us of the long, difficult road our ancestors in this country trekked to pave the way for succeeding generations of immigrants. Positively Filipino joins the celebration by bringing you stories that make up the complex tapestry that our kababayans have woven in America.

One of these stories is the Delano Grape Strike that started in 1965 and lasted for five years. The massive strike for higher wages and improved working conditions for California farm workers was organized by Filipino union leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Veracruz, but popular history has pushed them to the sidelines in favor of Cesar Chavez. Linda Revilla's story, "Remembering Our Manongs and the Delano Grape Strike" corrects this historical error and retells the story of how 1,500 Filipino farm workers walked out of their jobs and changed labor history in the United States.

A good "Read Again" for this month is Abraham Ignacio Jr.'s "Where Exactly Did 'Filipinos' First Land in California?" to put Filipino American history in perspective.

An exciting exhibit on the famous piña fabric of the Philippines is ongoing at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Contributor Manzel Delacruz takes us there as she reports on the efforts of The Hinabi Project to promote the beautiful and indigenous Philippine fabric to an international audience.

From Manila, cultural historian John Silva reviews "Right Footed," the award-winning documentary film featuring the amazing Jessica Cox and how she overcame her disability with the help of her courageous Filipino immigrant mother, Inez.

And speaking of Manila, a young entrepreneur named Dianne Atienza tells us her story of risk-taking and determination when she chose to give up a corporate career in favor of striking out of her own as a "rentapreneur." Want to rent an Airbnb in Manila? This story will help you decide.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week, Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino's ropa vieja.

For Video of the Week, we feature a news segment from Fox-9 in Idaho, where a long distance romance began from a gift care package sent miles away to Joana Marchan in the Philippines.

Disobedience and Inspiration

As the civil disobedience in Hong Kong enters a new phase, how are our OFW kababayans faring? In "To Protest or Not to Protest" Filipinos in Hong Kong Weigh In," Daisy CL Mandap, a veteran journalist who has been based there for 27 years, tells us how the 150,000-strong Filipino community is riding the wave of turbulence that, to many, brings back memories of EDSA 1986. 

Two of our featured stories this week are by Filipino Americans who visited their parents' homeland and fell in love with the culture and the people. Lisa Suguitan Melnick, our regular contributor who won two honorable mentions in this year's Plaridel Awards, writes about her memorable encounter with a  server in Cebu in "Rosa Linda Who-Loves-Her-Job," while two students of the University of San Francisco, Jordan Guingao and Ty Bernardo, relate their life-changing experiences from their two-week immersion program in urban poor areas in Metro Manila. 

And, to continue our celebration of Filipino American History Month, read again "Celestino's Crusades," one of Lisa Melnick's winning stories. 

Our Video of the Week features a 2010 video from ABC's Nightline on men who claim to be the Messiah, including Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of Davao City.

Positively Filipino invites Bay Area readers to another free movie: "Mga Anino ng Kahapon" (Shadows of the Past), an award-winning full-length feature (with English subtitles) that tackles a common but often denied issue among Filipino families, on Saturday, Oct. 25. Please check out the Partner post about the movie for details. 

And don't forget to send in your stories of supernatural encounters which we will publish at the end of the month, in time for Halloween and Todos los Santos. Send to submissions@positivelyfilipino.com.

Have a colorful autumn, everyone!