Domestic Violence Isn't Always Physical

October is not only Fil-Am History Month, it's also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

Domestic violence or abuse is a crime so common, so egalitarian (it can happen to anyone) and often so insidious that it may not always be obvious to people other than the abuser and abused. It need not involve physical violence but always involves control and manipulation. Take this heart-rending personal story by Giovannie Espiritu of the abuse she had to escape from. Be warned that it isn't an easy read.

The artist and cultural activist France Viana has taken on a new cause that is in tune with the current movement towards gender-neutral pronouns. She's starting a campaign to have the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) add the Filipino pronoun "siya" to its already existing list of Filipino words. In recent years, the OED officially added "bongga", "halo-halo", "kilig", "bagoong" and "sorbetes" to its lexicon. 

A bright star that emerged from the grimness of the Covid pandemic in the Philippines was the community pantries, an open food exchange where people gave and took what they needed, for free. The unique humanitarian project started by a young woman named Ana Patricia "Patreng" Non tapped into Filipinos' innate bayanihan spirit and spread like wildfire to other places in the country. Tokyo-based PF contributor Ian Layugan writes about Patreng. 

Hurricane Helene is long gone but its devastation in North Carolina continues. Here's a story about a Filipino food truck in Asheville. They would appreciate a donation (click on link to its GoFundMe page). 

Help rebuild a Filipino food truck

The owners of the Master BBQ truck, a Filipino food truck in Ashville, North Carolina, are raising money to help rebuild their truck as well as support their workers.  

“Cooking has always been my passion. For more than 20 years, both in the Philippines and here in the US, I have poured my heart into it,” Paul Pike, co-owner of the Master BBQ truck, wrote on the GoFundMe page. “I started Master BBQ with my wife, Julia, and together we turned our dream into reality through pop-ups at different breweries in Asheville. The support we received from these breweries, along with the incredible community, made this journey possible.”

“Our team, who depends on the truck for their livelihood, is now left without income, and our truck requires significant repairs. After only being in business for 7 months, this setback feels indescribable,” he added.

So, far the page has raised $10,000 of its $50,000 goal. You can donate here. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-master-bbq-after-hurricane-helene

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Read Agains

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 1 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 2 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 3 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Video of the Week] The Legacy of Larry Itliong

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In The Know

Pampanga's Angeles City named Asia's Best Emerging Culinary City Destination
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/922753/pampanga-angeles-city-asia-s-best-emerging-culinary-city-destination/story 

A Reading List for Filipino American History Month 2024
https://www.clmp.org/news/a-reading-list-for-filipino-american-history-month-2024/

Artist works to restore vintage signs at San Francisco bars and restaurants
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/video/artist-works-to-restore-vintage-signs-at-san-francisco-bars-and-restaurants/

LIST: 6 Philippine hotels make it in the Michelin Guide
https://philstarlife.com/living/691506-list-6-philippine-hotels-make-michelin-guide?page=4

Mattel releases Barbie during Filipino American History Month
https://asamnews.com/2024/10/12/mattel-releases-barbie-during-filipino-american-history-month/

Jo Koy, on edge, reveals a family issue during S.F. tour stop
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/jo-koy-san-francisco-comedy

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Myths and Monsters

We close this year's commemoration of Filipino American History Month with a fact-check and correction. 

PF contributor and recently retired urban planner M.T. Ojeda parlayed her passion for history and geography by poring over old maps and demographic data of what used to be known as San Francisco's Manilatown, Kearny St. She disputes the assertions of a powerful 2020 video by media outlet Vox that 1) there were 30,000 Filipinos living in the area; and 2) those living in the area were so terrified of racist threats that they stayed within the boundaries of Manilatown. Read her story for a more accurate picture of the once-vibrant Filipino enclave in San Francisco. 

What better time to indulge our fascination with the supernatural than Todos los Santos time (celebrated in the Philippines on November 1 and its US equivalent, Halloween, on October 31)? 

For those who want to know more about the mythical creatures of our culture, here's a somewhat-creepy primer complete with sketches from Jean Karl Gaverza, whose research on this topic qualifies him as a resource person. 

From award-winning young writer, George Deoso, comes the question, "What is it about ghost stories that fascinate us?" He proceeds to regale us with his hair-raising tales which actually whets our appetite for more.

Not exactly a ghost story but a 17-year old aspiring writer, Lucas Q. Villaseñor, whose ancestor, Emilio Quisumbing, was one of the early pensionados (Filipino students given government scholarships to study in the US), reimagines the drama of the latter's return to the Philippines following his father's execution as a suspected spy.

October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Here's a Read Again that is a vital guide to recognizing red flags in a relationship: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/behind-the-charmer-may-hide-an-abuser?rq=abuse

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More This Week

[Video of the Week] 50 Years of Filipino American Studies

[Cook It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Salted Egg-Flavored Potato Chips

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In The Know

As Filipino American History Month comes to a close, take a peek inside the Field Museum’s Philippine Heritage Collection

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-filipino-american-history-month-field-museum-20221025-76xamuug6ncezm6kqla2n3zbge-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1hmCrGL9r9pT7RIU2cv0HHjbuElfLAsWto2SfMFvvFCPnSpZ4TytohTac

Americana vs. Camisa: The History of Filipino Men's Fashion

https://www.esquiremag.ph/style/fashion/filipino-mens-fashion-a2289-20190401-lfrm6?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20221020-fbnp-style-filipino-mens-fashion-a2289-20190401-lfrm6-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2PUNO3fc_-I58OKBMGXa5Up0gWeDDZj_qCp-0yLNjNpI4X28EUPU-Mot4

Nagtipunan, Quirino boasts scenic views, blend of culture

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186509?fbclid=IwAR3KeeQKamWtpu47eA2UIycVCzrU8W1kYC-MtmF2o9tmN2HW3aNHIP_PnxY

Filipino Americans Share Their Journey to Buddhism

https://www.lionsroar.com/filipino-americans-share-their-journey-to-buddhism/?fbclid=IwAR0Ng8AfhpRrrmbsggvsaLTlUhP5vzWZWGh7j7YYB9SesoiM8OMNAV9yEAA

The BTS concert in Busan: The travails of an ARMY husband

https://verafiles.org/articles/the-bts-concert-in-busan-the-travails-of-an-army-husband?fbclid=IwAR0vAgdUGQGYcrOMbRDpdcG1c5AQhYLHtLV4ZHfKzuvypEKiPI1cQDczUGU

Miriam Quiambao On Leaving The City Life: 'Kung Kaya Ng Bulsa, Buong Pamilya, Go For It'

https://www.smartparenting.com.ph/life/home/miriam-quiambao-boracay-island-life-family-a00050-20220408?utm_source=Facebook-SP&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20221021-fbnp-life-miriam-quiambao-boracay-island-life-family-a00050-20220408-fbold&fbclid=IwAR0xZotkg-Bx_xBqfZO-JqUdCRKiOD0Du29BTkcTJFNmmRtZprinakXUUPs

Month of Months

October is chock-full of commemorations; Wikipedia lists 17, among them National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, LGBT History Month, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness and National Bullying Prevention Month (which we should probably celebrate more, considering what's happening all around us). The big one for our community is Filipino American History Month, officially declared by the US Congress in 2009. We mark this annual celebration with the first of a four-part documentary entitled "Filipino Americans: Discovering Their Past for the Future" in our Video of the Week.

Award-winning Filipino American author Marivi Soliven writes about domestic violence in mail-order families, "Carino Brutal - Plain Talk About Domestic Violence," after getting angry about NBC's planned sitcom on the topic. NBC has since scrapped the series following massive protests from the Fil-Am community, but as Marivi reminds, the problem of domestic abuse remains a festering wound.

Celia Ruiz Tomlinson, life lover, cancer survivor and compelling raconteur, makes hospice real for us in her piece about her late husband's last days, "A Ringside View of Hospice." "After eight years of [second] marriage," she says, "I became a serial widow."

And speaking of deaths, Positively Filipino mourns the passing of three giants in their respective fields:

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, she of the quick wit and acerbic tongue, "the best president the Philippines never had" (according to an avid supporter), on September 29 in Manila, from complications of cancer;

Danungan "Danny" Kalanduyan, a master musician and teacher from Maguindanao who introduced and taught the tradition of kulintang to a new and appreciative generation of Filipino Americans, on September 28, in California, from a heart ailment; and

Ceres Alabado, esteemed author of children's books and young adult literature, on October 3. Mrs. Alabado's most famous book, Kangkong 1896, about a 15-year old Filipino who joined the Katipunan, introduced the Philippine Revolution to generations of young Filipinos.

On a lighter note, our Happy Home Cook feature this week is from LA-based chef and cookbook author, Marvin Gapultos: Sweet Corn and Coconut Panna Cotta, his own twist to the traditional maja blanca.