The King and the Manila Boy

The first time I watched the movie musical "The King and I" as a little girl, I was mesmerized by the music and the strange costumes. That movie has since become one of my all-time favorites to re-watch on DVD and YouTube, and not just because of the unforgettable presence of Yul Brynner. "The King and I" remains one of most joyful musicals ever produced. For those who were equally entranced by the movie, did you know that the pre-teen kid who played the Crown Prince Chulalongkorn was Filipino? At that time, in the 1950s, Filipinos in a Hollywood movie were practically unheard of so Patrick Adiarte's feat was one that should be recorded and hailed in Fil-Am history, which is what PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia has done in "The Manila Boy Who Would Be King."

Quite a number of Fil-Ams (born and/or raised in the US) have decided to move to the Philippines and establish themselves there. One of them is Richard Cavosora who returned to Laguna to care for his mother and has since evolved into a maker of cheese. Read his story, "The Accidental Cheese Monger."

Following his very successful (and award-winning) stint with the acclaimed Washington D.C. restaurant, Bad Saint, Chef Tom Cunanan partnered with his former sous chef Paolo Dungca to set up, in the middle of the pandemic, PogiBoy, a sandwich fast food restaurant also in the DC area. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela writes about this newbie joint which has already been hailed by the Washington Post. 

Earlier this month was the 44th anniversary of the demise of the International Hotel (I-Hotel) in San Francisco, one of the tragic events that in Fil-Am history that should not be forgotten. Read Again about what happened that night of August 4, 1977: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-last-night-of-i-hotel?rq=i-hotel

And here's another of my road trip stories: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/gemma/bison-and-brooklyn

For the Happy Home Cook, a repost of another delectable dessert from Voltaire Gungab: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-double-decker-chocolate-and-coconut-pudding

We have a thought-provoking Video of the Week, an interview by Toni Gonzaga of Jake Zyrus, who used to be the celebrated singer Charice Pempengco. 

In The Know

Asian in the U.S. are the fastest growing racial group. What's behind the rise.
https://news.yahoo.com/asian-u-fastest-growing-racial-213021710.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

Hernández: Reality hit Manny Pacquiao after bruising loss, and he handled it with dignity
https://news.yahoo.com/hern-ndez-reality-hit-manny-123546530.html

Son, father remember rebel-poet: ‘We respect each other’s choices’
https://www.rappler.com/nation/kerima-tariman-son-father-remember-rebel-poet-respect-each-other-choices?fbclid=IwAR1qMzNRdUN4jjEJsCTQqeiWrxq6_2Fm22z_1tM43fzUF42bjdu2U5LtCyw

Family issues, racism compounded stress on Filipino-American college students during the pandemic
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/20/filipino-american-college-students-mental-health-suffered-during-covid.html

WWII veteran captured in Philippines worked in Japanese shipyard
https://news.yahoo.com/wwii-veteran-captured-philippines-worked-153600312.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

Stay out of our kitchen (if you can’t take the heat)
https://philstarlife.com/living/332967-kitchen-heat-cooking?page=2

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Name That Dish

Before taking a bite of a cheese-laden ensaimada or savoring a scoop of tasty mechado, have you ever stopped and wondered where their names come from? Not likely, but it's always good to know how the names of those rich, delicious Spanish dishes came to be. PF Correspondent Cherie M. Querol Moreno satisfies our craving for culinary knowledge with an etymological feast, "Behind the Names of Those Spanish Recipes."

Another valuable history lesson can be had with Sydney-based historian Deborah Ruiz Wall's research on "The 'Indio Hacenderos' of Angono," which includes her forebears. 

History of more recent vintage is the subject of author/journalist Benjamin Pimentel's opinion piece, "Never Mind EDSA: Remember the mini-EDSAs, the Battles Before the Uprising" which contends that the 1986 People Power Revolution was the culmination of a series of citizens' actions that chipped away at the Marcos dictatorship's hold on power.

And February being Black History Month, here are some Read Agains that illustrate the close kinship of African Americans and Filipinos:

Rene G. Ontal's "A Black Man's Burden" 

Benjamin Pimentel's “The Untold Story of Sugar Pie DeSanto” 

For the Happy Home Cook, here's another one from San Francisco-based foodie, Voltaire Gungab: Double-Decker Chocolate and Coconut Pudding.

Here are the links for stories you may have missed: 

Central Luzon: New killing fields in Duterte's drug war
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/224159-central-luzon-new-killing-fields-duterte-drug-war?fbclid=IwAR1U-7ENDlJdgnEWjoehOaNPR1ip1Ok1y7KKkdpHagBXQwhCppw7oZyDGo8

The Bobby Mañosa I knew–a Filipino architect like no other
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/325359/the-bobby-manosa-i-knew-a-filipino-architect-like-no-other/

Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur reveals who's behind his success
https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1018315?fbclid=IwAR0rG1CkcFX6-zxuzU0hGxoEqO7OBt8Us-VRRKqnQ7Jk3knm0NhXmyiF63k

Ana Valdes-Lim: The Reward is in the Process
http://www.dailygood.org/story/2233/ana-valdes-lim-the-reward-is-in-the-process-richard-whittaker/

For Video of the Week, we feature “Kangkungan,” a new video short by acclaimed filmmaker Mike De Leon, who presents a critique of the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and urges Filipinos to vote in the upcoming election.