We're already halfway through 2021 and we (meaning most of humankind) are in a much better place now than we were this time last year. Though we are not completely out of the woods yet with the pandemic, the fully vaccinated in the US are now able to do "normal" things like visit with people we love, eat in our favorite restaurants and get on flights, albeit with masks, sanitizers and just the right amount of squeamishness to keep us on alert.

This breathe of freedom that we hope is permanent, is not the only reason we celebrate this summer solstice month. There's Philippine Independence Day (June 12), Jose Rizal's birth anniversary (June 19), LGBT Pride (we expect those most awaited parades, cancelled last year, will resume this year) and Father's Day (June 20), which Positively Filipino will mark with a webinar on June 16 featuring famous fathers being honored by their children (much like how we honored mothers last month).

Best of all, we shall be bringing you travel stories -- some held back from last year -- that will hopefully transport you to places that can make you dream of traveling again. Here's one of them, a story that will set any biker's heart a-flutter: "Reflections of a Long-Distance Motorcyclist" by James Sobredo.

H. Arlo Nimmo may not be a familiar name for most Filipinos but this American writer/ethnographer wrote some of the most beautiful stories of Tawi-Tawi and Jolo, and the lives of the Badjao people with whom he lived during his research stint as a young man. Two of his books, The Songs of Salanda and A Very Far Place, are must-reads for those who dream of exotic isles in the Philippine archipelago. PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes pays tribute to this gentle man, her friend, who passed recently.

And here's another installment of Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous. This is already Part 20 and our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco's list continues. Just proves that Fil-Ams are making it big in this country.

To bookend the month of May, our Partner post comes from the Fil-Am Veterans Research Project as they honor some outstanding Filipino veterans.

There's nothing like a refreshing cocktail drink to welcome the warmth of June. How about savoring this recipe again from Elizabeth Ann Quirino. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-mango-tango-cocktail-drink

This Week’s Stories

Reflections Of A Long-Distance Motorcyclist By James Sobredo

H. Arlo Nimmo’s Very Far But Special Place By Criselda Yabes

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 20 By Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[PARTNER] Reflecting On Our Nation’s Past: The Story Of The Filipino Veterans Of World War II

By Jon Melegrito

[Mix It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Mango Tango Cocktail Drink By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

[Video of the Week] 1954 Student Exchange

In The Know

The perpetual foreigner: What it's like to be Filipino American in a time of hate
https://www.rappler.com/moveph/what-it-is-like-filipino-american-time-hate-united-states?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1-7mqW30fpZeZcFe09DyIZsXW-7R8P1KqRuxwg4UvdmmiabkK33mXjnh0#Echobox=1622506002

From AIDS to COVID-19, America’s Medical System Has a Long History of Relying on Filipino Nurses to Fight on the Frontlines
https://news.yahoo.com/aids-covid-19-america-medical-110030334.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

The Three Kings of Biscuits – M.Y. San, M.P. San and Pacific
https://industrialhistoryhk.org/the-three-kings-of-biscuits-m-y-san-m-p-san-and-pacific/?fbclid=IwAR1-M4XYKsM0lI6MQQPsUBI-at2DODo3RgJAhkDqeN6MXzBorZV7vY5jMZ4

Magical Manila: This hobbyist takes enchanting shots of the city
https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/24/magical-manila-this-hobbyist-takes-enchanting-shots-of-the-city/?fbclid=IwAR1A5x6_rlAyVL1UpDzGUu1Izil-hRZaqSvqhwhRd73VhrGVrb6-fZxstSA

PH ‘Prehistory’: 500 years of Indigenous erasure
https://usa.inquirer.net/72363/ph-prehistory-500-years-of-indigenous-erasure?fbclid=IwAR2HOEb_No-z1VS3sq6u3Ee-Sn9y3rCE7-wiNyqfqYqWGgWyy3FhHE8TZos

In 1925, as Black porters of the Pullman Company were organizing the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the train company hired 400 Filipinos as scabs against the nascent labor union. It didn't take long for the Filipino porters to realize that they had more in common with the Black workers; while management praised them for their "natty appearance" and their work ethic, they were just as discriminated against as their union counterparts. Led by Cipriano Samonte, an Ilocano from Laoag, the Filipino porters switched sides in this labor conflict and became part of BSCP. First-time Positively Filipino contributor Don Villar, a civil rights lawyer and Chicago labor leader, writes this compelling and inspiring story of "How Black and Filipino Unity Was Forged in the Pullman Workers Union."

There are numerous historical accounts of Filipinos in America but so far, there is no centralized depository that can preserve them for future generations to access. This lack is what Eliza Lafferty, another first-time PF contributor, wants to solve with her Pakinggan! Archive project, which she describes in "Pakinggan! A Case for Filipino Community Archives."

In Baguio City, meanwhile, the traditional summer treat for many Filipino kids -- horseback riding in Wright Park -- is slowly becoming a thing of the past as a disease kills off most of the horses. Baguio-based PF Correspondent Rene M. Astudillo reports on "The Fallen Horses of Baguio City."

Insider stories about the revolution of the Philippine Left have been coming out and one of the most pointed in its criticism of the treatment of women is Maria Virginia Yap Morales' recently published memoir, Ascending the Fourth Mountain: A Personal Account of the Marcos Years. Dr. Patricio N. Abinales, himself a chronicler of sex and Philippine communists (he wrote a book on this topic), writes a review.

For this week's Happy Home Cook, here's another video demo by Chef Sandy Daza, for three recipes: Authentic Italian Carbonara, Chicken Caesar Sandwich and Croque Monsieur. It's over 20 minutes long for all three but it's a fascinating watch. Sandy always makes cooking look simple and attainable for home cooks.