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

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