Let the Games Begin

The Olympic Games is about to begin in Paris from July 26-August 11; the Paralympics on August 28, also in Paris. For the first time, a bumper crop (28 in both competitions) of Filipino athletes are participating and some actually have a path to winning. Watch out for these names: EJ Obiena (pole-vaulting), Eumir Marcial (boxing), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics- men), and Kayla Noelle Sanchez (swimming). 

2024 marks 100 years of Philippine participation in the Olympics and PF Correspondent Myles Garcia, a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians, gives us a brief history. The country's medal haul, however, is meager: 2 golds and a smattering of bronzes in the Olympics, and 1 medal in the Paralympics. Let's hope Paris will work its magic on our athletes in this year's games.

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Van Cliburn is arguably one of the greatest pianists that ever lived, a rock star in the classical music world with sold-out concerts worldwide, screaming fans and a ticker tape parade in New York City that dwarfed those of beauty queens and sports champions. In the 1970s, during the martial law years of Marcos the first, Van Cliburn was a mainstay in the multinational coterie of first lady Imelda. Read cultural writer Pablo Tariman's account of this great pianist's Philippine connections.

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There are more than 8,000 Filipinos living in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia in Canada and the community mounts one of the most colorful and collaborative celebrations for Victoria Day and Philippine Heritage Month (June, as declared by the Province of British Columbia). Fil-Can writer Megen Quigley reports. 

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Continuing our recurrent feature on the Bridge Generation of the Fil-Am community, the generation's chronicler Peter Jamero features Joe Talaugon, born in 1930, raised and settled in California. Joe's mother was Chumash Indian and he is active in both the Fil-Am and Native American communities. 

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We round up this issue with an op-ed piece by author/educator/activist Walden Bello on the high-stakes political divorce of the Marcos dynasty of the north and the Duterte dynasty of the south. 

[Video of the Week] Stockton Museum Showcases Filipino American Heritage

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In The Know

Why Asian Americans care about China’s maritime aggressions
https://asamnews.com/2024/07/04/indo-pacific-diasporas-in-america-against-chinese-expansion/

A trans immigrant living with HIV finds hope and sanctuary in San Francisco

https://www.sfaf.org/collections/status/a-trans-immigrant-living-with-hiv-finds-hope-and-sanctuary-in-san-francisco/

Leonardo DiCaprio supports call to protect Masungi Georeserve
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/7/3/leonardo-dicaprio-supports-call-to-protect-masungi-georeserve-632? 

Online rumours of civil war in Philippines tied to China’s covert agenda
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266870/online-rumours-civil-war-philippines-tied-chinas-covert-agenda?

Butaka chair, Baliwag mesa altar, and more: Here are things you must know about Filipino heritage furniture
https://www.tatlerasia.com/homes/architecture-design/filipino-heritage-furniture?

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Anti-Asian Hate Watch

EXCLUSIVE: At least 13 Bay Area senior citizens robbed or attacked in neighborhood in 1 week
https://abc7news.com/post/exclusive-least-13-oakland-senior-citizens-attacked-robbed/15026452/?

Lost Kinjo: Anti-Japanese hate reached a fever pitch in Oakland
https://asamnews.com/2024/07/05/how-oaklands-two-japantowns-disappeared-in-the-face-of-racism/

‘Just the beginning:’ Las Vegas police establish AAPI Alliance
https://asamnews.com/2024/07/01/las-vegas-police-implemented-new-aapi-alliance/

Funding provided by the State of California.

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Justice on Trial

Extrajudicial killings have been in the headlines lately -- in the Philippines and in the US -- driven by different reasons, all resulting in pain, human rights tragedies and tinder for social volatility. History professor Vicente L. Rafael offers an insightful comparison of EJDs in both countries, the better for us to understand and reflect on how we should react and act on these travesties of justice.

An equally important call for humanity comes from Fr. Jett Villarin, currently the president of the Ateneo de Manila University, who has the distinction of being both a Jesuit and a physicist. He recently spoke at the University of San Francisco on Pope Francis' Laudatu Si encyclical on ecological justice. Manzel Delacruz elaborates on Fr. Jett's plea for the convergence of science and religion to save nature and humanity.

Meanwhile, as Rio de Janeiro prepares for the Olympics, Contributing Writer Myles A. Garcia, who has written a book on Olympics history, writes an "Ode to Olde Olympia and the Olympic Games" where he witnessed a reenactment of the original ritual of getting fire from the sun to light the Olympic flame.

And in case you missed them, Read Again two of our popular stories:

"Please Stop Calling the Philippines 'P.I.'" by Michael Gonzalez, a reminder that P.I. is a colonial term and to use it to refer to our homeland is an insult to its hard-earned sovereignty.

"When Lolo's Debating Team Vanquished America" by Liana Romulo relates the historic victories of the Philippine debating team led by her grandfather, the great statesman Carlos P. Romulo.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is my personal comfort food, Humba, this one by the Philippines' original top chef, Nora Daza. I reached for her popular recipe book "Let's Cook with Nora," the bible of Filipino immigrants everywhere, when our friend, her eldest son Bong, passed away recently. Bong attested to the deliciousness of all the recipes in this book because he was the taste tester when his mom was putting it together.