Life Lessons from Manongs

In last Monday's Positively Filipino webinar, our guest raconteurs Alex Fabros Jr. and Oscar Peñaranda regaled us with insider stories about life among the manongs on the farms of Salinas, California and in the salmon canneries of Anchorage, Alaska. Both knew whereof they speak -- Alex grew up and worked with them and Oscar spent 15 summers of his youth as an Alaskero (cannery worker). To that generation of Filipino culture bearers, the two attribute lessons in work ethics, joy, appreciation, cunning, survival, courtship and most importantly, building community. To listen to their stories (if you missed the webinar), here's the recording: Memories Of Fil-Am Life On The Farms And In The Canneries Of The West Coast

Our next webinar is the first of our forthcoming series on FilAm Trailblazers and it will feature two community heavyweights: California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye in a rare public appearance and Major General Antonio Taguba (Ret.). We hope you join us this coming Monday, October 26, 2020. Register here: http://bit.ly/filamtrailblazers

As this year's Filipino American History Month (FAHM) begins to wind down, here are two stories you have to read:

American-born Filipino/Japanese citizen Amadio Arboleda tells us his complicated and definitely unique life. ["My Audacious Filipino Journey"]

US citizen John Silva, writing from Manila where he now resides, relates how voting in a US election is worth going through hell and high water (or at least, an attempt at voter suppression) for him, a son of a war veteran. [A Ballot from Manila]

Here's another recommended book list for your FAHM reading from San Francisco Public Library's Abraham Ignacio Jr. [Book Recommendations For 2020 Filipino American History Month]

And another intro to notable Fil-Ams from our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco. [Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 10] 

Read Again: 

Robert V. Ragsac Sr.'s "Forget Them Not" 

Alex S. Fabros Jr.'s "Murder Most Foul" 

For the Happy Home Cook, here's a repost of Chef Romy Dorotan's  (Purple Yam in Brooklyn) Beef Shortribs Adobo, definitely a winner. 

For Video of the Week, young Fil-Am comedian JR De Guzman makes an appearance on Harry Connick, Jr.’s show.

In The Know

I Went to a 'Filipinos for Trump' Rally. Here's What I Found
https://www.colorlines.com/articles/i-went-filipinos-trump-rally-heres-what-i-found?fbclid=IwAR3G9ywtAiOrqRFyO11IPw_woeqW6B0MHoAdPCPEMb1x067-TunCqdpveaA 

‘Buried alive’: ‘The Celine Archive’ uncovers young Filipina’s horrific 1932 killing in Delta
https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2020/10/11/buried-alive-the-celine-archive-documentary-uncovers-filipinas-1932-horrific-killing-delta/5918519002/?fbclid=IwAR3DiI-ahEP-vPE-4x6_5JfUSC398lFYaFCwsTLAs2jF8MHSa2NncmVyP_M

Exulting in a tribute to our National Hero
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2018/11/26/1871613/exulting-tribute-our-national-hero/amp

From 800, it’s now a 10,000 waitlist for Filipino flavor Kora doughnuts
https://thefilam.net/archives/32996?fbclid=IwAR2BiaxeMD0YevN0RXwkaJkYaacJjE-ivyg7CeBfYet53gFE6WriDXGktAE

More History for Filipino American History Month

Filipino American History Month continues and PF Correspondent Lisa Suguitan-Melnick introduces us to "The Al Robles Express," a documentary film of a journey to the motherland initiated by esteemed FilAm author/professor Oscar Peñaranda. An interesting concept, this gathering of FilAm writers and artists visiting the Philippines for the first time and watching how the visit affects their works. ("'The Al Robles Express' is on the Right Track")

This month also marks the 75th anniversary of General Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines during WWII via Leyte. Journalist German Palabyab gives us a brief history lesson in "Better Leyte Than Never - The 75th Anniversary of General MacArthur's Return to the Philippines," on which his book, The Saga of Leyte Gulf, is based. 

Continuing with the WWII topic, here's a timely Read Again of a story that happened in October 1942: "The Spies Who Came In From the Sea" by Virgilio N. dela Victoria.

And from PF Correspondent Cherie Querol-Moreno, a feature on a new restaurant in Makati called Mijo and its chef, her nephew Enrique Moreno. ("Chef Cooks Up Tribute to Two Grandmas")

From Chef Enrique Moreno comes our Happy Home Cook recipe this week, Oyster Kilaw.

Here are some In The Know links that you will find interesting:

LOOK BACK: Amalia Fuentes, Philippine Movie Queen
https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/241814-amalia-fuentes-legacy?fbclid=IwAR0YITKIuiyYzHSKHIHuuuKdw3ZGIPTAm0VI-aifyjtSitXuCXNAd9inQ7g

The Phrase “Go Back Where You Came From” Has a Long, Violent History
https://truthout.org/articles/the-phrase-go-back-where-you-came-from-has-a-long-violent-history/?utm_source=sharebuttons&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=mashshare&fbclid=IwAR3Zx9aCA4GC6JDM0qVULTO7Lo0K56f2apwLfSwCpPIrKwsLFcWhR_m7rvA

How the early Pinoy films found a second home in Hawaii and ignited an industry
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/movies/09/22/19/how-the-early-pinoy-films-found-a-second-home-in-hawaii-and-ignited-an-industry?fbclid=IwAR1v1eimPAMCT6UCgkyFjuEQsSufpc3rF1shoSSjqahv7-VsZ3Q25tpcQ0U

‘The Hanapepe Massacre Mystery’
https://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/09/27/hawaii-news/the-hanapepe-massacre-mystery/

After a “one-man effort” over nine years, October is Filipino American history month in Washington
https://iexaminer.org/after-a-one-man-effort-over-nine-years-october-is-filipino-american-history-month-in-washington/?fbclid=IwAR1dbZI4NAoMz2OhIlOwBop_FSKnJkPSujU1FSKpB5hLMPfqbZEct7TnRd4

5 Books By Women To Read During Filipino American History Month
https://bookriot.com/2019/10/03/books-by-filipinas/?fbclid=IwAR3x59sz7FwRyQflyQoQSzr0zjLvi-pGZEj0rQhv95KEAltjXU-dbgYX4nQ

For our video of the week, Vox featured a story on peacock chairs which were widely-used as photography chairs. The popularity of these throne-like wicker chairs can be traced back to the 1910s-20s when they were built and sold from Bilibid Prison in the Philippines, then a colony of the United States.