Filipinos have been in the United States since the 16th century, yet many of their stories remain untold. For the past months, Positively Filipino has been running a series on notable Filipino Americans who have made their marks in this country. There are hundreds, or maybe even thousands more, that need to be added to this story, and we need your help. If you know of a Filipino American who deserves to be included in this line-up, please send us their names and any supporting documents you may have to pfpublisher@yahoo.com. For now, we are including only those who are currently active and visible in the media and the community, regardless of their religious, sexual or political orientation. Thank you.

John and Susan Ocampo, Technology Investors and Philanthropists

John Ocampo (Source: Santa Clara University)

John Ocampo spent his early years in Manila as the youngest of six siblings, where he attended a Catholic elementary school. His father, Francisco, had been a teacher and then dean of commerce and accounting at a university. His father died in 1970 and by 1972, his mother moved the family to the San Francisco Bay Area in search of a better life. He applied at University of Santa Clara (USC) and received a four-year scholarship. “To give me a free ride my whole four years, and give me the education, not just the academics but the values of a Jesuit education—that, for me, was very important,” says the CEO. “It was a very humbling experience.” Upon graduating in 1979, John went on to learn everything he could about radio frequencies and microwaves until he created his own business, Sirenza Microdevices that went public in 2000. Susan served as the company’s CFO for 15 years. In 2008, the couple launched GaAsLabs, a private investment fund targeting the communications semiconductor market. John and his wife, Susan, recently gifted USC $25 million to enhance the school’s STEM education. “What I’m envisioning from the STEM center is that you can put (in) other disciplines besides just engineering, and spark creativity, and get that cross-pollination from other disciplines.” The gift also completes a dynamic work space in the north wing of the STEM center – which will be dedicated and named after the couple — that includes a 3,000-square-foot, 30-feet high, glass-enclosed Innovation Zone and adjacent Innovation Lounge, eight research labs, two student project spaces, five teaching and experiential shops, and a laser suite.

Richard Tenaza, Conservationist

Richard Tenaza (Source: The Stockton Record) — Richard Tenaza (Source: *The Stockton Record)*

Tenaza Peak in the remote continent of Antarctica is named in honor of Rich Tenaza, retired professor of biology at the University of Pacific, for his research on the Antarctica penguin. Tenaza Peak is located 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) east of Mount Pechell in the west-central part of Hedgpeth Heights, Anare Mountains, Antarctica. Tenaza spent the Antarctic summer of 1967-68 at Cape Hallet, assisting on one research project (Thompson & Emlen, 1968) while simultaneously conducting his own study determining the importance of nest position and colony size in reproductive success of Adelie penguins. He is the former president of the Stockton chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society. He was a professor of animal behavior, conservation biology, and related subjects at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California.

Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, Psychotherapist and Community Activist

Rosenthal is a licensed psychotherapist by profession. She received her B.A. in Social Work at UCLA and her master’s in Social Work at USC. She is a published author of articles in the mental health field and was a faculty lecturer at CSULA, Department of Social Work. Her volunteer work has earned her numerous awards such as Pioneer Woman Award, Los Angeles City Women’s Commission, Global 100 Most Influential Filipina Woman Award, Community Service Award, Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles. Her mother, Remedios Geaga, was honored by the Los Angeles City Council in the designation of the intersection of Temple St. and Alvarado in Historic Filipinotown as “Remy’s Square” in 2009. She is the founder of the Pilipino Americans Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD), a political organization aimed to increase the visibility of Filipino Americans and civic engagement.

Keone and Mari Madrid, Choreographers for Disney

Keone and Mari Madrid (Source: Dancespirit)

Filipino American married couple Keone and Mari Madrid helped choreograph a new Walt Disney Animation Studios’ short, “Us Again.” The work is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first theatrical short in five years. It features an interracial couple, Art, a Japanese American, and his “young-at-heart” African American wife, Dot, who rediscover their passion for life and each other in one night full of music and dance, according to Entertainment Weekly. Keone and Mari Madrid, known for their work for global superstars including Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, and BTS, joined the production team as choreographers — a role integral to the short, which will be told entirely through music and dance, eschewing dialogue entirely. “Us Again” is something that Keone and I are really drawn to in movement, and we love to do that without words all the time so that’s why this intersection was so perfect,” Mari Madrid told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s something so magical, being able to bring that kind of relationship and make it physical and make it visual.” In his announcement of his and Mari Madrid’s involvement in the project, Keone expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with Disney on a story without words. “There are so many levels to which my heart explodes with joy when thinking about this coming to life, particularly that we can watch our daughter watch this,” he wrote.

Garrett Gee, Tech Entrepreneur and Journalist

Gee is best known for being the founder of Scan Inc. which he sold to Snapchat for $54 million. He entered technology unexpectedly after he downloaded an app, deleted it and couldn’t find a replacement, so he created one himself and made the Mobile QR & Barcode Scanner App. In 2011, he and his partners raised $8 million and upgraded the app’s features, and by December 2012, Scan had been downloaded over 25 million times and has 27 million regular monthly scans. He is also an adventure journalist, public speaker, athlete, designer, and family man. He loves to travel and explore the world. He said that his passion for life is best described in one word, CREATION. He loves to keep dreaming. Gee was only nine years old when his parents split; he went to school in Utah with his father whose parents came from Denmark, and spent time in California with his mother who immigrated from the Philippines.

Dr. Jennifer Mijares-Zimmerman, Pediatrician and Health Care Advocate

Dr. Jennifer Mijares-Zimmerman (Source: UP.edu)

Zimmerman graduated from the University of the Philippines with a B.S. Zoology degree and from the University of the East/Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center with a medical degree. She practices in Northwest Florida and specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics. She has 31 years of experience and speaks English, Arabic, Spanish, and Tagalog. In 2018, she won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 1st congressional district but lost to Republican Matt Gaetz. During the campaign, she said, “The number one thing I have learned is that people actually listen to your truths. If you speak from the heart and you speak the truth people will appreciate that and that is what my campaign is based on. That there is love not hatred that we can work together because one of my hashtags is not only this woman can, but together we rise.” She was the CEO of Kids’ Care Pediatrics for over 17 years before joining a multi-specialty group whose mission is to make health care within reach for everyone in the community. As an adjunct professor for Florida State University, she mentors medical students and physician assistants as they pursue careers in community health care.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Author

Manguerra-Brainard was born in Cebu, Philippines during WWII. Her father, Mariano Manguerra, was a civil engineer while her mother, Concepcion Cuenco, belonged to a political family. Brainard attended St. Theresa’s College and earned her BA in Communications from Maryknoll College. She emigrated to the U.S. to do graduate work in Filmmaking at UCLA, but turned to writing instead. She has published a collection of short stories (Woman with Horns and Other Stories), novels (Song of Yvonne, later retitled When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, The Newspaper Widow), a collection of essays (Philippine Woman in America) and edited a collection of fiction and nonfiction stories (Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, Growing up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults, Growing up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults). She co-founded PAWWA (Philippine American Women Writers and Artists) and founded and runs PALH (Philippine American Literary House). She has received many awards and travel grants.

Jordan Andino, Chef

Andino learned about the culinary world from his father. Born in Toronto, Canada, he later moved to Manhattan Beach, California and attended Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. He has worked at The French Laundry, Spago, and Jean Georges. He opened the Flip Sigi restaurants, a blend of classic Filipino cuisine and French technique, with elements of Spanish and Mexican vessels. In addition to hosting “Late Nite Eats” and “Food Boats” on Food Network/Cooking Channel, he is a recurring judge on Canada’s “Jr. Chef Showdown.” Andino hopes to bring a Michelin star to Filipino cuisine.

Shakira Sison, Author

Shakira Sison is a multi-award-winning Filipina American lesbian author, essayist, and poet. For her essays on gender and LGBTQIA+ advocacy, she was the 2014 winner of the Hildegarde Award for Women in Media and Communication as well as one of Manila Bulletin’s 15 Women of 2015. Currently working in the financial industry, she also writes a weekly column for Rappler.com on gender issues, culture, politics, and immigration.

Krystle Ang Palmer, City Treasurer, Burbank, California

Palmer was appointed City Treasurer in August 2019 but elected to the position in November 2020. Previously, she worked as an investment analyst for a hedge fund in New York, as a consultant for a consulting firm, and as a finance and corporate strategist for a technology startup. She holds an M.S. in Financial Engineering from Columbia University, a B.S. in Management Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from Ateneo de Manila University. She is an active member of the Government Investment Officers Association (GIOA), the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA) and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO).

Sofia Aragon, City Councilmember, Burien, Washington

Aragon immigrated from the Philippines to the U.S. at the age of three with her parents in 1975. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Washington and her nursing degree at Seattle University. As a registered nurse and attorney, she worked in Olympia for over a decade to advocate for affordable and accessible health care and workplace safety. She currently serves on the board of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance to help solve the homelessness crisis and ensure affordable housing for everyone. Her term as councilmember started on January 1, 2020 and will end on December 31, 2023.

Mignon “Migs” Bravo Dutt, Author

Mignon “Migs” Bravo Dutt (Source: Tribune.Net)

Dutt is a writer and researcher whose work has been published in several countries, regions, and cultures. Her short fiction has appeared in 22 New Asian Short Stories 2016 and Kitaab’s The Best Asian short Stories 2018. She has contributed poetry to various anthologies and journals in Asia, Croatia, and the U.S. She moved to the U.S. in 2019.

Oliver Tolentino, Fashion Designer

Oliver Tolentino and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (Source: Twitter)

Tolentino became the first couture designer from the Philippines to expand to the U.S. and set shop in Beverly Hills, California. His creations have been worn by countless Hollywood celebrities to the Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammys, etc. He specializes in eco-friendly fabrics, earning him the title of 2011 Featured Designer of eco-ethical endeavor Rags2Riches. “Through incorporation of native fabrics such as piña (fabric made with fibers derived from pineapple leaves), abaca plant fibers (Manila hemp), water-lily leaves, jute and raw silk cocoon, Tolentino has become a promoter of his native country’s weavers and embroiderers on the international stage.”

Brian Bulatao, Businessman and Former Government Official

Bulatao was raised in Pennsylvania, one of three children of Agapito and Brenda Bulatao. His father was an immigrant from the Philippines and his mother’s parents immigrated from Greece and Poland. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point where he rose to the rank of cadet captain. Nicknamed “Rambo,” he was described in the 1986 Howitzer yearbook as a Renaissance man who earned the respect of all. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. He founded Thayer Aerospace with Mike Pompeo, who was his classmate. In 2017, Bulatao was named Chief Operating Officer of the Central Intelligence Agency by then-agency director, Mike Pompeo. In 2019 he was nominated for Undersecretary of State for Management by President Trump, and his nomination was confirmed by the Senate.

The Magazine

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 19