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.

Martin Nievera, Singer and Host

Born in Manila, Philippines to Bert Nievera and Conchita Razon, Martin is considered the “Concert King” in the Philippines. He has garnered 18 platinum, five double platinum, three triple platinum and one quadruple platinum albums. His mother moved to Hawaii with him and his twin sister, Vicki, when they were only three years old, to be with Bert Nievera.

Bert was a member of the Hawaii-based singing group, Society of Seven (SOS). Martin watched his father perform every night and would dream of singing to audiences. He received singing lessons from his father and by the age of 14, he was singing with his father at the SOS shows. The family moved to California in the 1970s, and Martin’s singing talent was discovered while singing in the shower room in school. He returned to the Philippines in 1982 to start his own singing career and later married Pops Fernandez. Later, they also separated. They share two sons together. Aside from singing, Martin has appeared in movies and television. In 2018, Martin received the Myx Magna Award for contributing his achievements in music as a singer, performer, and as a talk show host and comedian.

Pilar Valdes, Chef to Drew Barrymore

Chef Pilar has been Drew Barrymore’s personal chef for three years now. Drew says that Valdes’ culinary prowess allowed her to enjoy “craving dishes” that are healthy and keeps the weight off. Pilar’s company, Kickshaw, prepares fresh and tasty meals from scratch while keeping dietary requirements. The actress and chef have become good friends who travel together. Drew says they “speak in cookbooks and visuals and Instagram posts” while Pilar says their love notes to each other are “doggy-eared recipes and photos of food on Instagram.” Pilar studied Cinematography and Film/Video Production at the University of the Philippines and earned a Liberal Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She says that one of the reasons why she gravitated towards cooking was “missing home, missing that feeling of community, of people around a table.” She served as program associate with Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing and as deputy director of Global Action Project, both organizations focusing on promoting youth development and social justice.

Bretman Rock Sacayanan, Beauty Influencer

Professionally known as Bretman Rock, this Filipino American beauty influencer, social media personality, and internet sensation was born in Ilocos, Philippines and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of seven. He started as a comedian and meme creator on YouTube and Vine before shifting to vlogs and beauty tutorials. The hilarious beauty vlogger released makeup lines with Morphe and Wet n Wild and even has his own reality show, MTV's Following: Bretman Rock, which premiered last February. The show, released every Monday, includes a glimpse into his family life, and the cast includes his family and his close friends. More than 25 million followers across his platforms follow him for his skilled makeup looks, funny anecdotes, fitness tips, and random hobbies that include beading necklaces and creating resin ashtrays. In 2019, Rock, who is gay, stated in an interview with Elle that he was in his first relationship.

Asia Jackson, Actor and Content Creator

Jackson is the founder of SKNFLUENCR, a digital media platform that explores beauty and fashion at the “intersection of race, identity and culture.” Of African American and Filipino descent, she spent her childhood all over the world, growing up as a military brat. At 11 years old, she taught herself to code and was studying computer information systems. On TV, she has appeared on shows like Modern Family, The Young & The Restless and Speechless. Her YouTube channel uploads engaging and educational content about fashion, beauty, and self-care. In 2016, Asia Jackson pioneered #MagandangMorenx, a global movement that literally translates to "beautiful brown skin," to "challenge colorism in Filipino communities as I was bullied for having a darker complexion while living there," she said. She also speaks up about the erasure of Black Asians in the media and educates people about her indigenous Filipino community.

Leny Mendoza Strobel, Ph.D, Educator

Leny Mendoza Strobel is one of the founding mothers/signatories of the Center for Babaylan Studies (as a nonprofit) together with Perla Daly, Letecia Layson, and Baylan Megino. She stayed on as Project Director from 2009 - 2018 and was mainly responsible, along with an all-volunteer core group, in envisioning and organizing the International Babaylan Conferences, workshops, retreats, symposia, and other events that led to a flowering of practices of decolonization and re-indigenization among Filipinos in the diaspora. Her publications - Coming Full Circle: The Process of Decolonization Among Post-1965 Filipino Americans; Babaylan: Filipinos and the Call of the Indigenous; Back from the Crocodile's Belly: Philippine Babaylan Studies and the Struggle for Indigenous Memory -- continue to circulate along with podcasts, journal articles, and essays on medium.com. She is Professor Emeritus in American Multicultural Studies at Sonoma State University (SSU). SSU was the institutional home of the Center for Babaylan Studies until her retirement in 2018.

Liza Lapira, Actor

A New York native of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry, Lapira’s prolific career has spanned over 20 years of notable and supporting roles in a number of hit shows and blockbuster films. In television, she appeared in Sex and the City, Law & Order, Dexter, ER, Traffic Light, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, and NCIS. In film, she starred in movies like Cloverfield, 21, Fast & Furious, and Crazy, Stupid, Love. In August 2018, she joined the recurring cast of Netflix’s limited series, Unbelievable, and in 2020, she was cast as a lead on CBS’ The Equalizer reboot opposite Queen Latifah and Chris Noth.

Gayle Romasanta, Publisher and Artist

Romasanta is the owner and publisher of Bridge and Delta Publishing, a woman-Pinay-owned publishing house that focuses on American storytelling, specifically about immigrant families, immigrant history, and the Filipino American experience. She received a BA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. Her written work has been featured in the New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, KQED’s The Forum, and Smithsonian Folklife and Cultural Heritage Magazine. She has been published in books, online, and magazines, such as Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora: Troubling Borders Between Literature and Art (University of Washington Press), Field of Mirrors: Anthology of Philippine American Writers (PAWA Press), Cipactli: Raza Studies Journal of Literature and Art, and more. She is also the former artistic director of San Francisco’s Bindlestiff Studio, the only theater space in the U.S. devoted to Filipino American storytelling. As a violinist, she co-composed the first Google Philippines campaign commercial and has performed widely such as at the San Francisco Asian American Jazz Festival 20th Anniversary and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Her most recent work, Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong, co-written with the late Dr. Dawn Mabalon, has taken her on a national book tour celebrating Itliong and his contributions to the farm labor movement. Currently, she is a Brava! For Women in the Arts Artist-in-Residence, writing a new musical, co-composed with Bryan Pangilinan, and produced by Brava Theater. She is also the current dramaturg for Define American’s “Prieto,” written by Yosimar Reyes, directed by Kat Evasco, and produced by Jose Antonio Vargas and Joan Osato.

Jeremiah Abraham, Film Producer and Marketing Executive

Abraham is the founder and CEO of Tremendous Communications which was launched in March 2020. He has worked on films and franchises such as Crazy Rich Asians, Searching Harry Potter and Aquaman. He is the co-producer for Yellow Rose, the first Filipino film to be acquired and distributed theatrically by Sony Pictures, and Lingua Franca, which was acquired by Ava DuVernay’s Array for North American distribution on Netflix. He has held positions in entertainment and media corporations, helping shape the marketing strategy for their digital video business. During his time with Warner Brothers, he oversaw the global digital marketing for LEGO Video Games, Batman Arkham and Scribblenauts. His work has won numerous Shorty Awards. In 2008, Abraham founded and launched BakitWhy.com, the first digital media platform and content provider for Filipino Americans.

Miriam Warren, Chief Diversity Officer of Yelp

Born in the Philippines to a Filipino father and German mother, Warren moved to Las Vegas when she was only six months old. Her mother married an American who adopted Warren. “I grew up as a really brown girl in a very white family. I never knew my biological father until I was 17 years old.” Her embodiment of all these identities was one reason why ethnic studies interested her as a major in Mills College. Her current role as Yelp’s vice president of engagement, diversity, and belonging allows her to focus on “community development within her own workplace by addressing a range of issues, such as representation or people of color in leadership and confronting one’s own biases.” She serves on several non-profit boards including Reading Partners that addresses literacy for children. Although motherhood has slowed her down a bit, she wants to continue mentoring, publishing op-eds, and speaking at events.

Lolita Valderrama Savage, Painter

Lolita Valderrama Savage (Source: theflorentine.net)

Born in Manila, Philippines, Valderama Savage received her degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas. In 1973, she was granted a scholarship by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence where she received her Licenza in Pittura. She has had many one-woman and group shows in Italy and Sweden where she lived until her move to the U.S. in 1980. She now lives and paints in New York City. “I was born in the busy city of Manila, so I always longed for peace and quiet. When I discovered the countryside of Tuscany, I fell in love. There’s something special about getting lost in nature and feeling that you’re a part of it. When you’re alone in front of this beauty, you realize there’s something bigger and more powerful than you. Your communion with nature is very important. Given the advancement of technology, we now have so many different things that distract us from being spiritual and that’s taking a lot from us being human. It’s important that we remind people that they have to go back to who they are.” Her website states: Her commitment to art is combined with her passion for languages, diverse cultures, and a dedication to humanitarian causes.

The Magazine

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 21