Filipinos have been in the United States since the 16th century, yet many of their stories remain untold. For the past year, 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.

Gia Pergolini, Paralympics Swimmer

Gia Pergolini *(Photo by Rowin Hernandez | Continue Photography)*

Filipino American Pergolini won a silver medal at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris for the 50-meter freestyle S13 but she had already won a gold medal as a member of Team USA, a few days before for 100-meter backstroke S13. Her time of 1 minute, 4.93 seconds was just 0.3 second off the world record she set at the Tokyo Paralympics. She began swimming at the age of four and started competing competitively at age five. Growing up, she played lacrosse, soccer, gymnastics, and was a swimmer. When she was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease (a rare genetic eye disease that happens when fatty material builds up on the macula causing vision loss), she decided to focus on swimming. In 2017, she set multiple records at the Paralympics Swimming World Championships Trials in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At 20 years old, the Atlanta native is a student at Florida International University.

Jobeth Devera, Reporter

Devera is an NBC Emmy-winning TV host and producer covering all things cool in California. Born into an immigrant family from the Philippines, she spent her formative years in San Diego, California, earning the nickname “Babaeng walang pahinga,” or “the girl who keeps on going.” She graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Communications and Public Relations. Her career as a broadcast journalist started as the producer and multimedia journalist at Kearney, Nebraska to being a morning Traffic Anchor/Reporter at KETV, an ABC affiliate in Omaha. In 2016, Devera moved to Hawaii where she joined Hawaii News Now, hosting the lifestyle show HI Now. She joined NBC in 2020, and a year later moved to California for the California Live lifestyle show. She loves being a full-time mom, playing golf, and dancing Tahitian and Philippine Folk Dance.

Veronica Santiago Liu, Founder of Word Up

Veronica Santiago Liu (Source: UP Theater Company)

Liu is the founder and general coordinator of the collective that operates Word Up Community Bookshop/Liberia Comunitaria in Washington Heights, New York City, and serves as the executive director for Seven Stories Institute. She used to be the managing editor at Seven Stories Press. She was an inaugural member of the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), and serves on the boards of New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and Media Freedom Foundation, the advisory board for Healthy Families Washington Heights, and the community advisory board for freeform radio station WFMU. She was a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree and an honorable mention for the ABA’s inaugural Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. The Manhattan Borough President's Office (MBPO) declared “Veronica Santiago Liu Appreciation Day” on February 28, 2019, for her arts and civic work including Word Up. The MBPO and the National Dominican Day Parade jointly honored her as an "Adopted Dominican" in August 2022. Veronica has served as a judge for CLMP’s Firecracker Award for Fiction, Kirkus Prize for Fiction, and the Story Prize, and as a literature division panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts. Raised in Toronto, Veronica is a 22-year resident of Washington Heights.

Christina Luna, Music Advocate

Christina Luna (Source: General Assembly)

Luna was recently elected Governor of the Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter Board (Grammys). She has over 20 years’ experience managing entertainment and local festivals. She co-founded Zion Agency LLC, after realizing the need for Filipino and Asian American artists’ representation. Her company also now provides consulting, artist management and touring for Philippine music artists performing in the U.S. Luna has been featured in several publications, has spoken at events and conferences and is recognized as a part of the Global 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the world. She is also a Commissioner on the City of Daly City Recreation Commission. She holds a Master of Science in Management degree from Notre Dame de Namur University, a Certificate in Social Enterprise and Impact Investing from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies At Monterey, and was recently part of Backstage Capital’s cohort of Catalyst investor apprentices.

Ryan Namata, NaFFAA’s New National President

Ryan Namata (Source: Center for American Progress)

Namata was born in Cebu City, Philippines and grew up in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Namata is a graduate of the University of Maryland, a certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), and certified Society of Human Resource Management-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Namata is the chief human resources officer at American Progress, where he works to provide leadership and guidance for employee experience, safety, and long-term health of the organization. He most recently led an HR consulting firm that worked with individuals on career coaching and with organizations on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and HR operations. He has led domestic and international human capital teams at small startups, Fortune 500, and nonprofit organizations, as well as across industries such as finance, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and trade associations. He is also on the board of The Waves Foundation, National Association for Asian American Professionals, the Children and Family Network Center and the Intelligence Community’s Heritage Council.

Allison Hueman, Artist

Hueman is a Filipino American graffiti artist, painter and illustrator based in Oakland, California. She creates dynamic paintings, murals, site-specific installations, and new media works that oscillate between abstraction and representation of human form. Driven by instinct and experimentation, Hueman renders sublime and transcendent experiences by abstracting figures, layering and enveloping them in vivid colors with paint and textiles. Her practice draws from a constellation of art movements--from spontaneity in abstract expressionism and the ethereal quality of the Light and Space movement to the rich drama of the Baroque period. Renowned as a trailblazer in street art and graffiti, Hueman blends these influences, exploring themes of liminality, memory, and healing. She received prestigious large-scale projects throughout the US, such as the City of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nike, Golden State Warriors, Google, and Adobe. Hueman has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and her work is part of several public and private collections, including the homes of Ava Duvernay, Usher, P!nk, and Swizz Beats. Hueman received a BA in Design | Media Arts at UCLA.

Alena Olsen, Olympic Rugby Player

At the University of Michigan, Filipino American Olsen was a Collegiate All-American in 2015 and 2016 and she also earned a nomination to the Collegiate Rugby Championship Dream Team in 2016. In 2017, she appeared in three USA Falcons development tournaments including a five-match exhibition series with Australia, Super Sevens Brisbane and Okinawa Invitational 2018. Olsen helped the San Diego Surfers claim a Club Sevens National Championship also in 2018. Later that year she made her debut on the World Rugby Sevens Series home-stop in Glendale, CO. There, she scored a monumental try at fulltime to help the USA qualify for the Cup Final. In 2021, Olsen earned the title of Olympian after being selected to the Team USA roster for the Tokyo games, and again in 2024 for Paris, where she and her team won a bronze medal, the first for Team USA Rugby Sevens.

Nick Markanich, Football Player

A native of Bourbonnais, Illinois, the Filipino American Markanich was drafted 30th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by FC Cincinnati and was later signed by the club. He was in 11 matches for FCC and also played with FC Cincinnati 2, scoring four goals and adding two assists in 15 games. Before going pro, Markanich had a standout career at Northern Illinois University. He was the top scorer in the NCAA in 2021, with 16 goals and five assists, while earning subsequently All-America honors. Markanich was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021. A three-time first-team All-MAC honoree, he tallied 39 goals and nine assists in 69 career matches for the Huskies. Markanich, 23, was among the USL Championship’s top attackers in 2023. He was a five-time Team of the Week selection, the Week 15 Player of the Week and a Player of the Month nominee in June. Nick tallied 13 goals and four assists in 36 matches across all competitions, finding the back of the net in the regular season, playoffs and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He comes from a footballing family as his twin brother, Anthony, played alongside him at NIU and is currently a defender for the Colorado Rapids.

Roxanne C. Oriel, Allergist and Immunologist

Dr. Roxanne C. Oriel is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She graduated with both a BS in Biological Sciences and BA in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She then earned her MA in Medical Sciences from Boston University School of Medicine. Thereafter, she completed an Internal Medicine residency in New York at Lenox Hill Hospital and fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the Hofstra School of Medicine, Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. After graduating in 2017, she joined the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai. She is especially interested in investigating therapies for individuals with food allergies. She is actively involved in the Adverse Reaction to Foods Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). In 2023, she was awarded the Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Provider Communication. This award has honored Mount Sinai Health System physicians and advanced practice providers who demonstrated exceptional communication in clinical practice. Out of over 97,000+ providers nationwide, she was one of 72 Mount Sinai providers who ranked in the 95th percentile in provider communication measured in Press Ganey 2022 patient experience surveys. 

Marie Cunning, Entrepreneur and Community Leader

Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Cunning graduated magna cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, major in Accounting. She is the owner of several businesses in real estate, residential and commercial building construction, and custom home furnishings. She is the president of the National Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce and a board member of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). Based in Arizona, Cunning is also active with the Lions Club and has received numerous awards for her community involvement.

Source: Google and Wikipedia

The Magazine

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 61