Filipino American Pinakbet

The recent tragic death of Robin Williams has hit us all hard.  But not as hard as it did his Filipino American family — his second wife of 19 years, San Francisco-born Marsha Garces Williams and their two children, Zelda and Cody Williams.  Their tribute to their husband and father was truly heart wrenching.  Because Mrs. Williams is the child of a Boholano Filipino father and a Finnish mother, the famed Oscar winning actor and rapid-fire comedian often kiddingly referred to her as a “Finnipino”.……Among the many entertainers offering tributes to Mr. Williams was Filipino American Dante Basco who appeared with Mr. Williams in the film “Hook”.

In 1993, I was privileged to work on Mike Guingona’s winning campaign for Daly City Councilman.  Twenty one years later Mike continues to serve on the D.C. Council as the longest sitting Filipino American elected official in the country.  Congrats Mike!……..If memory serves me correctly, the longest sitting Filipino American in the U.S. Congress is Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia…….After being elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2011, Mark Pulido was named by his fellow council members as Mayor in April 2014.  Mark earned his spurs in politics as UCLA Student Body President for the 1992-93 school year…….The appointment of Dr. Maridel Leviste to the Commission on Community and Family Services by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was confirmed by the City Council on July 14.  Her appointment is the latest among a growing number of Filipino Americans in L.A. city government since Mayor Garcetti’s election last year.  Dr. Leviste was a UCLA student body leader while Pulido served as president………Former Women’s Bantamweight Boxing Champion Ana Julutan’s recent transition to Mixed Martial Arts was a successful one.  Her next match will be in Dubai, United Arab Republic on August 29…….The largest gathering of Filipino American motorcyclists in the country, Bikerdahan, will once again be held at Lake San Pedro in California.  Among those expected to attend are Vince Paredes, Gigi Lariosa, and J.R. Dacuyan — all of the Central Valley.

Filipino American National Historical Society National Conference

Over 500 participants at the FANHS 15^th Biennial National Conference flocked to San Diego’s picturesque Kona Kai Resort on July 31-August 2 to learn more about the history of Filipinos in America.  Attendees ranged from Bridge Generation elders to political activists to high school/university students to learned academicians to ordinary citizens.  People came from across the United States plus a few from the Philippines.  Participants were treated to presentations by such Filipino American luminaries as Major General (Ret.) Antonio Taguba, chief investigator of the infamous Abu Guhraib prison scandal in Baghdad, Iraq; Dr. Eleanor “Connie” Mariano, the White House physician to three sitting presidents; Assemblyman Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American to serve in the California Legislature; and Marissa Aroy, the film maker who produced the documentary “The Delano Manongs”.  The entertainment highlight was the always breath-taking Singkil.  The Southern Philippines (Muslim) dance was flawlessly performed by a local dance group accompanied by a kulintangan ensemble.  This year’s national conference was dedicated to the late Fred Cordova, co-founder of FANHS.  Yours truly was elected to the FANHS Board of Trustees after an absence of a dozen years following twenty years as an original member of the board.

Bridge Generation News

Franklin Carido, ex-football coach at Stagg High School in Stockton is now in SoCal coaching at Murrieta High School………The Siquijor Protective Association, one of the few remaining mutual aid organizations, will be celebrating its 75^th Anniversary on September 13, at the Stockton Hilton.  We’re proud of Connie Viernes Pasquil of Walnut Grove CA for carrying on as president of the organization her parents helped establish to meet the costs of medical care and funerals during the last century……..Don Velez of Rohnert Park CA, artist extraordinaire, is making the rounds of local fairs with his exquisite wooden works.  Most recently he displayed his art at the Tuolumne County Fair in Twain Harte…….Sad to report that Al Mendoza of Los Angeles has taken a turn for the worse in his fight against cancer…….Bridge Generation Trivia:  Did you know that Filipino American youth living in the Delta town of Isleton during the 1930s-40s had to go to “Oriental School” while white children went to their own school?  Who said there was no racial segregation in California?