PETER’S PINOY PATTER — FEBRUARY 2017

Musings

My January blog expressed concern that Donald Trump‘s election did not bode well for Filipino Americans and other minorities.  Newly inaugurated President Trump wasted no time in proving me right as he signed a spate of Executive Orders.  Those orders: repealed the Affordable Care Act (without a plan to replace it); authorized a go ahead for the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines (thus risking tribal water supplies and disregarding tribal treaty rights); cut funding for Sanctuary Cities (considered unconstitutional); ordered a 90-day halt for immigration to the U.S. from seven “terrorist” mostly Muslim countries (the Philippines was once on this list and could be next); initiated a special review into alleged voter fraud by “illegals” (but not into cases where people could not vote because of discriminatory exclusion laws); and announced the building of a wall along the U.S. and Mexico border (estimated to cost an astronomical $15 billion just to begin construction).  Some of these initiatives will require Congressional approval. However, since Republicans control both houses, their passage appears assured………….. Now that the President has nominated cabinet members, it remains to be seen how many Filipino Americans will join the top echelons of the Trump Administration. Will it approximate the record of former President Obama — touted as the most diverse in history? Filipino Americans playing key leadership roles in the Obama Administration were: Nani Coloretti, Deputy Secretary and Francey Lim Youngberg, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Housing and Urban Development; Camille Calimlim Touton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Interior Department; Jason T. Lagria, Special Assistant, Civil Rights Commission; Carla V. Bernal, Deputy White House Liaison, Justice Department; Veronica Valdez, Special Assistant, Defense Department; Joe Bañez, Legislative Analyst, National Drug Control Policy Office; Daniel B. Prieto, National Director for Cybersecurity Policy; and Jason Tengco, Deputy Director, White House Initiative for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders…………….  A hallmark of American democracy has been a free press/media.  A free press serves two important purposes in our democracy.  It informs the citizenry and also serves as a feedback loop between the government and voters — thus holding government accountable to the people. Without a free press, freedom is threatened — remember the Watergate/Nixon years?  Beginning with his campaign Trump has denigrated the press on virtually a daily basis — seemingly to delegitimize, disrespect, devalue, and render the media irrelevant to the public.  He has called it “The Dishonest Press” and “The Enemy” as he lashed out over every perceived slight or criticism, no matter how trivial.  Example — ordering his press secretary to use false data to defend his claim that his inauguration crowd was larger than President Obama’s.  Discouraging open and honest communications has also extended to other sectors of the Administration.  Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, called the media “The Opposition Party — it should keep its mouth shut.” Moreover, the White House ordered the Departments of Environmental Protection, Health and Human Service, Agriculture, and National Park Service to stop sending communications outside their respective departments. Such gag orders that discourage open, truthful, and honest communications may be typical in dictatorships but are not in the proud tradition of American democracy.  As posted in the U.S. Holocaust Museum, “controlled mass media” is an early sign of Fascism. On January 30 Barack Obama urged citizens “……to exercise their Constitutional right….to have their voices heard when American values are at stake.” May the former President’s wise counsel help to put a halt to the Trump Administration’s dangerous practice of denigrating the press/media.

Bridge Generation News

Born in Seattle to a prominent pioneer pinoy family in 1938, Michael Castillano passed away on December 6 after a remarkable career in higher education. As Assistant Vice President of Minority Affairs, Mike was a leader in the golden age of Filipino American activism at the University of Washington during the 1970s.  He advocated for scores of Filipino students; successfully lobbied for Roy Flores as the first director of the Ethnic Cultural Center; recruited Norma Berona, Steve Aspiras, Vic Pineda, and Larry Flores as the university’s first Fil/Am advisers; and fought to increase Filipino faculty and for Filipino American history and tagalog classes. Arguably, no other American university compared with UW’s affirmative action record during ’70s. He took two years away from higher education in 1982-84 to work for iconic Seattle restaurateur Ivar Haglund and his chain of seafood establishments. Mike went on to serve as Director of Development at Seattle Central Community College, Assistant Dean at South Seattle Community College, and ended his career tutoring students at North Seattle Community College.  While most remember Mike for his work in academia, his family and close friends affectionately knew the energetic Mike better as a foodie, jazz aficionado, fashion plate, tennis ace, gardener, and debater.  Most important to Mike was his devotion to the Laigo-Castillano family — a dependable and vocal participant in the family’s celebrations and traditions……….. On December 16, the last sugar mill — with a work force continuing to be predominantly Filipino — closed down in Hawaii. Most Bridge Generation members owe their existence to the sakadas of an earlier era who were recruited to toil on Hawaiian sugar plantations beginning in the early 1900’s…………… Will Vince Gomez, bay area jazz bassist, continue as a Ball Dude for the San Francisco Giants? The Ball Dude/Dudette Program was created as a way to involve senior men and women baseball fans in on-field action. During home games, two people are designated to don Giants uniforms and field foul balls to hand to young fans……………. Judy (Cantorno) Tafoya was named 2016 Artist of the Year by her hometown newspaper, the Elk Grove (CA) Citizen, on January 3 for her tireless promotion of the arts …………… In his video interview about teaching Filipino stick fighting (arnis aka escrima/kali) to martial arts icon Bruce Lee, arnis guru Dan Inosanto revealed a little known tidbit.  Why, during olden days, in the Japanese version of stick fighting (kendo), practitioners seldom were hurt while Filipinos stick fighters were often injured?  Said the Stockton born Inosanto, “Japanese wore protective armor.” Modern day escrimadors, of course, now use plastic or rubber sticks……………. February Birthdays:  Alex Aguinid, Gloria (Carido) Nomura, Lydia (Antiporda) Galian, Bob Flor, Lillian Galedo, Rosalie (Salutan) Marquez, Ray Quitiquit, Joyce (Tibon) Balandra.

Pinakbet — News Across the Country

Countdown 13 months:  to financially insure keeping the Filipino American National History Museum in Stockton…………..  Aladdin, the Broadway musical, boasts a diverse cast of 36 that includes five Filipinos — Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Don Darryl Rivera as the scene-stealing Iago, and cast members Joshua de la Cruz, Bobby Pestka and Angelo Soriano. The popular musical opened to critical acclaim in 2014……….. Kevin Nadal of New York City is the 2017 recipient of the American Psychological Association Early Career Award for “Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest.” ………….. Longtime agency supporter Eddie Flores Jr., President and CEO of the L&L Hawaiian Barbecue chain, recently donated $15,000 to the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu HI — the largest such venue outside the Philippines…………….. So proud that my first cousin Adele Madelo of Oakland was among the more than 500,000 that participated in the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. on January 21.  Adele’s highlights: attending a breakfast hosted by her Congresswoman, Barbara Lee; listening within clear earshot of rally speakers; and meeting many like-minded women from across the country……………. New York-based set and costume designer Clint Ramos won the 2016 Tony Award for costume design for “Eclipsed,” an all-women production starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o………….. Cedrick Argueta, a 17-year-old senior at Los Angeles’ Abraham Lincoln High School, was one of 302,532 high school students worldwide who took the Advanced Placement calculus examination in May 2015. When the results were announced in February 2016, Cedrick was one of only twelve students getting a perfect score.  Cedrick is among Positively Filipino magazine’s list of “Filipinos We Can Be Proud Of”……………. California Assemblyman Rob Bonta was appointed Assistant Majority Leader by Speaker Anthony Rendon on December 27, making him the highest ranking Filipino American legislative leader in America………….. Vallejo CA is a worthy challenger to Daly City’s claim of being the only city of its size to have a Filipino American majority city council.  The north bay city of 120,000 boasts a Filipino majority with three city council members plus a voting mayor, Bob Sampayan, on its seven member city council.  Incidentally, Mayor Sampayan is the grandson of Carlos Sampayan Bulosan, the legendary author of “America Is In The Heart.” (salamat Rev. Tony Ubalde, long time activist, for setting me straight)………….. Answers to February’s Filipino American History Trivia: (1) Who was the first Filipino to be elected to a U.S. State Legislature? Answer: Thelma (Garcia) Buchhold, Alaska State Representative  1975-83.  (2) All-Pro quarterback Roman Gabriel was the first Filipino American to throw a touchdown pass in the National Football League in the early 1960s, but who was the last pinoy to do so? Answer: Doug Baldwin, wide receiver of the Seattle Seahawks in November 2016. (3) In what California city and county is the only state highway stretch in the U.S. where an official state sign dedicates it to the local Filipino Community?  Answer: State Highway 156, Hollister, San Benito County CA.

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