Jeannie Barroga: Filipino American Playwright

Jeannie Barroga is a Filipino American playwright that has written Bubblegum Killers, about the anti-Filipino sentiment in the 1930s, Banyan, a Pinay Wizard of Oz, and Gadgets, about a Filipino American family. Her plays address non-Filipino themes as well, like Walls, which explores the controversy around the design and creation of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC.

Science Fiction Characters of Philippine Descent

Many people know that Juan "Johnny" Rico, from Starship Troopers, is of Philippine descent.

Another individual to add to that list is Hikaru Sulu, from Star Trek, who Gene Roddenberry wrote to be a half Japanese, half Filipino individual, born in San Francisco, California. While Sulu's back story is never really referenced in the series or movies, it is a neat item of trivia to know.

The Battle for Corregidor

On May 6, 1942, Corregidor--the last stronghold of Allied forces in the Philippines during World War II--fell to Japanese forces. The prisoners of war were marched through Manila and incarcerated at Fort Santiago and Bilibid Prison. Thousands were shipped to Japan for slave labor.

Prior to the surrender, Allied forces held off the Japanese forces long enough to hamper the Japan plan to take over Australia and the Pacific and reassemble enough forces in New Guinea and turn the war around. It is important to recognize that soldiers of all ethnicities--including Filipinos that were nationals of the United States--were involved in this effort.

Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland

The documentary, Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland, will be shown again on KVIE, the Sacramento-area Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station. It has become an annual part of the their programming during May, when the station celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The documentary features several Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) members and was produced by, Marissa Aroy, a Filipina American filmmaker from the San Francisco bay area. One can learn more about the documentary on the Viewfinder Web site at http://www.kvie.org/programs/kvie/viewfinder/little_manila/default.htm. It will show at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

If it does not air in your area, the documentary is available for purchase from the KVIE Web site at http://www.kviestore.org/dvvilima.html.

Saying Goodbye to a Hero

It is with numbness that I write that Manong Al Robles passed away today. He was an activist in San Francisco, California. Completely recognizable and unforgettable, he was a unique and inspirational figure that dedicated his life to advocating for the community, founding the Manilatown Senior Center, and the arts. He was part of the International Hotel movement, the Kearny Street Workshop, the Manila Heritage Foundation, and the the lives of countless individuals.

One can learn more about Manong Al on the Manongs of Manilatown Web page at http://alrobles.manilatown.org/. There will be a community gathering for Manong Al tomorrow, Sunday, May 3, 2009, at 12 noon at the International Hotel, 868 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA 94108.

I have always been inspired not by those that have died for a cause, but those that have lived for a cause. Manong Al is certainly one of those individuals.

Manong Al, it was an honor to share in the movement with you.