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JUNE 5 - 11, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 31 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Why they protest: Filipinos express support for Black Lives Matter, call for structural police reform far and wide gathered at Pan Pacific Park on the westside of Los Angeles for a Black Lives Matter rally. Standing 6-feet apart and donning face masks and wielding signs, the rally THE protest started out peacefully. Gathered on a breezy Saturday morning was meant to be a more muted yet equally as on May 30, tens of thousands of individuals powerfully influential as the demonstration by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

the previous night in Downtown LA. Filipino American fi lmmaker Jon Jon Augustavo was among the fi rst of thousands who arrived at the demonstration and, like others, noticed an extraordinary sense of community and harmony as the speakers

took turns at the podium and spoke from the heart about the need for systemic change in law enforcement across the country. “I’m from Seattle and that’s my heart, but [this protest] was the fi rst time in 10 years

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Philippine Consulate in New York boards up DATELINE amidst looting in the Refunds available for city, sets new protocols annual summer tour when it reopens

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

to the Philippines

U.S.-based travelers who were slated to join this year’s Very Important Pinoy Tour to various Philippine destinations may receive a refund, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles announced on Monday, June 1. The annual tour — formerly called the Ambassador’s Tour — brings Filipinos from across the U.S. back to the Philippines, and was set to take place from July 19 to 26, 2020 with tours in Manila, Iloilo and Boracay. However, due to travel re-

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

THE Philippine Consulate General in New York — just as it was preparing to reopen — shuttered and boarded up its glass windows on Monday, June 1 as New York braced for more widespread looting and violent protests. “In light of reports of looting and break-ins in the vicinity of the Philippine Center, and as a precautionary measure to add protection to the facility and enhance the safety of our on-duty personnel, we decided to shutter and board-up the glass windows and doors of the Center until

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Senators welcome suspension of VFA termination by JOSEPH

PERALTA & RITCHEL MENDIOLA AJPress

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday, June 3 both welcomed the move of Malacañang to suspend the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the United States and the Philippines. The two senators reiterated that the peti-

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Philippine Consulate employees boarded the windows and doors of the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue on Monday, June 1 to prepare for the possibility of continued looting in midtown. For news and announcements, follow the Facebook account of the Consulate: Philippine Consulate General in New York or visit their at website: www.newyorkpcg.org The consulate is also urging everyone in the Fil-Am community to monitor the news and take necessary measures to ensure their safety. For urgent cases, kababayans can call the Consulate’s emergency hotline (917) 2940196. Contributed photo/PCGNY

Anti-terror bill approved in PH House COVID-19 cases in PH by DARRYL JOHN

surpass 19,000; 221 ‘fresh’ cases, 530 ‘late’ cases

ESGUERRA

Inqurier.net

MANILA — The number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the Philippines has reached 15,049, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 380 new cases as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27. This is the second consecutive day that the country logged over 300 new coronavirus infections after averaging 220 cases in the past weeks. The DOH also reported 18 new fatalities, bringing the nationwide death

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by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

Philippine Senate President Vicente Aquino III Inquirer.net photo

MANILA — The total confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country rose to 19,748 on Wednesday, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 751 additional cases. Of the new cases, 221 were classified as “fresh cases” or

those validated within the past three days, while the other 530 are “late cases” or those recorded at least four days ago but were only validated recently. The total recoveries currently stand at 4,153 after 90 more were able to recover from the severe respiratory disease.

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From the Front Page

Philippine Consulate in New York boards... PAGE 1 the situation calms down,” Consul Arman Talbo, who also acts as manager of the Philippine Center, told the Asian Journal. “We urge our kababayans to monitor the news in their area and to take necessary safety measures.” The consulate was informed last week that there have been break-ins around the area even before the first looting in the city happened. Some of the protests escalated into looting on Sunday as dozens of stores from Soho to midtown were vandalized and display windows smashed. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has extended the curfew in the city and will now continue through Sunday, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The curfew first went to effect at 11:00 p.m. on Monday but it failed to curb the rampant looting in the city, which has scheduled to begin reopening next Monday, June 8. The Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC has also issued an advisory for Filipinos to exercise increased caution

and vigilance amidst the spark of protest actions across the United States following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “Filipinos are strongly advised to adhere to curfews and other security measures imposed by local authorities: avoid areas of unrest and be aware of their surroundings and any crowd buildups that may lead to disturbances,” the advisory read. And because these protests are happening during this global pandemic, the embassy is also urging Filipinos to abide by existing medical advisories on social distancing and wearing of face masks. New Normal Consul General Claro S. Cristobal led a press conference last Friday to announce the new system that has been set up when the consulate gets to reopen. In a livestreamed ConGen Media Hour, Cristobal said that there would be significant changes in the way that the consulate will conduct its operations.

“We want to reassure our kababayans that we are taking the changes seriously. We take great care of the well -being of the people who visit us and those who work here,” Cristobal said. There will be a limited number of services will be offered, and this includes those that require personal appearance. Appointments are absolutely necessary as no walk-ins will be allowed. “Appointments will be required for the following services: urgent passport applications, travel documents, overseas voter registration and social security,” Consul Ricarte Abejuela explained. “If the schedule is followed strictly, clients will be in and out of the premises in 15 minutes.” Dual citizenship application is suspended until further notice. On the first two weeks of opening, the consulate will be open only for three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

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Signned several messages were left at the Silver Lake Reservoir in Los Angeles as protests were organized throughout the city. in support of Black Lives Matter, a movement that advocates against violence and systemic racism towards the Black community. Photo courtesy of Abigail Zelenski

Why the protest: Filipinos express... PAGE 1 that I was proud to call Los Angeles my home,” Augustavo told the Asian Journal. The rally brought forth speakers who voiced frustration with the pattern of police brutality that have plagued cities across the United States and called for two specific courses of action: defund the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and hold police officers who kill unarmed individuals accountable. Godfrey Plata, former public school teacher and organizer and current California State Assembly candidate, also attended the protest and described the first half of it as peaceful and going forth as planned. After the gather-

ing at the part, the organizers of the demonstration led the group to a march down toward West 3rd Street and right toward South Fairfax Avenue. “As more and more people joined in, it became more difficult to, you know, stay 6 feet apart, but people were really respectful and everyone I saw was wearing a mask,” Plata told the Asian Journal. Plata described residents of the affluent Fairfax District honking their horns and pumping their fists in support of the protest, which was planned to end at the Beverly Center. But when he made it to Third and Fairfax, Plata said the march stopped.

He found out that police had divided the march at the intersection, but organizers tried to curve the march around the police blockade to continue on. That’s when police began firing rubber bullets. The protest itself was peaceful. And then the cops came. Following days of civil unrest across the country, Los Angeles was one of several major cities across the world to hold rallies and marches that brought together thousands of people protesting the pattern of police brutality and murders of unarmed Black individuals. The protests were sparked by the murder of George

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Refunds available for annual summer tour... PAGE 1 strictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has since been canceled. In an announcement, the Consulate General said the “refund will be done in the order of when said deposits/payments have been re-

ceived” and that participants will “individually receive a notification regarding the refund procedures.” Participants also have the option to put their deposits or payments towards next year’s tour. Led by the Philippine De-

partment of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and Rajah Tours, the VIP Tour is an eight-day trip, featuring cultural, gastronomic, and adventure-filled experiences the country has to offer. (AJPress) n

COVID-19 cases in PH surpass 19,000...

PAGE 1 However, the country’s death count rose to 974 after eight more patients succumbed to COVID-19. Last week, the DOH started classifying “fresh” and “late” cases so as to dispel the il-

lusion that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, just as Metro Manila shifted to less stringent quarantine protocols. It further clarified that the surge in daily cases is due to the laboratories’ testing

capacity and “aggressive efforts” to reduce the validation backlogs. The classification of fresh and late cases is only temporary until laboratories clear up their data backlogs, the DOH said. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 5-11, 2020

JUNE 5-11, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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Philippine Consulate in New York boards...

Why the protest: Filipinos express... PAGE 2 Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota on May 25 in which the police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck while apprehending him for allegedly paying with a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner market. A video, which has now gone viral, shows the officer forcing Floyd down despite Floyd’s screaming, “I can’t breathe” multiple times. The video documents the moment Floyd’s neck breaks and dies. The murder follows a string of other murders of Black individuals — Breonna Taylor on March 13, who was gunned down in her home and Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed by two white civilians while jogging — this year. Most recently, in Louisville, Kentucky, a black business owner named David McAtee was fatally shot by police officers during a protest on Monday, June 1. But the core of the protest was much more than these recent incidents. Since the infamous Rodney King beating in 1992, Los Angeles has become the poster city for unlawful aggression by law enforcement toward individuals, especially Black Americans. The legacy of that murder lies in the ensuing riots from the Black community who were frustrated at the unmitigated violence inflicted on an unarmed man in their neighborhood. Augustavo saw firsthand when things started to unravel on Saturday, and saw what people on social media have described as provoking the commotion among the protesters. “My adrenaline was all over the place. I don’t think I normally would have walked up to a police officer holding a shotgun and taken a picture,” said Augustavo, who posted a moving collection of 10 photos from that day to his Instagram. He added, “In my normal work, I’m not gonna walk up to a cop while his cop car’s running behind him, but I just was like in the moment and thought we need to document these things because no one, at least people who are part of my life, believed it happened the way the media is telling you.” According to Augustavo, a blockade of police officers started pushing people and eventually began firing

rubber bullets at nonviolent protesters. Video clips of these incidents widely spread throughout social media; credentialed journalists covering the protest were also among those who were hit. White protesters began standing in front of Black protesters to protect them from the bullets as the demonstration mounted into non-lethal, albeit brute force against protesters. Mainstream media coverage of the event placed most focus on the destruction on the scene, but what protesters like Augustavo saw was clear agitation from the police units toward an otherwise orderly march. “You know, we have people on our side yelling aggressive things, but they’re not physically doing anything, so it was like, ‘We’re not hurting anyone, so what are you protecting?” he said. Things spiraled further out of control when police cars were being lit up and people began vandalizing nearby storefronts and public spaces. (It is unclear whether or not these vandalizers were part of the original protest; those who were a part of the original protest said they were not as the protest’s organizers stressed the importance of maintaining a peaceful demonstration.) The culmination of the events that transpired in Fairfax mirrored the hundreds of protests across the country that began peacefully but escalated as soon as law enforcement got involved, like in Philadelphia, where peaceful protesters on an expressway were boxed in by police units, who were seen throwing tear gas on the protesters. “I’m not surprised that things escalated when police began to use force,” said Plata, who has participated in many peaceful demonstrations that have gone awry in the past. Across the U.S., thousands have been arrested, citywide curfews have been put in place, the National Guard has been deployed, and the core rallying cry of the protest is now getting lost amid the widespread coverage focusing on the mayhem and vandalism, harkening back to the Rodney King shooting, all of which most people remember the riots more than anything else. Intercultural solidarity and fighting anti-blackness

in the Filipino community Bringing the focus back to the core matter in hand — police brutality and the ways in which systemic racism against the Black community feeds into the violation of due process — is a key objective of this current wave of protests. The violence, vandalism and looting of small businesses, which many people have suggested were instigated by folks outside of the Black Lives Matter movement, have taken up more broadcast and print space among media platforms, but what gets lost in sensationalistic reportage is the core focus of the movement itself. The emergence of digitally-native social justice campaigns like Black Lives Matter — founded in 2013 after the murder of 17-yearold Trayvon Martin — have expanded the network and possibilities of intercultural solidarity for movements that are primarily dedicated to one cultural group in particular. Shortly after, when the 2014 shooting of the unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, a new wave of protest erupted across the country, catalyzing social media campaigns and a newfound era of wokeness began to take shape, especially among younger Americans. But the root of anti-blackness within the Filipino community runs deep and can be traced to periods of colonialism that have cultivated internalized colorism and classicism that attributes whiteness — in appearance and in demeanor — as superior. Concepts like racism and discrimination are learned things, and it’s universally experienced among Filipinos that from a young age, we are taught a false dichotomy of white versus black; we’re often taught that having darker skin is undesirable, that black neighborhoods are always dangerous and other warnings that are rooted in internalized colorism. Twenty-four-year old Filipina American middle school teacher Lauren Mendoza shared that, growing up, other Filipinos have instilled those same messages within her, messages that have upheld the model minority myth. “It doesn’t make sense in

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PAGE 2 “This [system] is perfect for social distancing. It is so efficient, democratic and transparent. Just follow the procedures,” Cristobal said. “That’s why there will be no walkins.” He added that 48 hours before the reopening, the appointment system online will be activated and that they will announce it on the consulate’s website and social media platforms. The first step is to go on PCGNY’s website at www. pcgny.org and schedule an appointment. The consulate is

using the Qless Appointment System. For passport applicants, download and complete the passport application. The consulate officials are urging visitors to prepare and bring all the requirements needed, along with a self-addressed, stamped, USPS prepaid envelope (with tracking number) and cash or money order payable to “Philippine Consulate General in New York”. Provision of a mobile number is crucial, since text messages will be sent: a confirmation text upon registration, a reminder text sent 24 hours prior to the

appointment and some text messages during the day of the appointment, including the approximate wait time. On the day of the appointment, dedicated staff members will be available to check if clients have an appointment. Their temperature will then be checked and allowed entry to the lobby 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment. A face mask is required to enter the consulate premises. “We will definitely check the requirements. If despite all the reminders, nakalimutan talaga, they have to register again,” Consul Abejuela remarked. n

Senators welcome suspension of VFA... PAGE 1 tion filed by senators in the Supreme Court asking to affirm the chamber’s role in treaty termination will not be affected by the suspension of the VFA termination in separate interviews. Senate President Sotto, who stated that the majority of senators prefer the retention and improvement of the VFA, told the Philippine Star that “the pending issue in the Supreme Court remains. We will still ask the SC whether or not the abrogation (of treaties) must have the concurrence of the Senate, the concurring body.” Sotto added he would still press for a review of the military pact between the two countries. Senator Drilon, who welcomed what he termed as the “sudden policy change” of the Philippine government, said to the Inquirer, “This turnaround does not affect the case we filed before the Supreme Court. The petition we filed is for declaratory relief and mandamus where we asked the Supreme Court to uphold the power of the Senate over treaty termination. The fact that the VFA is reinstated will not render our case moot and

In this April 5, 2019 photo, U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment currently attached to 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, hike with Philippine Marines on their way to conduct room clearing drills during Exercise Balikatan at the Navy Education Training Command in Zambales. Photo by Lance Cpl. Christian Ayers/U.S. Marine Corps

academic. The case stands.” “The unhampered implementation of the VFA will serve the interest of our country, particularly with the preservation of our rights over parts of the West Philippine Sea,” Drilon added. “The abrupt abrogation of the VFA last February as initiated by the President – which was done amid the increasing aggressiveness and the bullying of China – is disadvantageous to us. What the country truly needs is a stable foreign policy that promotes our in-

terest,” the Senate Minority Leader further stated. It was on Tuesday, June 2 that Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced that the Philippines has suspended the termination of its Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States “in light of political and other developments in the region.” “I issued this diplomatic note to the U.S. ambassador. It has been received by Washington and well at that. The note is self-explanatory and

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Anti-terror bill approved in PH...

PAGE 1 toll to 904. Meanwhile, 94 more patients have recovered from the respiratory disease, bringing the total recoveries to 3,506. There are currently 10,639 active coronavirus cases in the country, the agency noted. It was only last Sunday, May 24 that total COVID-19 cases nationwide breached the 14,000 mark. This means that in just a span of three days, the DOH

has recorded a total of 1,014 new confirmed cases. On Tuesday, the DOH reported 350 new cases—the highest single-day tally of new infections since April 6’s 414 new cases. This is also the first time in nearly three weeks that new cases for a day exceeded 300. On May 7, there were 339 new cases. According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the sudden uptick is

due to the inclusion of returning Filipino migrant workers’ positive test results. However, she noted that it is not the sole reason behind the surge as there are still cases being reported from different parts of the country. Meanwhile, Malacañang said the increase in new cases is somehow expected after the government moved to gradually reopen the economy and allowed select sectors to continue operations. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 5-11, 2020

OPINION

FEATURES

Preparing to dine in

GUIDELINES were released over the weekend by the Department of Trade and Industry for dine-in service in restaurants and fast-food chains. The DTI guidelines, issued on the eve of Metro Manila’s transition to general community quarantine, were approved yesterday by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infection Diseases or IATF. The only question is when dine-in services can resume. The IATF has approved the reopening of barbershops and salons by June 7, although facials, manicure-pedicure and massage services remain prohibited. Dining in involves less direct physical contact than hairdressing, but food-handling hygiene is a concern. Industry players estimate that up to 490,000 Filipinos are employed in 16,300 dine-in restaurants nationwide. The players say they expect half of the establishments to permanently close shop as a result of pandemic restrictions, particularly physical distancing requirements that on average can cut the number of patrons by half at any given time. Such restrictions are seen to persist for months in the absence of a vaccine or

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cure for COVID-19. Even fast-food chains that have survived the pandemic through take-outs, drivethrough operations and deliveries are feeling the strain of reduced earnings due to the prohibition on dining in. Now, with dine-in establishments in certain countries serving as models, the DTI has recommended the guidelines for reopening. These include the use of suitable dividers to promote physical distancing as well as the use of singleuse menus per table or other ways of taking food orders without promoting the transmission of pathogens. Buffets and self-serve areas will remain banned. Health protocols that have become part of the pandemic normal will be required: temperature checks for all, well-equipped sanitation stations for hand washing and disinfection, and possibly footbaths at entrances. Reviving the dining industry could not only save jobs but also provide employment to the tens of thousands of overseas Filipino workers who have been forced to return home after losing their jobs amid the pandemic. For years,

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

the food service industry has been one of the biggest employers of OFWs. In hotels, on cruise ships and commercial liners around the planet, there are Filipinos working in kitchens. If they

lose their jobs and return home, they can be absorbed by the local food service industry. But first the industry must reopen and thrive again. (Philstar.com)

Dear Filipinos in America, are we Hate unmasked in America complicit in fanning the flame of racism Commentary and police brutality in America? The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS MGA KABABAYAN, we have seen the gruesome video and pictures recounting how Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on African American George

Floyd’s neck last week while Floyd pleaded with him, saying he couldn’t breathe. Multiple videos reveal the white police officer knelt on the 42-year-old black man for eight minutes and 46 seconds in total and two minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd was unresponsive, according to CNN. Police issued a statement earlier this week that they were responding to an alleged forgery that they got Mon-

day evening and that “Floyd “physically resisted officers,” the network reported. Contrary to police statement, surveillance video from outside Minneapolis restaurant Dragon Wok reveals that Floyd did NOT resist arrest before Chauvin knelt on his neck. According to an independent autopsy report ordered by Floyd’s family, Floyd died of “asphyxiation from susPAGE 10

ANNA ALMENDRALA “YOU are the most selfish f—ing people on the planet.” I jerked my head to the left, where I saw a neighbor glaring at us from his driveway while unloading groceries from his trunk. “Where’s your f—ing

mask?” he said. “Unbelievable.” My jaw dropped. I had just walked three blocks home with my toddler and my dad in our leafy, mostly empty Los Angeles neighborhood because my kid had thrown a tantrum in the car. And we had forgotten our masks. Four days earlier, Mayor Eric Garcetti had ordered protective face coverings anytime we left home, not just when we entered essential businesses. I pointed out my house to the neighbor to explain how close we were, just a few

doors down from him. He cut me off. “I don’t give a f– where you live, and I don’t give a f– what your reason is.” Then my dad jumped in. “Sorry, sir, we forgot our masks. I’m sorry, sir.” Still, the man didn’t soften. “You should be sorry. And you should make her be sorry, too,” he gestured toward me. After a few more agonizing seconds, he dismissed us Our neighbor’s mask, by the way? It was off his face, hanging loosely around his neck. All the better to shout PAGE 10

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Gabby Lopez: I am a natural-born Filipino by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III on Wednesday, June 3, said he is a natural-born Filipino, explaining that both of his parents are Filipino citizens. “It was in recognition of being a natural born citizen that I took it upon myself to ask for recognition of my citizenship. My understanding of my lawyer was that I was a natural-born Filipino citizen because both of my parents are Filipino citizens,” he told the members of the House committees on legislative franchises and good government and public accountability as the hearing for ABS-CBN’s franchise resumed “But because I was not born in the Philippines, I did not have a Filipino birth certificate. So it behooves me to have a recognition by the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration for whatever legal purposes I

ABS-CBN Corporation chair emeritus Eugenio Gabby Lopez III ABS-CBN photo

may use of that recognition,” Lopez added. The network chairman also denied that he took the United States pledge of allegiance. “I grew up in the Philippines and I went to grade school and high school in the Philippines. I only went to college and my Masters in America. When you go to college in America, it does

not ask you to make an oath of allegiance,” Lopez said. He added that he never renounced his Filipino citizenship, as well. According to his lawyer, Mario Bautista, Lopez is a dual citizen as he was born a Filipino citizen by Filipino parents, but was born in the U.S., so he is also an American citizen. “Without any overt act or choice, Mr. Lopez was automatically a Filipino citizen and an American citizen,” he said. Lopez admitted he has considered renouncing his U.S. citizenship. “I will live, I will die in the Philippines... Frankly, the issue of being a dual citizen is not something I think about. I know in my heart that I am a Filipino and all my actions in the 35 years I’d been associated with ABS-CBN has been with the service of the Filipino in my mind,” he said. “If it came down to conflict of interest, I will give up my U.S. citizenship in a minute,” he added. n

Senators welcome suspension of VFA... PAGE 4 does not require comment except from me,” he said in a tweet. “The abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement has been suspended upon the President’s instruction,” Locsin added. In the diplomatic note attached to Locsin’s tweet, it said: “In light of the political and other developments in the region, the termination of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the United States Regarding the Treatment of the United States Visiting Forces Visiting the Philippines...is hereby suspended.” The note also said that the suspension shall start on an even date and shall continue for six months — though it can be extended for another half a year. “After which, the tolling of the initial period in Note Verbale No. 20-0463 dated 11 February 2020 shall resume,” it added. On February 11, the Philippines sent a notice to Washington that terminated the defense agreement.

The United States, for its part, welcomed the Philippines’ decision to suspend the abrogation of the VFA for now. “On June 1, the Government of the Philippines notified the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines of its decision to suspend termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement,” the embassy said Tuesday. “The United States welcomes the Philippine government’s decision. Our long-standing alliance has benefited both countries, and we look forward to continued close security and defense cooperation with the Philippines,” it added. Meanwhile, political analysts see the turnaround by the Philippine government as a sign of wariness, even as China is seen as extending its military might in the South China Sea in an article published in The New York Times. They also see this as a strategic gain for the U.S., given that the South China Sea is a vital maritime shipping route. “In light of China’s continued assertion of its historic rights in Vietnamese and Malaysian waters over the

last year, Manila may have concluded that its previous rapprochement with Beijing would not protect Philippine interests,” said M. Taylor Fravel, a political-science professor who is director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in same article. Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said it remained unclear how the move by the Philippines to at least temporarily prolong the pact, known as the Visiting Forces Agreement, would affect the country’s South China Sea policy. But she also saw it as a setback for China. “Beijing has long sought to weaken U.S. alliances, and has benefited from the friction in recent years in U.S.-Philippine relations,” she said. “So a decision by Manila to suspend plans to terminate the VFA will be seen as contrary to Chinese interests.” The Philippines is one of several territorial claimants in the South China Sea, which includes Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. n

BEATING THE SUMMER HEAT. To beat the summer heat, vendors sell portable mini electric fans along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, June 2. These portable fans come in a variety of colors and sizes, with prices ranging from P250 to P350 each. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

No province ready to reopen tourism yet, DOT chief says by Rosette

adel

Philstar.com

MANILA — Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday, June 2 bared that some local government units now placed under Modified General Community quarantine are still not keen on reopening tourism in their jurisdictions. Under the rules of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, tourism will only be allowed under modified GCQ. As of June 3, only the National Capital Region; Cagayan Valley Region; Central Luzon; CALABARZON; Central Visayas; Zamboanga City; Davao City; and Pangasinan are placed under GCQ, the rest of the country is under MGCQ. However, Puyat said that “there’s no province that’s ready to accept tourists” at the moment. “Like, of course, right now we are under GCQ, and even under GCQ-to-GCQ, a lot of provinces are hesitant to accept commercial flights. So I think that the DOTr (Department of Transportation) will be talking to the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) and will be discussing this with the LGUs when they are even ready to accept commercial flights,” Puyat said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday. “So for us at the DOT (Department of Tourism), this also gives us time to process all the hotels for them to have their certificate to operate. So this gives us time and also to talk to the LGUs if they’re actually ready,” she added. Puyat also said that peo-

ple areas under GCQ cannot travel to MGCQ places. “We have to be under Modified GCQ and we’re looking first for people to travel by land,” she added. The tourism chief said that the DOT is already coordinating with the local governments of Baguio, La Union, Baler, and Pampanga and Batangas provinces as they are eyeing to prioritize travel by land in MGCQ-to-MGCQ areas. “We see that the tourists, when under the Modified GCQ, they will go first around their municipality, then around their city, then later on inter-island,” Puyat said. Baguio to open in September, Bohol in July According to Puyat, Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong already said that although the City of Pines is already under MGCQ, he is only comfortable with opening it to tourists in September while Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap is eyeing to reopen tourism in July at the earliest. On the other hand, she said that the country’s top tourist destination, Boracay, is planning to build a COVID-19 test lab which will be coordinated with Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. Cimatu and Año are both members of the Boracay inter-agency task force in charge of the island rehabilitation. “What’s good about this is that all our tourist spots especially when I was talking to Mayor Magalong, when I asked him why September, he said, ‘better safe but sure. Because if there will be one outbreak, the whole Baguio will be affected’,” Puyat said in English and Filipino

“So I appreciate it that our LGUs are being very careful and when they are ready to have tourists it will be surely safe if someone will go there,” he added. The tourism chief said the DOT has yet to announce which tourist destination will reopen first. “As it is now they’re all preparing all their own safety protocols,” she added. Puyat has been advocating a slow but sure reopening, citing that there is a need to “restore the confidence of tourists for them to be able to travel.” The DOT chief is eyeing to make Baguio a model tourist spot for physical distancing, and what other tourist spots in the country can emulate. No DOT certificate, no business operations during MGCQ Meanwhile, the DOT reminded hotel owners and commercial establishments to secure certificate to operate and practice measures such as sanitation and physical distancing, among others. It said that the DOT accreditation is free. “All Accommodation Establishments that intend to commence commercial operations in Community Quarantine Zones, whether for the accommodation of guests or operations of in-house food facilities for take–out or delivery, shall secure a DOT Certificate of Authority to Operate prior to any operations,” the DOT said, quoting Section 3 of the Administrative Order 2020002 otherwise known as the Guidelines on the Operations of Hotels and other Accommodation Establishments under a Community Quarantine. n

JUNE 5-11, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Why the protest: Filipinos... PAGE 4 a way that I would excuse it, but I think that a lot of [Filipinos] also really internalized the model minority myth, that Asians are better than other people of color because of these examples of success we’re seeing with a lot of Asian groups in America,” Mendoza shared in an interview with the Asian Journal. Mendoza didn’t attend the protest on Saturday, but as a science teacher at the Southeast Middle School where the student body is largely black and brown, she is keenly aware of the ways in which institutions put black and brown individuals at a disadvantage. “As an Asian American it’s important to think about both how my experiences as a person of color can help me think about how race plays a really important factor in educating other people of color, and also how, because I’m not a black or brown person, I can see through parts of my privilege that may be blind to ways that I could be preventing my students from having an equitable educa-

tional experience,” she said. Understanding that Filipinos and Asian Americans do hold a relative degree of privilege in America — even during a pandemic in which anti-Asian sentiments continue to run rampant — is a tough pill to swallow given the history of Filipinos and Asians in the United States. But that, too, also presents a conundrum. The recent PBS docuseries Asian Americans details the complicated history of anti-Asian sentiments and legislation in the United States from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the exploitation of Filipino farmworkers. The history of unbridled racism against Asians is extensive, yet what emerged from the latter end of the 20th century was a boom in Asian American “success,” feeding into the model minority myth. “I think it’s really important to understand how much we subscribe to white supremacy and how white supremacy is not just the supremacy of white as in skin color, but it’s also supremacy in a form of life that has been built to lift up white-

ness,” Plata said. The United States, a country that began based on a protest and speaking truth to power, was a nation literally built on slave labor and exploitation of Black folks as well as non-Black people of color. What emerged from centuries of exploitation was a concept of America as a searchlight towards economic stability based on rugged individualism. “When you immigrate here, the hope is survival and you learn the rules of what survival means, which is that in order to gain economic access, you follow the rules of the game as they’ve been painted for you,” Plata, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a young boy, shared. Asian immigrants, especially Filipinos, often follow or seek to follow this paradigm of social and economic mobility, this concept of the American Dream. But Plata explained that by participating in this game and ignoring the systemic shortcomings that put other communities at a disadvantage, we inadvertently bolster the institutional pillars of anti-blackness.

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426 “As immigrants we are constantly eating up this myth that has been created for us, and that’s how we participate in anti-blackness,” he added. Understanding the ways in which Asian Americans, especially Filipinos, participate in a system that upholds systemic discrimination is one of the first steps of standing in solidarity with the Black community. The farce of assimilation in America among Asians has either unintentionally or intentionally upheld the model minority myth, a perceived white-adjacency cultivated among the Asian American community, Plata explained. For Filipino immigrants, the stakes are high when they migrate to the U.S. because the desire to prove oneself to those in the motherland that they can make it in America amplifies, and the thirst to follow the path that had been laid out for them, a path that instills a degree of latent antiblackness among those who follow. Given the historical treatment of Asians in America, it seems antithetical to be silent on other communities’ experiences with racism and

discrimination. But the vastness of the Asian American community, which contributes to the diversity of experiences and ideas, creates distance within the community which makes the idea of coming together as one difficult. “As Asian Americans we’re so separated because culturally we’re just so different and we’re put under this umbrella and we don’t really have this camaraderie that I feel like Latinos and Black people have,” Augustavo shared. “But it’s really complicated with Asian Americans because we want so badly to be part of the conversation, but I don’t feel like we don’t really put the effort to put ourselves there.” Augustavo thinks that many Asian Americans “pick and choose conveniently when we want to be involved” in social justice. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed many successful social media campaigns against anti-Asian racism, which urged people to stand in solidarity for the more than 1,500 Asians who have been victims of harassment, bullying and, in some cases, violence. In short, those campaigns

were seeking empathy for the community and nonAsian allies to stand up for them. In turn, in a world based on equity, it would be incongruous to stay silent amid another community’s call for solidarity and action. Mendoza said that for many Filipinos, it may be difficult to empathize with the Black community and the cause that Black Lives Matter was built on because it’s not happening to them, directly. “Supporting the black community and Black Lives Matter means supporting anti-racism in our country,” Mendoza said. “If we don’t live in a world where black people aren’t protected, the next day it could be another group facing similar forms of oppression.” She brought up the popular analogy of Nazi Germany and the fact that one third of the population, Nazis, was persecuting another third of the population, Jews, while the other third stood idly by, watching the genocide in real time. “It’s important that we as Filipinos and Asians not be the one third of people who are just watching,” she said.

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 5-11, 2020

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JUNE 5-11, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Dear Filipinos in America, are we...

PAGE 5 tained pressure” when his neck and back were compressed by Minneapolis police officers during his arrest last week. The pressure cut off blood flow to his brain, that autopsy determined. But Minneapolis’ medical examiner’s office, in its report also released Monday, said that the cause of death is “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” Cardiopulmonary arrest means Floyd’s heart failed. CNN reported that the medical examiner made no mention of asphyxiation. “Many Americans are being killed by the police — more than 1,000 per year,” the New York Times reported. “So does a pandemic that’s disproportionately killing African-Americans. And so do the angry, racialized politics that President Trump encourages.” For these reasons,”the anger is different this time,” the Times reported. And so peaceful protests erupted in different cities in the United States, and even in different countries where people fight against racism and police brutality in solidarity with the American people. BUT for many people, even among us Filipinos, who are watching news reports showcasing the looting, property damage, lawlessness, violence, and chaos that ensued and even during protests, the focus has shifted away from what the protesters have peacefully been fighting against. Read the comments on social media posted by yourself or your family and friends, and you will see how many Filipinos in America think the protestors and the looters are one and the same. Their comments have now been denouncing the looting and the violence, understandably so, but without differentiating between the protesters and the looters. Many of us have once again echoed the usual undertone that the black people are to blame for the looting, that the police are, after all, justified to be suspicious of them and their actions without according them the due process that the Constitution mandates to be given to all people. They lose sight of the message the peaceful protests are demanding for: police accountability and how racism factors in the criminal justice system in the United States.

Did you know that many of the chaos we are watching and hearing about in the news are initiated and perpetrated by non-black people? It is very important to read this report by Forbes: “But some of this anger has been misguided, as individuals whose connection to the protests, communities, or reasons for joining the cause seem dubious. In some cases, non-Black protestors have moved peaceful gatherings into violence, even when Black voices strongly advocated otherwise.” “Take this video for instance, of a Black woman, Courtney Nichole, trying to stop two non-Black women from graffiting a Starbucks in Los Angeles with “Black Lives Matter.” They essentially “whitesplained” their justification — to which she responded, ”they don’t show your face when they show that, they show ours… do not let them come into your peaceful protest and make it something that its not. That man could not breathe on the street. It is not about them… If you are tagging on behalf of Black Lives Matter, ask someone Black.” “Across the country, it’s been widely reported that white supremacist and altright groups have taken advantage of protests for their own purposes. In Minnesota, city officials — after witnessing both in-person instigations and reviewing social media footage shared by attendees — extended a citywide curfew on residents to help verify who the late-night looters are and where they’re coming from.” “The fact that we’ve seen so many of them in so many places now makes us believe that this is part of that pattern that shows that this is in fact an organised activity and not some random act of rage” says Minnesota corrections department commissioner John Harrington. As one white activist experienced in solidarity actions noted, “Some of the folks are white and not following black leadership, the others are actively there to disrupt Black leadership” — both groups are dangerous, and distract from the true purpose of the protests.” Meanwhile, President Donald Trump tweeted, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” On Monday, June 1, he declared himself the “president of law and order” and in a brief statement delivered from the Rose Garden of the White

House, he “ordered governors and mayors to establish “an overwhelming law enforcement presence” until the protests have been quelled, and he threatened to send in the U.S. military to “quickly solve the problem for them.” Trump made no mention of the reason why people were protesting, no mention about police brutality and racism, and no differentiation between the peaceful protests and the violent looting. His threats against protesters in general are in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” He claimed he supports peaceful protests but his action and true intention betray what he professed. At the time he was speaking “police also fired rubber bullets at protesters gathered peacefully on the edge of Lafayette Square directly in front of the White House. After his speech and with the square cleared, the president walked across the street for a photo-op in front of the the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he held up a Bible,” Politico reported. Trump has a history of discriminating against black people as a businessman, demonizing yet abusing immigrants of color for money, treating refugees inhumanely, obsessing over the legitimacy of the first Black president and erasing his legacy. Trump has also blamed the extreme left group “ANTIFA” (Anti-fascist) for the violence and designated the group a terrorist organization, while defending the Alt-Right, the far right, white nationalist movement based in the United States, the Ku Klux Klan and other neo-Nazis, calling them “fine people” in their defense. You would recall the “Unite the Right” rally that sparked the violence in Charlottesville in August of 2017 featured several leading names in the white-nationalist alt-right movement, and also attracted people displaying Nazi symbols. As the Atlantic reported, “they walked down the street, the white-nationalist protesters chanted “blood and soil,” the English translation of a

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Hate unmasked...

PAGE 5 at us.As a health care reporter, I had covered America’s evolution on masks as the coronavirus spread across the globe. Back in January, I wrote an article about why Chinese immigrants insisted on wearing surgical and construction masks in the U.S., even though it went against official health recommendations at the time. In February, I wrote about Asian families in California clashing with schools over whether their children should be allowed to wear masks in class. At that time, Asian people wearing masks were targets for verbal and physical abuse. Attackers saw masks on Asian faces as signs of disease and invasion; people were punched and kicked, harassed on public transit, bullied at school and worse. Now, of course, masks are the norm. And they’ve become more than just personal protection; they are symbols of courtesy and scientific buy-in. They have, to some extent, also become political signifiers. In a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 70% of Democrats said they wear a protective mask “every time” they leave their house, versus 37% of Republicans. (Kaiser Health News, which produces California Healthline, is an editorially in-

dependent program of KFF.) After our verbal beatdown, my dad and I walked home stone-faced, and then retreated to our separate rooms to nurse our wounds. I have no idea if the neighbor’s comments had a racist undertone. But it felt like the times in my childhood, first in New Zealand, then in a Bay Area suburb, when I had seen my Philippinesborn parents, stunned and silent, get dressed down or humiliated by angry, callous white people. Now it was my 3-year-old daughter’s turn to see me dumbstruck. As I began telling my husband the story, I started crying so hard that I got a headache. After my tears came reflection, and an attempt at empathy. My neighbor was obviously scared. He was older, and potentially more medically vulnerable. His trunk had been packed with overstuffed shopping bags probably enough food for weeks, to avoid leaving his house. He had just come from the grocery store, an enclosed space full of things and people that could potentially infect him. I understand the stress that comes with shopping during the pandemic. Like many of us, my neighbor could be struggling with how to live in mortal fear

Nazi slogan. One of the men seen marching with the fascist group American Vanguard, James A. Fields, is charged with deliberately ramming a car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old counter-protester Heather Heyer.” MGA KABABAYAN, where are we in this fight? We felt how it was to be discriminated against when Trump labeled undocumented immigrants as “stealing U.S. jobs, criminals, rapists, drug peddlers” and some Filipinos were even told to “Go home!” by white people who would not know who among the nonwhite are actually documented and undocumented. Filipino Americans have also become targets of “excessive use of force” by police officers over the years, as The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” has been reporting for more than a decade. We felt how Asians were discriminated against with the COVID-19 pandemic when Trump labeled it as “Chinese virus.” Some kababayans who “look Chinese” had been subject of harassment and

blame. Have we ever been bold and unambiguous in our support for black people in America who had been discriminated against and profiled for centuries, even after we elected the first African American president in Barrack Obama? Or have we assimilated and acculturated to the white culture, echo what they say and how they define “American”, so we can delude ourselves into thinking that they will accept us as they do caucasian looking people despite the color of our skin? Is this why some of us refuse to call out President Trump? Is this why some of us pretend all is well in America, thinking that saying otherwise makes us “walang utang na loob” (ungrateful), unless the target of criticism is a black president? Let me share an excerpt from an article written by Asian American Larry Lin, born and raised in San Jose, California. He serves as a pastor at The Village Church Hampden in Baltimore, MD. He has a BS from Cornell University and a MDiv from Southern Baptist Theological

of the coronavirus. And for him, at least that morning, that struggle got the better of him. Later that day, I wrote the neighbor a card introducing ourselves. I apologized for making him feel unsafe and acknowledged that he was right about the masks. But I also said he had unfairly used us as a target for his fear and frustration, and I told him I was shocked and saddened he would treat a neighbor with so much hate. I haven’t heard back from him. My dad spent the rest of that morning praying that the man didn’t get the coronavirus — lest he blame us and all Asians, forever. Since that day, no one in my family has left the house without a mask on their face, and I’m anxious to train my daughter to wear one, although she resists it the way she has refused hats and headbands in the past. We can’t stop noticing that most other exercisers and dog-walkers in our neighborhood all white fly past us without them. They don’t seem to worry about getting caught on the wrong side of whatever America happens to believe about masks on any given day. But my family can’t risk it. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n Seminary: “While the white officer was pinning down Floyd’s neck with his knee, an Asian officer was standing by in silence, and even at times preventing protestors from intervening. “To me, it was the perfect representation of Asian American complicity in racism. “I acknowledge that there have been Asian Americans throughout history who have fought alongside their African American neighbors against racism. However, they have been far outnumbered by Asian Americans who have chosen to be ignorant at best or complicit at worst in their racism.” FILIPINOS in America, have we been complicit in fanning the flame of racism and police brutality in America? *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 5-11, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

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Is your DAPA child now over 21? Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ IN November 2014, Pres. Obama announced a program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which would have allowed parents of U.S. citizens (or lawful permanent residents) to remain in the U.S. and obtain work authorization without fear of deportation. Their child could have been of any age or marital status. Many people applied (or were eligible) for DAPA because they had a minor child who was a U.S. citizen. Unfortunately, there were legal challenges to the DAPA program and court injunctions, bringing that program to a halt. That was approximately six years ago. However, if your U.S. citizen child has now turned 21 years of age, or will soon celebrate his or her 21st birthday, there could be new hope for you, by having your child now petition you as an immediate relative parent. Just recently, I had a phone consultation with a person who had been eligible for DAPA (because he had a U.S. citizen minor child), but after the court injunctions, he could not go forward. Now, the U.S. citizen child on whom the DAPA case was based had just celebrated his 21st birthday. This happy parent would now be in a position to have the child pe-

tition him for a green card. I know many other parents of U.S. citizens could have been eligible for DAPA had this program not halted because they had a minor U.S. citizen child. If the child has now turned 21, that could provide a new avenue for the parent to legalize his status. But I would still advise these parents to, nevertheless, consult with an attorney. There have been many changes since Obama announced DAPA, most important of which is the election of Pres. Trump and his strict enforcement of immigration laws. An attorney can evaluate your situation, to make sure you are eligible to be processed for your green card in the U.S. This is because certain types of visas (or entering the U.S. without inspection or cannot locate entry passport) could make a person ineligible to obtain a green card in the U.S., even if being petitioned by a U.S. citizen child. There could also be issues if you had made any misrepresentations such as entering under an assumed name, or committed certain crimes, or have an existing deportation order. There are new requirements relating to affidavits of support and public charge. (If your child just turned 21, he or she may not be earning enough to meet the poverty guidelines for an affidavit of support. What can you do about that?) USCIS is also taking a very tough and strict stand on filings, and has a policy to deny cases outright if any required documents or evidence are not included at the initial filing. (Before, USCIS

might have served a request for evidence for the additional documents or information. Now, the case could be denied outright and the person be put in deportation.) Although it may appear simple and straightforward to be petitioned as an immediate relative, there are still a lot of checkpoints to get through, including the interview, when the USCIS officer may grill you about your entire immigration history, etc. That’s why I would recommend you retain an attorney for something as important as your future in the U.S. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Apl’s comments for KC fuel romantic links anew By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

BLACK Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap couldn’t help but comment on the Instagram Live cooking session of rumored girlfriend KC Concepcion and actress Judy Ann Santos.

KC asked Judy Ann’s help to teach her to cook seafood curry, a known specialty of the veteran actress. The international artist, who has been romantically linked to KC, was seen in the comments section of the live video. “Chef KC get it,” Apl

wrote. The daughter of “Megastar” Sharon Cuneta also said in the live video that there are things she misses in her kitchen such as tenderizer. Apl again commented on the video with “I’m gonna send you a tenderizer.” PAGE 12

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SUSPECTED OF FRAUD IS SAVED BY “ATTORNEY-OF-LAST-HOPE” ON CITIZEN PINOY. For Randa (left) and Phey (center), it was love at first sight when they met. They were in previous marriages that ended in divorce. U.S. citizen Randa petitioned Phey, but they were suspected of fraud. It did not help that Randa’s first marriage was also suspected of being a fixed one. After working with a paralegal and two other attorneys who told the couple their case was hopeless (and they could even go to jail, and/or get deported), Randa and Phey decided to consult with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL. The couple admired the confidence and honesty of Atty. Gurfinkel. His thorough analysis and preparations for the case assured Randa and Phey that they were in good hands. Watch how true love wins the day on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

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JUNE 5-11, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Warning: Drug/food recalls Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS ONE of the functions of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to monitor and evaluate drugs for efficacy, quality, and safety. Whenever it discovers impurities or contamination, it notifies the manufacturer and recall of the product is expected or imposed. Usually, the pharmaceutical company affected initiates the voluntary recall. Lately, the popular antidiabetesT2 pill, Metformin 500 mg Extended Release version of the tablets from some manufacturers (not all), has been found to contain the impurity N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a carcinogen (cancer producing substance) above the acceptable intake level. The regular immediate acting variety of Metformin is not affected by this recall. This generic Metformin comes in various brand names (Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Fortamet, and Glumetza). The basic active ingredient in Metformin is fine; it is the contaminant, NDMA, that is the impurity which must be eliminated, or, at least, reduced to an acceptable safe level by the manufacturer. Is my Metformin part of the recall? To find out if the Metformin Extended Release you are taking is part of the recall, go to the FDA website and check on Drug Recalls. So far, the subject of the recalls are Apotex Corp, Amneal Pharma, and four other yet unnamed firms, which are the producers of the contaminated Extended Release version of Metformin. The Tagi Pharma, which is Costco’s supplier of Metformin ER in Las Vegas, has not been implicated in the recall at this time. When FDA informs the drug stores a certain drug is under recall, the pharmacists automatically call the patientcustomers. Recalls usually do not result in drug supply shortage. What is the risk for Metformin users? FDA states it “does not expect nitrosamines to cause harm when ingested at or below the acceptable intake limit levels (such low levels of nitrosamines are present

in foods in low levels and ingested as part of usual diets) even over a long period of time (such as a 70-year lifespan). Nitrosamine impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them at above acceptable levels over long periods of time, but we do not anticipate that shorter term exposure at levels above the acceptable intake limit would lead to an increase in the risk of cancer. We are working to ensure medicines on the U.S. market do not exceed the acceptable intake limit.” What to do if your Metformin ER is recalled? When your Metformin Extended Release is part of the recall, contact your physician who would deal with your new prescription. In the meantime, while waiting for your physician’s advice, the FDA recommends not to stop the Metformin you are taking until the replacement prescription has been filled. The recalled tablets may be returned to the pharmacist when getting your new medication. How long has this contamination been? The FDA does not have science-based information as to how long this NDMA impurities have been in the Metformin Extended Release tablets, but it started its investigation in December 2019 and found Singapore, among other countries, was a source of the supply of the NDMA contaminated Metformin Extended Release sold in the USA. What is FDA’s new mandate? The FDA “is also asking all manufacturers of extended release versions of metformin to evaluate their risk of excessive NDMA and to test at-risk product before each batch is released onto the U.S. market. If testing shows NDMA above the acceptable intake limit, the manufacturer must inform the agency and should not release the batch to the U.S. market.” Zantac is also tainted The popular OTC stomach acid reducer Zantac (Ranitidine) has also been recalled. The FDA announced it is “requesting manufacturers withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs from the market immediately. This is the latest step in an ongoing investigation of the contaminant N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine medications (commonly

known by the brand name Zantac). The agency has determined that the impurity in some ranitidine products increases over time and when stored at higher than room temperature, and may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels of this impurity. As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S.” Blood pressure pill recall The FDA has advised the public about its ongoing investigation about the recent voluntary recalls of various generic angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) drugs used for high blood pressure and heart failure. According to the US-FDA “Hetero Labs Ltd. in India has announced a recall of 87 lots of losartan potassium tablets (25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg). The recalled losartan potassium tablets made by Hetero Labs and distributed by Camber Pharmaceuticals contain the impurity, N-Nitroso-Nmethyl-4-aminobutyric acid (NMBA). The impurity is a known animal and potential human carcinogen. This is the first ARB recall resulting from the presence of NMBA, which is the third type of nitrosamine impurity detected in ARB medicines. Recent testing of these recalled lots of losartan potassium tablets showed NMBA levels higher than the FDA’s interim acceptable intake limits. The FDA’s evaluation suggests that the nitrosamines found in ARBs may be generated when specific chemicals and reaction conditions are present in the manufacturing process of the drug’s Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), and may also result from the reuse of materials, such as solvents.” Not all manufacturers of Losartan Potassium are subject of this recall, and not all generic or brand name Losartan are contaminated. To find out if the ARB you are taking is part of the recall, contact your pharmacist. Other recalled items Some of the other tainted common products recalled by the US-FDA include: various homeopathic products, Cannabidol CBD Complex, Curcumin Complex, Cannabidol Plus Curcumin, Watermelon CBD oil, Active Male capsules, male enhancement capsules, Bull Platinum 30,000 sex pills, Finasteride Plus 1.25mg capsules,

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BB hurt over family’s indifference to death threat By GeorGe

Vail Kabristante ManilaTimes.net

ROBIN Padilla should get a break from bashers who disagree with his views on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal but only to jump into another one. Currently, he is facing a formidable family issue involving Bb Gandanghari, his older transgender sibling. The latter days in April saw BB (formerly Rustom Padilla) sharing on social media how she feels neglected by his family, most especially Robin. This was following a local news report that BB was found dead in her rented apartment in Los Angeles, California. For many years now, BB has been living all alone in the U.S. in pursuit of her long-cherished dream to penetrate Hollywood as an actress. It was the U.S. government which granted her legal use of the name BB Gandanghari alongside her gender listed as female. BB, 52, was the subject of a hoax reported on April 25

BB Gandanghari Photo from Instagram_@gandangharibb

about her death, particularly on GMA’s “24 Oras.” While the false report frightened BB, it was — according to her — her family’s apparent nonchalant reaction which all the more concerned, if not agitated, her. “No one even bothered to check if there’s truth to it,” was the gist of BB’s emotional outpouring. It wasn’t until she sounded this aloud that Robin came

forward to say, “Huwag ka nang magtampo, mahal ka namin.” As if to prove his point, Robin made it known that there had been more pressing family problems he had to attend to. These included Robin’s hospital confinement for his back injury as well as their mother Eva’s slipping accident which had her confined, too. BB, however, would buy neither of those, claiming that if she were really family to them, she deserved to be notified about the goings on in the clan as they happen. For all it’s worth, BB’s social media piece provided a shocking peek into some unknown truths — Robin’s not wanting her to succeed in U.S.; and Mommy Eva’s favoritism toward Padilla brothers Robin, Royette and Rommel except then-Rustom; among others. This no longer makes us wonder why BB went off to foreign soil to chase a dream she thought her family would support her in achieving and would be happy about.

Apl’s comments for KC...

PAGE 11 It can be recalled that KC and Apl reportedly started officially dating on December 2019. They were also seen together in an exclusive club in Los Angeles, California last October. “Started the week quite right with this awesome guy (who makes Monday feel like Friday!),” KC captioned their photo on Instagram. Apl, back in 2009, admitted that he had a crush on KC. It was January 2011 when they first met here in the Philippines.

In an interview with Apl in April 2013, he admitted that he courted KC but later stopped because KC had a boyfriend that time. KC’s last reported relationship was

with French filmmakerbusinesman Pierre Emmanuelle Plassart. KC and Apl have not yet confirmed reports about their rumored relationship.

Tertracycline Hydrochloride 250 and 500mg, Alka Seltzer Plus, Ketorolac, and 95% Ethyl Alcohol by Lake Michigan Distilling company. Food recall Some of the 2020 food recalls include contaminated Conagra Brands Frozen Not-Ready-To-Eat Chicken and Turkey Bowl products, Evans Food Group ReadyTo-Eat Pork skin products, Nestle Prepared Foods Lean Cuisine Fettuccini Alfredo, Ideal Foods Meat and Poultry Flatbread Pizza, Amity Packing Products RAW GROUND Beef. Google for other re-

calls. Device recall Giant medical device maker Medtronic has recalled the auto-registration feature of their StealthStation Deep Brain Stimulation Software (brain neurostimulator pacemaker – used for Parkinson’s, essential tremors, dystonia) due to inaccuracies which could be serious or lifethreatening to the patient. Indeed, the US-FDA, like the Philippine BFAD (renamed FDA in 2009), has the duty and responsibility to protect the nation and the people by constantly

monitoring the quality and safety of consumer items in the market and advising the public accordingly in a timely fashion to safeguard and maintain the good health of the people. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

Apl.de.ap with KC Concepcion

ABS-CBN photo

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 5-11, 2020

Filipino celebrities react to ‘Anti-Terror’ Bill By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

CELEBRITIES aired their reactions over the Anti-Terror Act of 2020, a bill certified as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte. The bill states that any person who shall threaten to commit terrorism shall receive a penalty of 12 years in prison. The same goes for anyone who proposes said acts and incites others, and any person who voluntarily and knowingly join any organization, association, or group that may be seen as terrorism. Many fear that the bill may also restrict citizens from calling out corruption and silence the people the government swore to protect, and among them are celebrities. “Megastar” Sharon Cuneta’s daughter Frankie Pangilinan said the bill is an infringement upon the people’s most basic human rights. “Even tweeting any thoughts against the government can, and likely will, be considered an ‘act of ter-

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rorism’ under this bill. it’s an infringement upon our most basic human rights. #JunkTerrorBill,” she said. IV of Spades former member and now solo artist Unique Salonga said: “Activism is not terrorism!#Jun kTerrorBill.” Performer Jess Connelly said a simple tweet with her opinion on injustices will allow the government to call her a terrorist. “So pretty much something like tweeting MY opinion on factual injustices could allow the government to call me a terrorist & lock me up #JunkTerrorBillNOW” she said. Musician Kiana Valenciano posted on Twitter that this is not the time to be neutral. “The world is bleeding. help out in whatever way you can. if you can’t leave home, share those posts, make those online donations, educate yourself. open your mind and open your eyes to the injustice. it’s 2020. no more excuses. this is not the time to be neutral,” she said. Kapuso actresses Solenn

K Brosas

Philstar.com photo

Solenn Heussaff

GMA photo

On lockdown, Jane de Leon, the millennial Darna, continues to train even while busy preparing/ packing relief goods. Photo from Instagram/@imhanedeleon

Darna ‘grounded’ temporarily By ricky lo Philstar.com

Janine Gutierrez

Heussaff and Janine Gutierrez shared a link urging their followers to sign a petition. “JUNK THE ANTI-TERRORISM BILL AND UPHOLD HUMAN RIGHTS! - Sign the petition!” they both wrote on their separate Twitter accounts.

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GMA photo

Kapamilya comedienne K Brosas questioned the urgency of the bill in her Twitter account. “Urgent?? Parang May mas dapat pong mauna kesa jan.. haaaay... Disappointed faceDisappointed faceDisappointed face #JunkTerrorBill,” she said.

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“DING, ang bato!” It might take several months before Jane de Leon, the millennial Darna, will order her little brother to produce the magic stone posthaste so she can fly to pursue her self-imposed mission to serve humanity. You see, the shoot for the nth remake of the Mars Ravelo-created Pinoy super-heroine has been temporarily put on hold due

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to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus “grounding” Darna. Played by almost a dozen actresses between the first, Rosa del Rosario, and the last, Marian Rivera, the classic flying woman is celebrating her 70th anniversary this year since she took off from the komiks pages and landed on the silver screen. Since Jane was announced as the “winner” of the long-drawn search for the new Darna, there has been a noisy debate PAGE 15

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people events arts culture entertainment

The World Eats Here: Recipes and stories from Queens Night Market’s immigrant vendor-chefs

A

by

MOMAR G. VISAYA/AJPress

LOT of people have channeled their inner chefs and bakers as a way to cope with the global pandemic and after almost 12 weeks in lockdown, there is a need for more creative recipes. These home cooks, amateur chefs and bakers are ready to expand their repertoire and go beyond grilled lemon chicken and banana bread. Ph otos cou r tesy of Queens Night Market

Since the Queens Night Market launched in 2015, they’ve represented over 90 countries through the vendors and their food. The event’s unique $5price cap on food (with limited $6 exceptions) remains in place, and will bemore important than ever before when the Queens Night Market returns given the economic toll the pandemic is taking.

Judymae Esguerra of Kanin NYC

Jayand Jerrick Jimenez of Grilla in Manila

“It was disheartening missing our two sneak previews and our public opening this last Saturday,” said John Wang, founder of the Queens Night Market. “We’re being cautiously optimistic because we hope to be something New Yorkers can look forward to when this is all over. I think our mission to be NYC’s most affordable, diverse, and welcoming community space will be more relevant than ever in the economic and emotional aftermath of this crisis.”

Enter The World Eats Here, a new cookbook from the people behind Queens Night Market. Now, home cooks can recreate the dishes they have eaten at QNM, whether it’s rellenos de papa from Puerto Rico, Cambodia’s fish amok or choripan from Argentina. In less than five years, Queens Night Market transformed portions of Flushing Meadows Corona Park behind the New York Hall of Science into a family-friendly open-air night market and an affordable foodie destination, where adventurous palates can have crispy dinuguan one night and Salvadoran pupusas or cachapas from Venezuela the next. The diversity of the vendors is off the roof that founder John Wang promises guests will almost always find something new every Saturday. On any given night, they have up to 60 food vendors and up to 30 nonfood vendors. It’s like travelling around the world in one John Wang and Storm Garner at Queens Night Market Photo by John Taggart

night and devouring international flavors for as low as $5 per dish. Since it launched in 2015, the Queens Night Market has attracted well over a million visitors and represented over 90 countries through its vendors and their food. Last year was the event’s busiest, averaging over 13,000 attendees each Saturday night from mid-April to October. It’s not easy to get in though since they typically get about 700 vendor applications per year, all applications submitted online. For Wang, who was inspired by the summer night markets he visited in Taiwan, the most important part of the application for food vendors is their response to the section asking applicants to relate the food they want to sell to their personal and cultural heritage. “Our goal is to share traditional “ethnic” dishes, made by the people who grew up eating it,” he shared. And since the market is in Queens where most of the Filipinos in New York live, there are three vendors that sell traditional Filipino dishes, including balut. Lapu Lapu Foods, Kanin NYC and Grilla in Manila hoist the PAGE 15

Chicken Adobo

Recipe from Alfredo and Marienits Pedrajas of Lapu-Lapu Foods Philippines (Makes 5 to 6 Servings) Filipinos love their garlic and vinegar, and both are supporting stars in this dish. Chicken adobo is an iconic and familiar household dish in the Philippines, but it’s also sold in many fast-food establishments. It’s traditionally cooked in a wok. Serve this with white rice, a boiled egg, and a side of tomato and arugula salad. frigerator for at least 1 hour, Ingredients • 2 pounds (900 g) chick- but overnight is preferable. 2. Heat the oil in a wok or en thighs (bone-in, with medium pot over medium skin) • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) cider heat. Add the chicken (reserving the marinade) and vinegar or coconut vinegar • 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) Filipino pan-fry until golden brown, soy sauce, such as Silver about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Swan Soy Sauce 3. Add the garlic to the • 1 tablespoon plus • 1 teaspoon patis (Fili- wok and saute until fragrant and just browning, pino fish sauce) • 1 teaspoon onion pow- about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the wok and add der • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground the reserved marinade. Add the peppercorns and bay black pepper • 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) canola leaf along with 1 cup (240 ml) water. Cover and bring oil • 20 garlic cloves, to a boil. Simmer until most of the water has evaporated minced • 1 tablespoon black pep- and the sauce turns dark brown and oily, about 45 percorns minutes. • 1 bay leaf 4. Uncover and continue • 3 hard-boiled eggs, to simmer until the sauce halved has reduced to the desired Directions 1. Combine the chicken, consistency, usually about vinegar, soy sauce, fish 10 minutes. Remove from sauce, onion powder, and the heat, discard the bay pepper in a bowl or contain- leaf, and serve each dish er and marinate in the re- with half an egg. Recipe from Alfredo and Marienits Pedrajas, Lapu-Lapu Foods. Excerpted from The World Eats Here: Amazing Food and the Inspiring People Who Make It at New York’s Queens Night Market, © 2020 by John Wang and Storm Garner. Photographs © by John Taggart.

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The World Eats Here: recipes and stories... PAGE 7 Philippine flag every time they open their respective stalls. Wang and his wife Storm Garner, a filmmaker and historian, had been toying with the idea of coming up with a cookbook that features the recipes of the mostly immigrant vendors that they work with. The project got off the ground back in 2018, when Marc Gerald, their literary agent approached them. When Experiment Publishing accepted their book proposal in early 2019, it was off to the races. John and Storm started collecting their vendors’ recipes and their oral histories and in a little over a year, they have a book that celebrates the tasty recipes, the inspiring stories, and the diverse backgrounds of over 50 of their vendors. The budding entrepreneurs behind Lapu Lapu Foods, Kanin NYC and Grilla in Manila are part of the book and they are happy to share their respective immigrant story. So far, advance recognition of the book include being named as one of the Top Ten Best Cookbooks of 2020 by Esquire and one of the six Best Cookbooks to Try in Quarantine by Fortune. The book is an Amazon cookbook of the month, and was also recommended as a favorite by Foreword Reviews. “We hope the book will inspire readers to venture outside their own culinary and cultural comfort zones,” Wang told the Asian Journal. “While the Queens Night Market is postponed until it’s safe to welcome back the hundreds of thousands of visitors we get each year, we hope The World Eats Here can keep us connected to their hearts, souls, and stomachs.” The Queens Night Market was scheduled to open its sixth season last month, but has been indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. They are hoping for a late summer opening, keeping an eye on July, but will continue to follow guidance from the governmental and scientific authorities. Beyond Fear Factor Jay and Jerrick Jimenez run Grilla in Manila, which started in 2016 as a BBQ stall and they participated in various summer markets across the city. “I read the customer reviews and was immediately impressed of what was said

Before NYC became an epicenter for the coronavirus and put the event’s plans on hold in March, over 50 food vendors were already scheduled to participate, selling dishes as diverse as pique macho from Bolivia, crab backs and pig feet souse from Dominica, lamb hawawshi from Egypt, shan tofu from Myanmar, salat dakwa from Sudan, fish amok from Cambodia, ducuna and black pudding from Antigua, kue pancong from Indonesia, chapli kababs from Pakistan, huaraches from Mexico, rice pizza from Vietnam, gulyas from Hungary, balut from the Philippines, cachapas from Venezuela, fiskegrot from Norway, and much more.

and decided to join. Our first day at was a success, selling our famous Pork BBQ, Chicken BBQ and Shrimp BBQ kebabs,” Jay told the Asian Journal. “The environment was very different from all other events that we joined, it was more family oriented.” On their second year at QNM, they switched to Longganisa Burger, Crispy Dinuguan, Balut and Turon with Ube Ice Cream. Balut and dinuguan are two of the Filipino dishes that have become infamous because of Fear Factor and Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods. Jay and Jerrick decided to use that to their advantage, “These are two items on our menu that spark a lot of interest,” Jay said. “Our balut is served at 14 days old, which is a lot less scarier image than the 17-20 days old.

It is less developed than the balut we have at home. We let our customers know that though it is a less developed egg, it does not lack in taste and the experience.” And then come to question about what dinuguan is. “We simply say, “Pork blood stew with crispy pork belly” served over rice. We also educate our customers that the classic dinuguan is served with pork innards and ours is slightly different because we use crispy pork belly,” he explained. “We believe that people will be extra iffy if we serve the classic version. This way, we provide the flavor in a less scary presentation. And on their first bite, they know what the buzz about dinuguan is all about and they keep coming back for more.” Grilla in Manila will soon be branching out to the food truck scene and will also be

Darna ‘grounded’ temporarily...

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PAGE 13 which actress is the “best and prettiest” Darna. You are welcome to place your bet. (Playing Jane’s leading man is Paulo Avelino. No word yet who is playing Ding.) Anyway, the reboot (produced by Star Cinema) has actually been shooting at a set in San Juan City, directed by Jerrold Tarog who took over from Erik Matti. Jane has trained (in martial arts, etc.) after she was tapped as replacement for Liza Soberano who backed out due to an

injury she sustained during the shoot for the Kapamilya series Bagani and had to undergo treatment in the U.S. According to a Funfare source, one-fourth (25 percent) of the shoot is done and the remaining 75 percent to be shot “when the situation returns to normal.” Showing of the movie will probably be moved to next year when, hopefully, a COVID-19 vaccine shall have been created and people won’t be paranoid about going back to movie houses.

Asked about the situation, direk Jerrold told Funfare, “No official word from the producers yet but planning and discussions are ongoing.” (Funfare texted Star Cinema head Olive Lamasan for comment but, as usual, she “cannot be reached.” In the vernacular, hindi na siya ma-reach/maabot.” Maybe she’s also, uhm, “grounded.”) Meanwhile, Jane continues to train even as she’s busy packing and distributing relief goods.

releasing their own line of vinegar sauce that can also be used as marinade and it’s called Kuya Jay’s Spice Vinegar. Because of the global pandemic, the launch is delayed but they are hoping to launch by the end of the year. Opportunity for a Do Over Judymae Esguerra is the woman behind Kanin NYC. For the book, she shared her family’s lugaw and leche flan recipes. Esguerra thought long and hard as to which Filipino food she can sell so she can get accepted as a QNM vendor. Her ideas ranged from Filipino comfort food not sold by the other Filipino vendors, food that are uniquely Filipino but relatable to nonFilipinos and food that she has fond memories of growing up in the Philippines. “Lugaw was the first one I came up with since it is comfort food and I can offer it as either arroz caldo (with chicken) or goto (with tripe). I felt it was a must to sell the shaved ice dessert/drinks since it’s summer and lumpia shanghai because of its popularity,” Esguerra said. For Esguerra, setting up her own small business was her opportunity for a do over, since she realized she was unhappy despite the success she has achieved in her first 20 years in the United States pursuing what she thought were her goals and dreams. “All along I was asking, ‘how do I reinvent myself?’ and it took me over a decade to answer this question and that was how Kanin NYC came about,” she said. Her family loves going out to eat, discovering and trying new things, and they have known about Queens Night Market since its opening through social media but did not try it out because of the reported overcrowding.

In 2018, she went to the market with her family and friends and she fell in love. “We were able to try so many different foods from different countries it was like traveling the world without breaking the bank. The atmosphere was casual and friendly I was having chats with strangers,” she said. “My belly was full and I was happy and felt at home that I checked out the QNM website on how to be a vendor that very night so I can be a part of it. I felt QNM will be my safe space for a do over.” Now, as a vendor, she is faced with a conundrum: deciding how much food to bring and sell. Too much becomes a waste of money and too little is a waste of an opportunity to sell and a disappointment to customers when she puts up those “sold out” signs. Selling the Classics Alfredo and Marienits Pedrajas run Lapu Lapu Foods. For the cookbook, they shared their chicken adobo recipe, a mainstay at the restaurant they ran in the Philippines for 15 years before moving to New York. Lapu- Lapu Foods started as a food processing company in February 2017. They sold adobong mani, hot and spicy and garlic flavor and they initially partnered with a company to distribute their product for the whole east coast. Things didn’t prosper so they decided to market it themselves instead. They discovered QNM through an online search and they realized it was a good platform where they can test their products in the market. They found out adobong mani was not enough for the market, so they added the Filipino classics like chicken adobo, lumpia, and kwek -kwek, which became big hits at the market. “As for our future plans,

we had an idea on opening up a restobar, but because of the pandemic, we might have to re-think and analyze what would be best to do,” Pedrajas told the Asian Journal. Bridging cultures Wang shared that most of the recipes in the book were being documented for the first time. “Getting recipes that had never been written down before, and often never shared before, onto paper with standard measurements in an easy-to-follow format was a challenging and iterative process,” he said. The dishes represent family traditions, cherished personal memories, tributes to parents or grandparents, special occasions, or cultural staples. As for the vendors’ stories: Wang and Wagner wanted them to help readers understand the chefs’ personal connection to the food they make--did they learn the recipe from a beloved grandmother, for example, or was it a special treat they would sneak out to get as a teenager in a homeland far away, that they learned to make themselves later in the US out of nostalgia? In the book, each recipe is paired with a portrait and a personal narrative adapted from Wagner’s oral history interview with the recipe’s creator, or sometimes the chef’s spouse or child who started the business to showcase a family member’s talent, painting a multidimensional collective portrait of small family-run food businesses in Queens today. “We wanted readers to get a sense not only of chefs’ food careers to date, but also of their voices, and personalities, and unique life journeys outside of the food world too, often including juggling multiple jobs and cultural identities,” Wang said.

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