Category Archives: History

Asian Americans in Pop Music History: Norma Tanega

Most people have probably only encountered the work of Norma Tanega through her song “You’re Dead” which is used as the theme song for both the movie of “What we Do in the Shadows” and the ongoing TV series of … Continue reading

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Most Asian Americans say they don’t know Asian American History

I have run a number of Asian American history talks and events for an Employee Resource Group (ERG) in my company, and a common responses from my fellow employees is that they had no idea about much of the history … Continue reading

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Larry Itliong’s Son and Grandson talk about him on StoryCorps

While we often write about notable people, we rarely talk about their families, much less talk about them from the viewpoint of their families.  That is one reason that I found a particular StoryCorps story so interesting. We hear about … Continue reading

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WWII Soldier Remains identified 80 years later as Wing O. Hom

We have talked about Asian Americans who have died for their country during military service, and the identification of the remains of Wing O. Hom adds another to that list. Hom, from Boston, was killed in action in Italy during … Continue reading

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CAAMFest 2023: Review – Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story

I was supposed to review Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story (trailer here) during or around CAAMFest 2023, but I let the screener link expire and the screening during CAAMFest was on Mother’s Day. I finally reached out to the … Continue reading

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125th Anniversary of Wong Kim Ark Day [3/28/1898] – Celebration & Commemoration

Another blog post I am woefully late on (but did post the video on YouTube shortly afterwards). I had attended the 125th anniversary back on March 25th commemorating and celebrating the landmark Supreme Court decision of U.S. vs. Wong Kim … Continue reading

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US Memorial Day: Remembering Henry Chin of the Lost Battalion

During this time when Asian Americans continue to be questioned for their loyalty and are still considered perpetual foreigners, it is worthwhile on US Memorial Day to note Asian Americans who fought and died for their country.  One such Asian … Continue reading

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Fanny: The Best Rock and Roll Band you Probably Never heard of

“They were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody’s ever mentioned them. They’re as important as anybody else who’s ever been, ever; it just wasn’t their time.” – David Bowie in Rolling Stone My cousin told me about a ground breaking … Continue reading

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C100 & Columbia University: The State of Chinese Americans

Recently, the Committee of 100 and Columbia University published a report on “The State of Chinese Americans”: “New York, NY (April 27, 2023) – Columbia University’s School of Social Work, one of the world’s leading research universities, and Committee of 100, … Continue reading

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Remembering Asian American Veterans: Richard Hoy

As the “Americanness” of Asian Americans is often questioned these days despite the long history of Asian Americans in the United States, Veteran’s Day is a good time to point out the contributions that Asian Americans to the country.  In … Continue reading

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Exploring the History of San Jose’s Pinoytown

I have been going to San Jose Japantown for most of my adult life, but the only thing Filipino there that I noticed was a small Filipino community center building.  Only after taking a Historical Walking Tour of the area … Continue reading

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12 Ways to Celebrate Filipino American History Month

Google published 10 Ways to Celebrate Filipino American History, which is appropriate as October is Filipino American History Month. The article talks about learning about and honoring notable Filipino Americans like Larry Itliong, Lea Salonga, and Victoria Manalo Draves. It’s … Continue reading

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