Category Archives: History

150th Anniversary of 1871 Los Angeles Chinese Massacre

Posted on October 25, 2021 by John

Bodies of 17 dead Chinese men and boys lie in the Los Angeles jail yard on October 24, 1871 (photo credit:  Security Pacific Bank) This past Sunday, October 24th, marked the 150th anniversary of one of the worst hate crimes … Continue reading →

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Celebrating the Contributions of Filipino American Sailors

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Jeff

Before the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, a major path to the US for Filipino Immigrants was through the US Navy.  My father came to the US that way, as well as tens of thousands of other Filipinos.  As … Continue reading →

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San Jose Approves Resolution & Apologizes for 1887 Chinatown Destruction and Decades of Discrimination

Posted on October 1, 2021 by John

Although I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1999, I did not know much about the history of Chinese Americans in the area beyond the Chinese Exclusion Act. I was surprised to hear that back in May, that … Continue reading →

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Last Week Tonight host John Oliver talks about Asian Americans

Posted on June 15, 2021 by Jeff

This Last Week Tonight segment on Asian Americans hosted by John Olliver gives an overview of Asian American history and the current issues facing Asian Americans, done in his usually satirical style.  I was pleasantly surprised by how thorough it … Continue reading →

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Lola’s Work: An Animated StoryCorps Feature

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Jeff

I was moved by this story about a devoted grandmother, which was featured on NPR and StoryCorps, and now StoryCorps has turned it into a featured animated story!   It also features some pictures painted by her and her grandson of … Continue reading →

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San Jose to Add Delano Manongs Park, named for Filipino American Farm Workers

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Jeff

The City of San Jose is adding a new park called Delano Manongs Park, honoring the Delano Manong farm workers, key players in the founding of the United Farm workers and the Delano Grape strike.  According to this City of … Continue reading →

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The Stories of our Elders: Lola’s Sacrifices and Life Lessons

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Jeff

With our Asian American elders under attack, we should remember that one way to honor them is to preserve their stories. One really convenient and great way to do that is through StoryCorps, which provides apps to record their stories … Continue reading →

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In Praise of Spam: Prose, a Play, and a Poem

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Jeff

Spam, Eggs, and Rice. That was a familiar and comforting meal when I was a kid, and I still feel that way today. While Spam has been condemned as the epitomy of unhealthy processed food, I recently learned about an … Continue reading →

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The First US Television series featuring an Asian American Actor is Lost and Probably Gone Forever

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Jeff

The blog title above might make you wonder if something happened to Fresh off the Boat.  Perhaps if you were older or well versed in pop culture, you might wonder if something happened to copies of All American Girl (1994), … Continue reading →

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Asian American Cultural Landmarks: The San Gabriel Valley and Beyond

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Jeff

While conflicts have increased about American historical monuments and landmarks, especially regarding statues of slave owners or institutions named after racists, this article from Hyperallergic asks, what kind of cultural landmarks do Asian Americans establish?   In “In American’s “First Suburban … Continue reading →

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Why there are so Many Filipino Nurses in the US: A Video Explanation

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Jeff

We talked about how Filipino American nurses have been hard hit by the Coronavirus, which makes sense since they are a significant proportion of the US nursing workforce compared to their proportion of the general US population.  How did that … Continue reading →

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A Remarkable Search: “A Vanished Dream: Wartime Story of My Japanese Grandfather”

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Jeff

Long hidden family secrets, an African American journalist’s deathbed request, and the Japanese American internment – all these seemingly unconnected elements connect to create a moving and timely documentary about a man taken away by the authorities and never again … Continue reading →

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