October is Filipino American History Month (sure, it’s already almost halfway done, but some could argue that would be culturally appropriate). Filipino American History Month was made official by the US Congress in 2009. This year, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) encourages people to remember Pinay visionaries, such Victoria Manalo Draves (shown above), an Olympic diver who was the first woman to win gold medals for both the ten-meter platform and the three-meter springboard, the first American woman to win two gold medals in diving, and the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal. One living visionary of whom we recently talked about is Nicole Ponseca, who has been bringing Filipino food to the American mainstream.
Some resources for Filipino American History Month:
- Why we Celebrate Filipino American History Month
- Filipino American History Month updates from FANHS
- Celebrating Filipino American Women (from Asian Journal)
