Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 56

Filipinos have been in the United States since the 16th century, yet many of their stories remain untold. For the past year, Positively Filipino has been running a series on notable Filipino Americans who have made their marks in this country. There are hundreds, or maybe even thousands more, that need to be added to this story, and we need your help. If you know of a Filipino American who deserves to be included in this line-up, please send us their names and any supporting documents you may have to pfpublisher@yahoo.com. For now, we are including only those who are currently active and visible in the media and the community, regardless of their religious, sexual or political orientation. Thank you.

Max and Nina Diez, Philanthropists

Max and Nina Diez (Source: University of San Francisco)

Max Diez is the founder and CEO of Twenty Five Ventures, a San Francisco venture capital firm that helps proptech and fintech startups. An alumnus of the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Management and an ambassador for Realtor.com, he is also a contributor to Forbes and an innovator in real estate technology. Diez co-founded the 25V Diversity Fund, which invests in real estate, property, and fintech startups led by diverse founders. In 2022, he and his wife, Nina Diez, established the Dr. Nina Diez Teaching Laboratory for Integrative and Cancer Biology at USF. Nina was diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t find enough information because her type of cancer was rare.  The research cancer lab would aid in their legacy to provide attention to rare types of cancers and information on the alternative ways of healing. The couple said, “How do you do more? How do you do things more efficiently? We have to remember we have the chance to affect people’s lives one person at a time.”

Nia Peeples, Singer and Actor

Nia Peeples (Source: Disney Wiki)

Peeples’ maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines. Her father was of Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry. Her Filipino mother was a flamenco dancer. Peeples runs an internet-based organization called Elements of Life, which promotes fitness, inspiration, healthy lifestyle changes and emotional well-being. She started her career in 1988 as part of the performance group, The Young Americans, with the hit, “Trouble” and started acting in the hit TV series, Fame. In 1991, she hosted a weeknight dance music program called The Party Machine with Nia Peeples; from 1999 to 2001 Peeples was in the hit series Walker, Texas Ranger.  Among other TV and movies roles she has appeared in include The Young and the Restless, Pretty Little Liars, and Celebrity Wife Swap. Peeples continues to perform live.

Gil Quito, Producer, Screenwriter, and Film Preservationist

Gil Quito (Source: GMA News)

Quito learned early on that film is history. With every foot of celluloid film that is lost due to fires, lack of care, and improper storage, historical knowledge and knowledge of cinematic vision are lost.  A broadcast-communication graduate of the University of the Philippines, his thesis entitled Towards a Filipino Archive (1975) was the earliest in-depth work proposing the rescue and preservation of Philippine films.  His thesis directly led to the film-archival efforts of Mowelfund and the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film in Manila. Quito eventually earned a certificate in film production from New York University. A total cineaste, he co-wrote the screenplays of Mike de Leon’s Itim (Rites of May; 1976) and Gil Portes’ ‘Merika (1984). He was the associate producer of Laurice Guillen’s American Adobo (2002). He also was the associate producer of the following Lav Diaz’s films:  Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon (From What was Before; 2014) and Mga Anak ng Unos (Children of the Storm: Book One; 2014). In New York City, he was the organizer/moderator of Sinehan sa Konsulado (Movie House at the Consulate) at the Philippine Consulate General. He was a guest presenter at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, in 2022. 

(Submitted by Rey de la Cruz)

JoAnn Fields, Community Advocate

JoAnne Fields (Source: Facebook)

Fields founded the Lumpia Club Luncheon, a Filipino American professional network that meets monthly to raise their community concerns with local decision-makers and leaders in San Diego. From the luncheon, the Filipino Covid-19 evolved to serve as a clearinghouse of information for a variety of sectors in the community advocating for disaggregated data and additional testing sites. In 2021, she also organized the first Filipino Friendship Festival so others could learn about the culture and contributions of Filipino Americans. It proved to be so successful that the city and state leaders named the day after Fields. Today she heads the API Initiative to educate the public and continues to uplift generations of Filipino Americans and Pacific Islanders. Recently, she organized the donation drive San Diego Loves Maui, for the fire victims in Lahaina, Maui and has made a few trips to bring and distribute the supplies and toys to the wildfire victims.

Francis Lara Ho, Entrepreneur

Francis Lara Ho (Source: IMDb)

Born in Iloilo, Philippines to a Filipino Chinese family, Ho ventured into entrepreneurship in the U.S. in 2011 when he started a financial marketing agency, that grew into 100 licensed financial professionals and investment advisors covering more than 10 different states. In 2013, Ho was honored among the Transamerica/WFG Top 300 Entrepreneurs (Forbes Magazine November 2013), and again in 2016. In 2018, he started Inspire Studios Inc. in California with a vision of winning the first Oscars for the Philippines and transforming the global image and identity of the Filipino. He is currently the President of International Impact in Fontana, California and a global member of International Leadership Foundation based in Orlando, Florida. Both non-profit organizations provide leadership consultancy and financial assistance to charitable agencies in Asia.

Martin Manalansan, Professor

Martin Manalansan (Source: Rutgers.edu)

Manalansan is the Beverly & Richard Fink Professor in Liberal Arts and professor of American studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Previously, he was Associate Professor of anthropology and Asian American studies and Conrad Professional Humanities Scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He studied philosophy and anthropology at the University of the Philippines and did graduate studies in sociocultural and anthropology at Syracuse University and the University of Rochester, Ney York. He is the author of Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men in the Diaspora (2003) and co-editor of Eating Asian America: A Food Studies Reader (NYU, 2013). His forthcoming book, Queer Dwellings, examines the experiences of undocumented queer immigrants. Although based in the Midwest, he maintains emotional and intellectual ties to New York and Manila. He hopes to be able to live in both cities at different times of the year.

Capt. Jordan Baldueza, U. S. Coast Guard

Capt. Jordan Baldueza (Source: USCG)

In 2021, Baldueza became the Deputy Sector Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. He assists the Sector Commander in leading over 850 Active and Reserve Coast Guardsmen and women operating four Cutters, seven Search and Rescue Stations, Aids to Navigation Team, a Vessel Traffic Service, and a Marine Safety Detachment in addition to 1,100+ Coast Guard Auxiliarists. His area of responsibility stretches from the Oregon border to the San Luis Obispo County line as well as much of Nevada, Utah, parts of Wyoming, and includes 2.500 miles of shoreline within the San Francisco Bay and its tributaries. Some of the awards he has received include the Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Global War in Terrorism Service Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut with a degree in Operations Research and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Technology from San Diego State University. He completed his Joint Professional Military Education through the U.S. Naval War College.

Janelle Quibuyen, Graphic Designer and Artist

Janelle Quibuyen (Source: janellequibuyen.com)

Growing up in a Filipino household, Hawaii-born Quibuyen was not encouraged to pursue art. Like most first-generation families, careers that provided economic stability like nursing, medicine or the law were seen as more important.  It wasn’t until she got involved with a local Filipino youth organization that she was introduced to the intersection of art and social justice. She realized the power and impact of art and its ability to communicate to a broad audience. She produced a series of artwork centered on Filipino history. The series started with an illustration called Look with your eyes, not with your mouth, based on a Filipino folktale about a lazy, spoiled kid who turns into a pineapple with a thousand eyes. Other artwork highlight the contribution and impact of Filipino culture on America’s history, depicting Filipino nurses, boxers, and spaghetti. Her most recent work is designing social media campaigns.

Krystl, Podcaster

Krystl (Source: Instagram)

Born in the Philippines, Krystl immigrated to Canada at a young age and later moved to Southern California.  Growing up, she noticed the lack of Filipino women representation in different industries – from media to finance, tech--as well as missing education on Filipino history, contributions, and stories. As an undergrad at UC San Diego, she joined an activist group that sparked her love for advocacy and people’s movements.  She moved to San Francisco after graduation and started a Podcast that spotlighted Filipinos who were at the top of their fields, and how they got there. Filipina on the Rise is a global media and events company she founded.  Krystl also talks about arts activism and socio-economic justice.

Josh Mamaclay, Recipe Developer

Josh Mamaclay (Source: joshmamaclay.com)

Mamaclay is a recipe developer and chef instructor based in Boston, Massachusetts. He teaches on Milk Street TV and at the Milk Street Online Cooking School. He says his mission is to empower home cooks to explore and create memorable culinary experiences in their own kitchens.  He received his bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and food service management from the Johnson & Wales University. When he was growing up, his mother would cook adobo almost every week so he got used to the flavors of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf and black pepper. He developed a vegan friendly adobo recipe for his fiancé who is vegetarian, using tofu, onions, green beans, bok choy and scallions.

Source: Google and Wikipedia

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