World

A growing Filipino diaspora means plenty of celebration worldwide for Philippine Independence Day

Published

5 months ago

June 11, 2024

A growing Filipino diaspora means plenty of celebration worldwide for Philippine Independence Day

In the Philippines — where Spanish and later U.S. colonial rule persisted for nearly four centuries — June 12 is the real Independence Day. That date in 1898 was the pivotal moment when the island nation first made a bold move for autonomy.

Ahead of this year’s holiday in Manila, the nation’s capital, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Filipinos in a video message to display the country’s flag everywhere “as we continue to fight for independence. Independence in different aspects of our being Filipinos, but more than this independence in our territory, our sovereignty.”

Since 2023, the Philippines has faced increasingly tense territorial confrontations with Beijing in the South China Sea.

The much-awaited annual celebration would be festive with an array of activities, which started Monday at the capital’s historic Rizal Park, Marcos said. There’s a bazaar along with government stalls offering services to the public. The festivities include a cooking competition, a chili pepper-eating contest, free showing of movies about Filipino heroes, free nightly concerts and an obstacle-course race. A parade of 22 floats representing different provinces will be staged on Independence Day to be capped by a musical concert, he said.

The revelry surrounding Philippine Independence Day stretches far beyond the Southeast Asia archipelago, from the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates. Millions of Filipinos across cities in the U.S., Europe and Australia will be able to find parades, street fairs, galas and other gatherings close to home. Some are even flying in well-known talent from the Philippines. The occasion’s growing reach and inclusive ethos demonstrate how much the Filipino diaspora continues to assert cultural pride and flourish around the globe.

Historical

The fight for independence dates back to 1565 when Spain colonized the Philippines, naming it for King Philip II. It wasn’t until 1896 though that talk of revolution catalyzed action. Andrés Bonifacio, a leader of the Katipunan, a brotherhood of anti-Spain revolutionaries, and others tore up their “cedulas,” residential tax certificates for people considered Spanish subjects.

“It’s like tearing your passport or whatever identifies you as a citizen of a nation,” said Richard Chu, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who was born in the Philippines. “So, they tore that up symbolically as a break and declared independence — or at least (were) fighting for independence from Spain.”

Emilio Aguinaldo, also a member of the Katipunan, saw an opportunity for liberation when the U.S. declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898, over its treatment of Cuba. On June 12, he proclaimed independence and a year later, even became the first president of the Philippine Republic. But, the U.S. refused to recognize the country as a stand-alone territory, igniting the Philippine-American War, which lasted until April 1902.

78 years of independence

The Philippines finally became independent on July 4, 1946. So, the Fourth of July was the traditional holiday until President Diosdado Macapagal changed it in 1964 to June 12.

As a child in the ‘70s, Chu remembers watching preparations in Rizal Park. Festivities started in the morning with the senior Marcos raising the flag as cabinet and military officers looked on. The parade was more of a “military parade followed by people from different government agencies.”

“It’s supposed to be a festive celebration and every other city or major town would have its own Independence Day celebrations,” Chu said.

Independence Day may evoke mixed feelings for some who don’t have the same nationalist fervor or agree with its government’s policies. This is one reason Chu doesn’t feel an urgent need to mark the holiday. At the same time, he likes being with other Filipinos in his community.

“If I lived in Boston, I probably would participate just because of the festivities, like the food vendors and maybe some popular Filipino American scenery,” Chu said. “I am proud to be Filipino for sure.”

Festivities in the U.S.

New York City held a parade and a street fair along Madison Avenue on June 2. The same weekend in Seattle there was a two-day Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival. There have been large fiestas and smaller picnics in Texas, California and Colorado, among other states.

In Phoenix, the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team is holding its first-ever Filipino Heritage Celebration at Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Amilyn Pierce, who is part Filipino and the Diamondbacks’ vice-president of government affairs, credits a team business consultant who is also Filipino, Hunter Fitton, with pitching the Independence Day event. He pointed out high presence of Filipinos in the state. He also recruited local Filipino dance groups and food trucks. Diamondbacks caps with the Philippines flag also sold out.

“I was surprised to find that out that there was such a huge Filipino community,” Pierce said. “I just really love that the team has made it a priority to reach outside of maybe what someone might think is the normal or the stereotypical demographic.”

Celebrations in Europe

Across countries in Europe, there are large gatherings with longstanding reputations. Given that the Filipino diaspora is one of the largest diaspora populations in the world, it’s not surprising how many celebrations there are, said Chu, the Amherst professor.

In the Netherlands, the Kalayann Fiesta Foundation Netherlands held an Independence Day Picnic over the weekend. Ice Seguerra, a popular Filipino actor and singer-songwriter who is a transgender man, was the guest performer.

Journey Torres, who immigrated to the Netherlands from the Philippines in 1999 when he was 8, recalls going to a Philippine Independence Day event in Amsterdam two years later. He described it as having the atmosphere of a small “family barbecue party.” There weren’t many other Filipinos then. But by the 2010s, jobs and cultural exchange programs brought more. The event gained more notoriety with Filipinos coming from Germany and Belgium.

“Now there are also busses that goes from Belgium to the Netherlands,” Torres said. “I believe it’s one of the first Philippine Independence Day celebrations that was organized here in mainland Europe.”

The Philippine Independence Day Association in Rome has been organizing events for over 15 years in hotels, parks and piazzas. They seem to keep getting bigger and drawing Filipinos from all over Italy, said Jaiane Morales, the event’s programming deputy.

This year’s daylong fete, which was Sunday, took place inside a concert hall but with Pinoy food stalls outside that, among other fare, served the traditional Filipino ice cream dessert of halo halo as well as the Italian classic gelato. The goal is to have a feast of food and “Filipiniana costumes,” Morales said.

The theme of the event’s talent show, “Balik Saya” or “returning joy,” is meant to foster meaningful connection abroad. Millions of Filipinos have departed the Philippines, a leading source of global labor, in search of jobs and better opportunities to earn and provide for loved ones they’ve left behind.

“If they are missing their families at home, then this is one way of easing that loneliness,” Morales said.

___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report.

___

Terry Tang is a Phoenix-based member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. You can follow her on X at @ttangAP.

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World

‘A Complete Unknown’ First Reactions Praise ‘Shockingly Moving’ Bob Dylan Biopic: Timothée Chalamet’s Performance Is a ‘True Tour De Force’

Published

1 hour ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

‘A Complete Unknown’ First Reactions Praise ‘Shockingly Moving’ Bob Dylan Biopic: Timothée Chalamet’s Performance Is a ‘True Tour De Force’

The first reactions to Timothée Chalamet‘s “A Complete Unknown” have started rolling in on social media ahead of the Bob Dylan biopic’s Christmas release date, with members of the press praising Chalamet, Monica Barbaro and more for their performances in the film.

“Timothée Chalamet slides into Bob Dylan with an effortless yet focused determination. Fearless in some hypnotic moments,” Variety‘s senior awards editor Clayton Davis wrote on X. “For me, it’s Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning that anchor the story of an illusive, mysterious man that remains in that sphere. James Mangold helms with confidence, with gorgeous sets and costumes. Much respect to one of the best to do it.”

Film critic Scott Menzel said Chalamet “delivers the performance of the year,” adding: “A true tour-de-force where Chalamet is never seen. Chalamet’s performance is not just about the voice and look but rather all of the little nuances and mannerisms that he perfectly brings to his life in his portrayal of Bob Dylan. Great supporting performances too from Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez and Edward Norton as Pete Seeger.”

While the reactions to “A Complete Unknown” have been mostly positive so far, the biopic received some negative responses, including Los Angeles film critic Ryan Swen, who used some Dylan lyrics to describe his reaction: “It’s vile and deceitful — it’s cruel and it’s mean. Ugliest thing that you have ever seen.”

The Playlist’s Gregory Ellwood, meanwhile, called the film “superb” and “shockingly moving,” adding: “Chalamet is fantastic. Monica Barbaro is incredible. We need a Joan Baez spin off movie.”

From Searchlight Pictures and director James Mangold (“Walk the Line”), “A Complete Unknown” follows a young Dylan as he arrives in New York in the early 1960s. The film tracks the music legend as he becomes a fixture in the Greenwich Village folk scene and befriends people like Joan Baez (played by Barbaro) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). The film ends after Dylan straps on an electric guitar at Newport Folk Festival in 1965, playing “Like a Rolling Stone” and revolutionizing the genre.

Speaking to Variety back in July, when the first trailer for the film was released, a dozen Dylan experts expressed cautious optimism toward “A Complete Unknown,” praising Chalamet’s performance of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.”

“A Complete Unknown” is written by Mangold and Jay Cocks, and based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric!” The rest of the cast includes Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, P. J. Byrne as Harold Leventhal, Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie, Dan Fogler as Albert Grossman and Will Harrison as Bob Neuwirth, among others. The film is produced by Fred Berger, Alex Heineman, Peter Jaysen, Bob Bookman, Alan Gasmer, Jeff Rosen, Chalamet and Mangold.

Check out more first reactions below.

“Wow, #ACompleteUnknown. Timothée Chalamet’s performance in this is superior. James Mangold and his entire team pull off a technical feat from sound, editing, costume, cinematography to production design, down to the subtleties of makeup and hair. Loved it.” — Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt)

“#ACompleteUnknown is absolutely incredible. Clocks in at nearly 2.5 hrs but flies by. The musical performances are perfectly placed, the story is captivating. Timothée Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, and Edward Norton all deliver unforgettable performances. I’m in awe.” — Tessa Smith (@MamasGeeky)

“A COMPLETE UNKNOWN looks and sounds great, a standard biopic that truly comes alive when its iconic characters make passionate music together. Timothée Chalamet is well-cast but Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton steal the show as Joan Baez and Pete Seeger.” — Abe Friedtanzer (@movieswithabe)

“A Complete Unknown manages to maintain tell us everything about Bob Dylan while telling us almost nothing about Bob Dylan. Some would say that was the target. The movie is ultimately about the power of the individual and talent and how what we all want can turn on a dime, repeatedly. Chalamet brings enormous power to this portrait of a man who just keeps leaving but then also keeps delivering surprises. Edward Norton’s turn is perfectly true to Seeger. Monica Barbero delivers a Baez of many facets, from fire to ice. And Elle Fanning is destined to be underrated in a complex turn as “the first NY girlfriend.” I really need to see it again to fully negotiate all that is there and all that is not there by design.” — David Poland (@DavidPoland)

“A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is a solid biopic, showing Bob Dylan as a deeply talented individual with a lack of social intelligence. Timothee Chalamet is excellent & Monica Barbaro is captivating as Joan Baez. Oscar nominatons for Best Picture, Cinematography, Sound, Costumes are possible” — Tim Gerber (@ZurrieSkate)

World

Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile toward Ukraine, air force says

Published

2 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile toward Ukraine, air force says

Russian troops launched various missiles, reportedly including an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Astrakhan region, in an early morning attack on Ukraine on Thursday.

Ukraine’s Air Force said on its Telegram account that it destroyed six Kh-101 cruise missiles using anti-aircraft combat.

The Russian attack hit critical infrastructure in the central-eastern city of Dnipro, according to the air force.

US EMBASSY IN KYIV CLOSED WEDNESDAY AS ‘POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT AIR ATTACK’ LOOMS

A Ukrainian chaplain from the city of Dnipro Leonid conducts an evacuation from a frontline village, as local residents are urged to leave due to shelling on November 19, 2024 in the direction of Kurakhovo, Ukraine. ((Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images))

This comes after Ukraine fired American-supplied long-range missiles into Russia on Tuesday, marking the first time for Kyiv to do so in the 1,000 days of war – a move that was authorized by President Biden on Sunday.

UKRAINE FIRES FIRST BARRAGE OF US-MADE LONG-RANGE MISSILES INTO RUSSIA, KREMLIN SAYS

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Moscow-appointed head of Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, Yevgeny Balitsky during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

There are currently no reports on injuries or fatalities.

If the attack did involve an ICBM, it would mark a major escalation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the first time such a weapon has been used.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

World

Are users deserting Elon Musk’s X en masse and where are they heading?

Published

3 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Are users deserting Elon Musk’s X en masse and where are they heading?

The limited data on X user numbers makes measuring the full extent of the reported exodus from the platform almost impossible.

Hundreds of thousands of dissatisfied users have reportedly fled Elon Musk’s X, previously known as Twitter, following Donald Trump’s re-election, with an estimated 115,000 accounts deactivated in the US alone on the day after the ballot.

Celebrities and prominent brands ditching the platform cite mounting concerns over the unchecked spread of misinformation, conspiracy theories and hate speech, as well as what they consider to be Musk’s role in facilitating Trump’s return to power.

“X is a toxic media platform and (…) its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse,” news media The Guardian said in a statement announcing it would no longer be posting on the platform.

But, determining the exact number of users leaving X is challenging, as the platform does not regularly release global user data.

The Euroverify team takes a look at what we know about the number of users deserting X and the platforms to which they are migrating.

How many people are on X and how many are leaving?

Estimates of X’s monthly global user base vary widely. The most generous estimates — used by research agencies and prominent business media — place the number of users at 611 million in April of this year, with a 6% drop to 588 million by September.

While many experts contest these figures, there has been a trend of declining user numbers on the platform since the 2022 Musk takeover, driven by departures in Western democracies.

X is legally obliged to disclose its user numbers in the EU under the requirements of the bloc’s digital rulebook, the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Its reports show that the average number of EU monthly users fell from 111.4 million in the six months leading up to January 2024 to 106 million in the six months leading up to July.

Although it doesn’t reflect user numbers in other regions of the world, it is the only official data provided by X that shows a trend of decline in users.

An analysis by Financial Times analysts also suggests X user numbers have fallen by almost a third in the UK and almost a fifth in the US in the year leading up to September 2024.

A closer look at the data shows that user numbers have fallen in 25 of 27 EU member states over the past year, with only Germany and Finland seeing an uptick in numbers.

The drop in user numbers has coincided with a decline in financial prospects, with some estimating the company has lost 75% of its value since it was bought by Musk.

Where are they migrating?

Bluesky, a platform developed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, is a popular destination for emigrating X users.

Its CEO Jay Graber revealed earlier this week that users had hit 20 million after averaging 1 million new users per day over a five-day period. Its user numbers have more than tripled since late August.

Mastodon, developed by a German non-profit, is also welcoming users from X. Its app downloads are up 47% on iOS and 17% on Android this month according to its creator Eugen Rochko.

But Meta’s Threads, rolled out last year, remains the direct competitor with most active users, estimated at around 275 million.

Could Bluesky be the next big thing?

Given its proximity to the original Twitter interface and its emphasis on content moderation, Bluesky is being widely tipped as the biggest threat to X.

“It certainly seems like an inflection point. Bluesky’s growth over the past couple of years has tended to be directly correlated with Elon Musk’s actions,” David Karpf, associate professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, told Euronews.

He believes Musk’s use of the platform to propel Donald Trump’s campaign has played a significant role in convincing more users to leave the platform.

“It’s all been a trickle (of users leaving) up until the past month or two,” he explained. “But it seems like what happened during the election (means that) an awful lot of people who were using X decided, this is not for me.”

Bluesky operates independently to ensure big corporations do not influence its decisions, and users are able to select and fine-tune the algorithm that decides the content they are exposed to through custom feeds.

It has introduced new “anti-toxicity features”, such as the ability to detach your own post from a “quote post” made by another user. Replies to posts can also be hidden.

It also has strong blocking features, often described as a “nuclear block”, designed to stamp out harassment and abuse.

But there are concerns that if politics becomes the motive for the exodus from X to Bluesky, the platforms could splinter into two echo chambers, split along political and ideological lines.

For American writer and media critic Parer Molloy, concerns about Bluesky becoming an ideological ‘bubble’ are unfounded: “It’s not about avoiding disagreement — it’s about fostering an environment where disagreements can actually happen productively,” she wrote this week.

“On platforms like X, the problem isn’t just opposing views — it’s the sheer volume of hate, harassment, and dehumanising rhetoric that gets amplified by algorithms.”