Is there a Manong Philip in you?

Philip V. Vera Cruz

In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month (May) FOX Network is producing Americans in Focus (www.americansinfocus.org) featuring short vignettes of individuals "who have excelled in life and professions that initially were considered outside the realm of possibility for a person of color."

Although the Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American group in the United States, it is noteworthy that in this list of notables there is only ONE pinoy, Philip Vera Cruz! He was of the Manong generation of Filipino immigrants who came during the early half of the 20th century. Later in life, he became a key farm labor organizer and was instrumental in the creation what eventually came to being as the United Farm Workers union. There are Filipinos all over the world who certainly fit this description and we are charged with sharing those stories, our stories.

The series, celebrates the diversity by highlighting the achievements of short features are now being shown globally across the FOX Network and in the Internet. FAEALA is honored to be a part of this project.