Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 49

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.

Glenn D. Magpantay

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appointed Magpantay to a six-year term as a Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. A longtime civil rights activist, professor of law and Asian American Studies, and LGBTQ rights activist, Magpantay has been organizing in the community for over 30 years. Today, he is principal at Magpantay & Associates, a nonprofit consulting and legal services firm. He is also a fellow with the prestigious George Soros Equality Fellowship of the Open Society Foundations. Commission Staff Director, Mauro Morales stated: “His years of impactful policy-making experience in civil rights and in the federal government, make Commissioner Magpantay an extraordinary addition to our slate of Commissioners.” He is chair of the LGBT Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York, former co-chair of the Gay Asian & Pacific Islander Men of New York, and recognized as an "authority on the federal Voting Rights Act and expert on Asian American political participation, including bilingual ballots, election reform, minority voter discrimination, multilingual exit polling, and the census." He has served as a commissioner on the New York City Voter Assistance Commission. He is also a contributing writer for the Huffington Post. The State University of New York at Stony Brook, his Sociology & Social Sciences undergraduate alma mater, established The Glenn Magpantay Leadership Award. He earned his juris doctorate at Boston's New England School of Law, graduating cum laude.

Cassidy Hubbarth, Sports Broadcaster

Hubbarth is a well-known sports broadcaster whose Filipino mother moved to the United States in the 1970s. Hubbarth has used her platform as a sports broadcaster to shine a light on her Filipino heritage. In interviews, Hubbarth has spoken about how her Filipino background has influenced her life and career. She has said that her family's culture taught her the values of hard work, perseverance and family. She has also mentioned that her mother's cooking, which includes traditional Filipino dishes like adobo and pancit, is one of her favorite things.

She has shared photos and stories about her family's traditions on social media and has even incorporated Filipino food into her coverage of major sporting events. For example, during the NBA Finals, she interviewed Filipino American NBA player Jordan Clarkson and brought him some homemade Filipino food as a gift. Hubbarth's success in sports broadcasting is a testament to her talent and hard work, but her pride in her Filipino roots is also an important part of her identity.

Arielle Jacobs, Broadway Actor

Born in San Francisco to a Filipino mother and an American Jewish father, Jacobs began studying voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and later at the Westminster Conservatory of Music. At the age of ten, she was cast in a new musical called Honor Song for Crazy Horse at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts in California. She is best known for her role as Nina Rosario in the U.S. Tour and Broadway productions of In the Heights and as Princess Jasmine in the Australian and Broadway productions of Aladdin. Jacobs created an environmental website called “Help Heal the Earth” to teach kids about living an eco-friendly life. She also founded a non-profit organization called “The Girls Camaraderie Project,” which aims to inspire camaraderie among girls ages 10-13. She is currently starring as Imelda Marcos in the Broadway production of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love.

Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Chicago Alderwoman

Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (Source: lenifor48th.com)

Manaa-Hoppenworth just became the first Filipino American to be elected as alderwoman in the 185-year history of Chicago City Council, representing the 48th Ward. A mother of three children, she is a licensed physical therapist, a small business owner, community organizer, a tango dancer and identifies as queer. She is the co-founder of Indivisible Illinois where her chapter has endorsed initiatives such as the Peace Book Ordinance to fund job training and violence prevention programs led by young people and the Empowering Communities for Public Safety ordinance which places police accountability in the hands of the people. In 2017, she founded ILVOTE with the mission to help the electorate stay informed and engaged in every election. In 2018, she was awarded the Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award of Cook County for her work with ILVOTE. In 2022, she was awarded the Kurt Mathiasson Award for community leadership by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce for her work as a co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Thelma Boac, School Board Trustee

Fluent in Spanish and Filipino languages (Tagalog, Visayan/Cebuano), Boac is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, California. A retired educator, Boac is also a Tier II Administrative Leadership Coach in Santa Clara County where she coaches and mentors newly appointed school principals and administrators. She is also an adjunct professor/student teacher supervisor at The National Hispanic University. Her community involvement includes leadership positions on the board of CHEF (Children, Health and Education Foundation), Filipina Women’s Network and Country Representative for HDI (Human Development International). She has received awards for her dedication to education from the San Jose Local Hero Award from the California State Assembly (20th District, 2011), the Dr. Martin Luther King Good Neighbor Award, and the San Jose State University Multicultural Award. Boac received her Bachelor’s degree and Teaching Credentials from San Francisco State University and her Master’s Degree in Education from San Jose State University.

Madeline Arenas, Award-winning Photographer

Growing up in Pangasinan, Philippines, Arenas fell in love with photography at an early age but was told to pursue a different career path because there was purportedly no money in art. She started Cubrix Photography in 2008 using her one-month old child as a model and posting on Craigslist. There was a season where she barely had any bookings and was forced to sell some of her photography equipment. But by 2009, Arenas was nominated and ranked among the top 5 out of 32 portrait photographers in Los Angeles by LA City Voter, and the awards continued to come almost every year. She specializes in photographing newborns, marriage proposals, weddings and Bar Mitzvahs – “pretty much the milestones of their life.” She also teaches newborn workshops in the Philippines. In an interview with Asian Hustle Network, Arenas says her goals include getting “grants to build 20 libraries per year for our children’s charity JollyBox Philippines, and to be the first South/North East Asian Nikon USA Female Ambassador.”

Alfred “Alfee” Reft, UCLA Women’s Head Coach

UCLA Athletics announced Filipino American Alfred “Alfee” Reft as the UCLA women’s volleyball program next head coach. He led University of San Diego to its first-ever National Semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his role as associate head coach. Reft currently serves as a seasonal assistant coach for the U.S. Women's National Team under legendary Bruin and head coach Karch Kiraly. In addition to his 12 years as both a player and coach on the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams, Reft brings Big Ten Conference experience to UCLA after serving as an assistant at the University of Illinois from 2018-19 and at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. He accumulated a 68-32 conference record across both stints and reached the Final Four with the Fighting Illini in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Prior to coaching, Reft was an alternate for the U.S. Men's Olympic Team that won the Gold Medal in Beijing in 2008. He was also the designated libero for the U.S. National Team when they won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Pan American Cup and played in every match at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, where he claimed a Bronze Medal. He graduated from the University of Hawaii with a degree in English.

Geri Sanchez Aglipay, Small Business Advocate

Geri Sanchez Aglipay (Source: Small Business Majority)

In 2022, President Biden appointed Aglipay as Small Business Administration (SBA) regional administrator for Region 5. Prior to joining SBA, she served as Director of the Midwest Region and National Director of Women’s Entrepreneurship for Small Business Majority. She also served as commissioner of the Cook County Commission for Social Innovation, co-chair of Racial Wealth Gap Committee of Financial Inclusion for All Illinois, and on the advisory council of HHS NIOSH Center of Excellence UIC Center for Healthy Work. With more than 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and economic development, she is passionate about providing a more equitable path to financial security for small business owners and the self-employed, especially for socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Aglipay is a graduate of Bradley University and pursued graduate studies in community development finance from the University of New Hampshire.

Paulo Tirol, Composer, Lyricist and Arranger

Born and raised in Manila, Tirol majored in Communications at Ateneo de Manila University. In 2012, he left the corporate life in Manila and moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music. He earned an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts on a full tuition scholarship. Today Tirol is a musical theatre writer and liturgical musician working in New York City and Jersey City. He was awarded the Dramatists Guild Foundation’s inaugural Benjamin Indick Award for lyricists in 2021. His projects include music and lyrics for On This Side of the World, a hit musical that recently performed in LA. His composition “Still We Sing Alleluia” was named Song of the Year by the Association of Catholic Publishers in their 2021 excellence in Publishing Awards. He continues to write and arrange songs for Hangad, the award-winning vocal group under the Jesuit Music Ministry in Manila, a group he performed with for 17 years before he moved to Boston.

Vallerie Castillo-Archer, Chef

Chef Valerie Castillo-Archef (Photo by Sthanlee Mirador/Metro.Style)

The newly-appointed Head of Catering Operations at Philippine Airlines (PAL) made waves in Hollywood when she became Yamashiro's first female executive chef. Castillo-Archer is also the first Filipino American to hold the position at the iconic restaurant, an achievement that stemmed from her hard work and dedication. The seasoned chef will be in charge of food safety, quality control, and menu development. She was raised by her grandparents and she vividly remembers helping out in the busy kitchen of their small bakery in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. Although exposed to many cuisines, she mentioned that Ilocano food is still among the best -- a bias she admittedly cannot shake off. In an interview with Branding Los Angeles, Castillo-Archer’s advice to aspiring chefs: “Don’t take things seriously as far as people criticizing you or doubting your talent. Just know who you are and believe in yourself. That is the most important key, try to stay humble. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here with my career, but I’m going to enjoy every day like it’s my last, and do the best that I can do.”

Source: Google and Wikipedia

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