history
Meet the war hero who invented banana ketchup
When indulging in hot dogs, french fries or Spam, you might reach for an ever-so-trustworthy bottle of tomato ketchup. But if you want to add a sweet, tangy kick to your food, try one of the Philippines’ most popular condiments: banana ketchup.
Despite what its name suggests, banana ketchup isn’t solely a mixture of banana pulp and crushed tomatoes. Its smooth texture, similar to that of tomato ketchup, can be deceiving. Yet the history of this beloved condiment — which typically consists of mashed banana, vinegar, sugar and spices — shines a light on the Philippines during a time of struggle.
111-Year-Old Mochi Ice Cream Shop in LA’s Little Tokyo Shuts Down
Little Tokyo’s revered mochi ice cream shop Mikawaya, located in Los Angeles, has closed permanently after more than a century.
About the shop: Mikawaya, one of Little Tokyo’s oldest businesses located at 118 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, was opened in 1910 by Ryuzaburo Hashimoto, according to their website.
Activist, Civil Rights Icon Grace Lee Boggs’ Historic Detroit Home to Become a Museum
The home of late activist couple James and Grace Lee Boggs on Detroit’s East Side is slated to become a community museum, the James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation announced last week.
What to know: The museum is expected to open in 2023 or 2024. It will focus on the Boggs’ activism for civil rights, labor, ecology and justice movements, as well as their “influence on younger generations of activists, artists, educators, policymakers and humanitarians,” according to Detriot Metro Times.
Meet Mitsuye Endo, The Woman Whose Supreme Court Case Ended Japanese Concentration Camps
Mitsuye Endo is an unsung hero who was the only plaintiff to win a court case that led to the process of ending Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
Life before concentration: Endo was born on May 10, 1920, in Sacramento, Calif., to Japanese immigrant parents and graduated from Sacramento Senior High School.
Meet the Filipino American Civil Rights Icon Who Was Forgotten By History
Larry Itliong dreamed of becoming a lawyer when he immigrated to the United States as a teen in 1929. However, the circumstances of being a Filipino American worker at the time would eventually lead him to a higher calling.
Itliong started young in leading the fight for migrants’ labor rights during a tumultuous period in America, according to the Smithsonian. While a growing number of people recognize him now as a key figure of the Asian American movement, many are still unfamiliar with his story.
Before Brown v. Board of Education, These Chinese American Parents Fought for Desegregation in 1880s SF
A Chinese American family from San Francisco won a lawsuit in the 1880s after the eldest daughter was denied admittance to an all-white school, creating a vital civil rights case for Asian families in America.
Barred from an education: Joseph and Mary Tape, who had both immigrated to the U.S. at a young age, were not allowed to enroll their 8-year-old daughter, Mamie, in Spring Valley Primary School in September 1884 because she was of Chinese descent.
Meet Joseph Pierce, One of the Only Chinese Americans Who Fought in Bloodiest Battle in US History
Joseph Pierce is a Civil War veteran who is believed to be the highest-ranking Chinese American soldier in the Union Army.
The history: There are conflicting reports of how Pierce arrived in the U.S., according to Ruthanne Lum McCunn‘s “Chinese in the Civil War: Ten Who Served.”
When Hordes of Angry White Men Attacked South Asians for ‘Stealing Jobs’ in Washington
On Sept. 4, 1907, about 500 white men attacked the homes of South Asian workers in Bellingham, Washington, convinced the immigrants were taking over jobs at the local lumber mills.
Why this matters: The incident, known as Bellingham’s “anti-Hindu” riots, is a dark chapter in Asian American history in which law enforcement allegedly cooperated with racists under the guise of “protecting” immigrants.
How Asian Americans United to Free an Innocent Man on Death Row in SF
In the late 1970s, Asian Americans mobilized to call for the release of Chol Soo Lee, a Korean American man wrongfully convicted of murder.
The national effort, spearheaded by a dedicated committee, is regarded as one of the earliest pan-Asian American movements for justice — and reminds the community of its strength in unity.
2,000-Year-Old Knife Massage Tradition Kept Alive in Taiwan
Taiwan is keeping the 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition of daoliao, also known as “knife massage” or “knife therapy,” alive and well after arriving in the country around 80 years ago.
History: Chinese history suggests the art of knife massage has been around since 770 BC to 476 BC, Wu Wei-chuan, the chairwoman of the World Daoliao Association, told the Los Angeles Times.
The Real Legend of Khutulun, the Undefeated Wrestling Princess of Mongolia
Unlike Mulan who only exists in ancient Chinese folk tales, Mongolia has a real-life warrior princess named Khutulun who fought in wars alongside her father and remained undefeated in wrestling throughout her entire life.
Who is Khutulun?: Born around 1260, Khutulun, also known as Aigiarne, Aiyurug and Khotol Tsagaan, was the daughter of Kaidu Khan, cousin of Kublai Khan who would found China’s Yuan dynasty and great-great-granddaughter of Genghis Khan, according to South China Morning Post.
She Was the First Chinese American Woman to Vote in the U.S.
Tye Leung Schulze was the first Chinese American woman to vote in the United States and became the first Chinese woman to be employed by the federal government.