Tag Archives: AALDEF

Emil Amok is Emil Guillermo: Here’s more on the U.S. soldier David Fagen, the African American who became a Filipino Freedom Fighter. A true “Insurrecto,” Fagen knew what it meant when his U.S. commanders called Filipinos the “N-word.” They were fighting words. So, of course, he switched sides.

My Emil Amok’s Takeout talks to Professor Daniel Phil Gonzales about David Fagen, the African American Buffalo Solider who deserted during the U.S.-Philippine War to become a Filipino “insurrecto.”

See more of my columns on the AALDEF site.

Emil Amok: Listen to my podcast farewell to Corky Lee, Asian America’s “photographer laureate.” Plus my 2017 APA Heritage Month conversation with Corky.

I say goodbye to Corky here as I read the piece from the AALDEF blog.
Then, listen to the 2017 conversation where Corky talks about his life and why the Transcontinental Railroad picture meant so much to him.
At the end, he gets emotional about his friend, historian Philip Choy who taught Chinese American history at San Francisco State University.
It’s a revealing moment in a conversation that shows Corky, the person, the man behind the lens, who at times was invisible to us all as he stalked the best shot at Asian American events.
It’s one of the few times we took the time to really talk to each other.

It’s my “all-in-one” podcast tribute to Corky.

See more of my columns here.