Thread by @kevinnadal

At first, these historic photos coming to life were scary & uncanny. But I soon appreciated them as opportunities to further imagine history. Here are some of my favorite pinays and pinoys throughout history. We begin with Jose Rizal - national hero of the Philippines. #JoseRizal

Dr. Fe del Mundo was the first woman to study at Harvard Medical School. She opened the first children’s pediatric hospital in the Philippines, was first woman of Philippine Medical Association, & was the first woman to be named National Scientist of the Philippines #FeDelMundo

Larry Itliong led the Filipino American Farmworkers during the Delano Grape Strike of 1965. That movement with @DelanoManongs is known as one of the most successful labor movements in modern history. It was also a pivotal moment in #FilAmHistory and #AsianAmHistory #LarryItliong

Vicki Manalo Draves was the first Asian American to earn an Olympic gold medal and the first American woman to win a gold medal for diving. In her memoirs, she recalls pools being drained & cleaned after she used them, due to racism and segregation. #VickiManoloDraves

Carlos Bulosan was an author and journalist who was best known for his novel “America is in the Heart”. He was also the first Filipino American to publish an essay in a national magazine (Saturday Evening Post), when he wrote “Freedom from Want” in 1944. #CarlosBulosan

Dr. Encarnacion Alzona was the first person of Philippine descent to earn a PhD in the United States, when she graduated from Columbia University in 1923. She later became a professor, an activist, and was named a National Scientist of the Philippines. #EncarnacionAlzona

Before @HERMusicx, there was Sugar Pie DeSanto was a Blackipina R&B singer who was most known in the 1950s/1960s. Born & raised in Brooklyn, she was most known for her single “I Want to Know”. She toured with Johnny Otis & James Brown. #SugarPieDeSanto

Jose García Villa was a Filipino American poet and writer who lived and died in New York City. Known as the “Pope of Greenwich Village” in the 1940s, he received a Guggenheim fellowship and was later named a National Artist of the Philippines #JoseGarciaVilla

Thelma Buchholdt was the first Filipina American elected to a state legislature and the first Asian American elected in the Alaska State Legislature. She also wrote book “Filipinos in Alaska” and was a three-term president of @fanhs_national. #ThelmaBuchholdt

Finally, Fred Cordova was the founding president of @fanhs_national. He organized FilAm youth in Seattle for decades; he authored the book “Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans”; and he founded the National Pinoy Archives. #FredCordova #UncleFredCordova #FilAmHistory